in defense of teaching

My facebook post on the events in Wisconsin has generated over 50 comments today. Phew.

I applaud my friends and family who stood up for teachers.

First, my friend Tiffany, linked me to this diatribe on teacher pay.

Then, after watching her profession come under attack all day by her daughter's "friends," my mom weighed in and blew all of our socks off. I almost cried when I read this and I have to say how PROUD I am to have been raised by this woman. We've had MANY differences and disagreements over the years, but this is truly amazing. If my facebook wall had a "slow clap" feature, Mom would've totally set it off:

When you say things like "... the average teacher makes $50k per year, with three months of vacation time, during which time they can make more money. It doesn't even mention the fact that most teachers retire comfortably in their mid- to late 50s, a good decade before the general public," it's clear that you have no idea what really goes on with educators.

Yes, it's easy to simplify with a statement like that, but the reality is that salary is based on an 8 hour/185 day a year contract. I challenge you to find any teacher that works an 8 hour day, 185 days a year. Most of my colleagues show up at school around 6:30 a.m., work a full day with the students, stay 'til around 5 or 6 p.m., at which time they take work home with them, unless they have to stay late for school programs or a parent conference.

Oftentimes, phone calls to parents and home visits are made in the evenings. If the parents are divorced, those calls/visits must be made twice - one to each parent. Staff work days are spent in professional development classes, often paid for out of pocket. Materials for things such as bulletin boards, snacks for the kids who come to school without having had breakfast, personal hygiene items for those who go without, and clothing and shoes for kids who's parents can't afford them are paid for by teachers.

I myself have driven kids to the eye doctor, taken sick children home, paid for field trips, bought winter coats and boots, backpacks and pencils, contributed to Thanksgiving baskets...the list goes on and on. I'm not saying this to toot my own horn - in fact, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a teacher who DOESN'T do these things.

Our "three month vacation" is actually MUCH LESS, when you consider the fact that most teachers are paid for ONE day to clean up their classrooms before (as I would imagine you think) dancing out the door to enjoy doing nothing - or god forbid trying to make ends meet by taking a second job - all summer long. The reality is, most work for at least a week afterward because custodial staff has been cut and things like scraping hardened snot off the bottoms of desks and chairs, or shampooing the puke stains out of the carpet are left up to us. It's not unusual to see teachers return to prepare their rooms for the upcoming school year in early to mid-August. And the "vacation time" you talk about? Not really - professional development is required by many states for recertification. Classes must be taken, papers written, homework done, materials bought, again out-of-pocket.

As for the "I pay your salary" argument? Are you kidding me? Keep in mind that WE PAY TAXES, TOO! People seem to forget that. I also pay for YOU to use the highways, get your drivers' license, take the bus. You do not belong to an exclusive taxpayers' club. We ALL belong!

I am NOT your servant - I am a public employee, I work WITH you. Without me, and others like me, we would all be much worse off than you can even begin to imagine.

war in wisconsin: why i care

I know I should be focusing all my time and energy packing right now since I'm able to flee the state and not seek political asylum, but I can't help but be caught up in following one of the most amazing civil rights demonstrations I've witnessed in my life time.

I posted yesterday about why I'm upset about Walker's actions (although I was corrected that the National Guard thing was sensationalized). 

I thought I'd just post real briefly why I am standing with the teachers and the unions:

• My mother has been a hard-working public school employee for the bulk of my lifetime.
• Several of my friends have left their previous careers to go back to school for education degrees, almost with the same devotion that people used to do this to join the clergy -- it truly is a VOCATION. No offense to my corporate friends out there (heck, I'm one of them again, very soon),  but I've never heard anyone utter words "I have this strong calling to go be a corporate actuary/marketing/HR person to fulfill my dreams AND make the world a better place." I admire and support those who give their lives to others and are SO UNDERAPPRECIATED FOR IT.
• The democratic process is NOT a sneaky bill introduced to pass in four days and things like teacher walkouts are a valuable lesson. A couple of days off school are not going to damage our children for life. And if I had children I'd personally LIKE them to learn about civil disobedience and peaceful protests. In fact, as a student at a Jesuit High School (yes, I split my education between public and private schools), I was required to take a whole semester on Peace & Justice.
• For those using terms like "Union Overlords," do you really not take advantage of any rights that unions have fought for that now apply to everyone? 8 hour workdays, weekends, child labor laws, health and safety laws. Really, I'd, REALLY like to know. 

I understand the frustration of folks that are in private jobs that don't have "Cadillac" benefits, and to close I offer two discussion points:

• If we all stood behind universal healthcare, wouldn't some of the issues at stake here, simply be NON-ISSUES
• I do agree that Unions do need to make SOME concessions. If you are strongly pro-Union or a Union member, I'd like to hear your thoughts on that. What ARE you willing to give up?

wtfisconsin: collective bargaining battle

I knew after the November elections that it was going to get bad.

But readying the National Guard against peaceful protesters?

I thought we elected Walker, not Wallace.

And giving throwbacks to the Unions that supported you in the Election? Despicable.

Yes, I am leaving the state. But this an issue that should be watched from an international level. You can't just assault the rights of workers and get away with it. There should be a fair and public discourse, not a hasty bill that opens up holes into larger funding issues.

Private sector employees are allowed to negotiate benefits. Why shouldn't public sector ones as well? Why should people that want to serve the public be punished because elected officials can't properly manage spending?

Want to know more? My friend Mandi offers a nice examination and balanced viewpoint here.

As the Catholic Church points out 'there is a "moral obligation each of us has to respect the legitimate rights of workers.”'

I only hope that one Republican in the Wisconsin legislature can step up and stand up for human rights.

moved posts

For those of you looking for my recent political rants, I've moved them over to Red-fugee. I'll try and post there when I'm angered. This will go back to being a relatively (hopefully) happy blog. Thanks for your patience with me as I write out my frustrations!

WTFisconsin: the boy who cried snow

This will be my 12th winter in Wisconsin.

I realize that it a) snows several inches at one time and b) gets ass cold.

I got a CD in Meterology.

Why does local media act like it's the end of days?

WTFisconsin: Racial Gap on Test Scores Among Widest

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported last week that while math scores in Wisconsin are up, the gap between black and white students hasn't improved since the early 1990s.

Clearly SOMETHING has to be done. So, more mind-boggling to me are the groups of folks who are dead-set against shaking up the Milwaukee Public School system and trying out mayoral control. Just like so many other issues in Milwaukee, it seems like people are more keen on bitching about things than offering actual solutions. I'm not qualified to judge beyond the catfights I read in the papers, but at this point, why not give it a try?

Of course, I'm also completely confused by why Milwaukee buses kids halfway across the city for school. Why not just invest in and improve neighborhood schools? Wouldn't that lift up the neighborhoods as a whole? I love this city, but so much here just doesn't make sense.

WTFisconsin: Charging for CCAP?

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, so how does the Wisconsin State Assembly respond? By proposing a charge for the popular online court records database -- CCAP -- on October 1.

While I agree that there are reforms that should be made to this service (if people are truly listed who have been falsely accused, by all means fix that), I disagree that a charge should be implemented.

Granted the fee is only $10, but I doubt people will pay that to look up their dates, as all the single women I know do now. That's unfortunate because that $10 could save a life if the dude you're about to go out with has four restraining orders against him. I could see lawmakers responding and saying "well, we won't charge shelters, women's centers, etc." Well the thing is, lawmakers, domestic violence knows no class or social status. I can't forsee a young professional saying "oh, I don't have $10, but I'll swing down to the shelter and check out this guy."

Please, keep CCAP free for all to use.

WTFisconsin: No Drinking in Bars

I am all for reforms.

In fact, I came across a wonderful blog post this afternoon from James Rowen perfectly outlining how ridiculous it is for folks from both sides of the aisle to shut themselves off to new proposals.

I am also all for reforms that will address the drunk driving crisis in the State of Wisconsin. We should not have people like this guy in Manitowoc still on the road after 12 DUIs. I recognize the significance of the issues raised in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's recent series "Wasted in Wisconsin."

However, there is a new idea on the table that I just can't get behind.

Bartenders would have to maintain absolute sobriety under a proposal debated by a state Assembly panel Tuesday.

Being under the influence of alcohol or partying with customers is problematic for servers, bill author Rep. Josh Zepnick (D-Milwaukee) told the Assembly’s Committee on Urban and Local Affairs Tuesday. The committee also heard testimony on another proposal from Zepnick that would ban “all you can drink” specials.

Both are aimed at reducing the rate of drunken driving in Wisconsin.

Honestly, I think this makes us liberals who fought so hard for the statewide smoking ban look like temperance flag waving fun-killers. While the smoking ban benefits everyone's health, ushers Wisconsin toward the 21st century, and long-term will be better for tavern business, a ban on drinking employees and on drink specials dents a significant part of Wisconsin culture.

In regards to bartenders drinking on the job--that should completely be the choice of the employer. I know of plenty of bars/restaurants that don't allow their employees to drink on the job. I also know of advertising agencies that encourage drinking. Then consider our brewery and growing distillery industry. Why just apply this law to bartenders? Are the brewers not going to be able to test their wares?

I want my bartender to be able to recommend beers, wines and cocktails to me. If they are unable to try those while on the clock, there will be years of institutional knowledge killed in the state. I also want to continue to buy my bartender a drink if I've gotten exceptional service or they've listened to a sob story.

Wisconsin's cocktail culture is part of what makes the state unique. It's part of why I, a transplanted young professional, stay here. Obviously I don't want these employees driving home after a shift of drinking. But most employees are not drinking their entire shift. Why punish everyone and kill a culture because of a few stupid individuals? I guarantee if a person is an alcoholic, they're going to find a way to drink even when they're not on the clock.

In regards to banning certain drink specials, again, I don't think this is going to address the greater issue of drunk driving. And why a ban? Why not charge a fee to bars who want to offer these specials and partner with a cab company for a "safe ride home" program?

Or, here's another novel idea, why don't we invest more in public transportation infrastructure to give Milwaukeeans another option to get home from the bar?

Perhaps what aggravates me the most is that an extreme proposal like this is going to make the talk radio guys foam at the mouth. At a time when it has never been more critical to have bipartisan cooperation on critical issues like the economy, health care and transportation infrastructure, I am embarrassed as a Democrat to throw a big Prohibition Piñata over to the Republicans.

WTFisconsin: Riversplash Racism

While I give Westown massive props for increasing the security at RiverSplash, I take complete offense in the way it was executed. As a white woman, I waltzed right in (actually waved in by security staff on the north end of the festival), despite having my purse ready for the requisite check. The five skanky bar trash white girls in front of me walked in as well. However, every black person in line was stopped and frisked. This ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED ME. Needless to say, I spent all my money at bars tonight and not at any of the Westown booths. I'm thoroughly disappointed and expect a response from the association that put this event on.

WTFisconsin: pedestrian peeves

You'd expect living in a major second-tier city that you wouldn't have to fear for your life or your convenience walking through it's streets. Unfortunately sometimes I run into that. This week was one of those times.

Those who follow me on twitter may have seen my upset tweet on Tuesday:

Just had THREE CARS cut me off in the crosswalk at van buren and wells. Car 3 caught my wrathh [sic--hey, i was typing from a cell phone after almost dying]

I then asked for folks to give me their scariest intersections and I found that others share my fears. Some comments from twitter and facebook:

• Oakland and locust
• ogden and astor. it's a four-way stop, but nobody can figure out who should go first, esp. when there are pedestrians.
• E. North Ave. and N. Farwell Ave.
• crossing St. Paul on the west side of Water
• how about Capitol Dr. - and any side street. As for Milwaukee - anything near the PAC.
• Brady/Farwell/Oakland

We shouldn't have to live in fear. Drivers please LOOK IN THE CROSSWALK for people before you hit the gas pedal. It's best for both of us.

Yesterday I ran into a couple of frustrating, but not deadly, obstacles.

First, the city is doing some maintenance to the Riverwalk. Fantastic! However, it's completely closed on the eastside of the river just past John Hawk's Pub. One would expect there to be a sign at the entrance to this section of the walk at Wisconsin Avenue to give people the head's up that if they are using this as a pedestrian thruway (because would you really want to go look at the dirty, melting river right now?) they can't can't through. Uh, well that didn't happen. Instead I got to this:

Really? Closed? You don't say. Maybe the fact that there are big boards blocking the way I'd figure that out. You know what would have been better? Putting that warning up BEFORE I walked an unnecessary 500 ft.

My second annoyance came in the form of navigating through the mudflats at the Cathedral Square sidewalk. Unfortunately during the winter these are never cleared sheets of sheer ice. Spring isn't much better. I'm guessing it's the county that is responsible for clearing, so I have one more thing to blame He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named (but you can guess that his last name doesn't mean he is one!) for:
Yes, that is my shoe sucked into a swamp. Lovely.

One other peeve I had walking home was wondering why there were a bunch of creepy looking middle-aged suburbany white guys lurking around downtown with zombified looks in their eyes. Then I remembered this creepy conservative conference was here this weekend. *Shudder.* If you want to see a lot of white people, check out that last link.

WTFisconsin: Save Film Incentives

I blogged last week about my dismay at Governor Doyle cutting Wisconsin's film incentives from this year's budget. 

Luckily thanks to groups like Film Wisconsin and Milwaukee Film, concerned folks are banding together to contact their legislators to tell them this action is not okay. Film Wisconsin posted some excellent talking points to their Facebook group and Milwaukee Film sent a link to the Arts Wisconsin page that explains how to contact your representatives.

With time being "of the essence" I didn't worry about crafting the perfect letter, but just shot this one off to the governor, with some modifications for my representatives, Sen. Jeff Plale and Rep. Jon Richards.

Dear Gov. Doyle,

As a young professional and member of the "Creative Class," I was shocked to hear that you proposed cutting one of the most innovative programs in this state -- the incentives for the film industry in Wisconsin.

Cutting this program would be devastating to hundreds of people that this state needs to retain. The economy has already offed thousands of traditional manufacturing jobs, why use the state budget to unnecessarily kill occupations in a viable industry?

It seems extremely short-sighted to axe a new program after one year. Especially a year when a major motion picture, several television shows, and commercials were filmed in Wisconsin. With your emphasis on education, I'm surprised you'd want to eliminate an industry that many institutes of higher learning have adapted curriculum and created training programs to support. Do you really want to drive educated workers OUT of Wisconsin?

I understand that the budgeting process is a delicate one, but Governor, I believe you overlooked much potential when you switched the tax incentives to a grant program. Unfortunately the grants fall incredibly short and would not have any of the impact of the tax incentives. I urge you to reconsider cutting the incentives and encourage Wisconsinites to get back to work in the business of film. Please recall what you said when you signed the incentives into law: "Filmmaking is part of manufacturing in the 21st century…and Wisconsin will serve a valuable role in manufacturing film.”

Join the next generation of Wisconsinites in keeping Wisconsin in the 21st century.

Kind regards,
Meghan Arnold

 If you care about the future of Wisconsin's economy and its positioning to attract and retain talent, I highly recommend you send a similar message.

WTFisconsin: Literally

Clearly the Wisconsin Tourism Federation has not gotten up to speed on social media. Or even AIM. Dude, seriously, WTF?

Do you think they have t-shirts?

That's the best thing I've heard since I learned about Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School or GET High in the western part of the state. My dad actually found about that on a business trip to Arizona.

I could lament more, but I'm off to stuff my face with beer and cheese.

WTFWisconsin: This Film is Not Yet Rated

Last year film geeks and economic development geeks alike were really jazzed that the State of Wisconsin passed tax incentives to attract major motion picture production to our state.

Apparently the governor has now proposed the young program be axed from this year's budget.

Hopefully state legislators can keep it in.

I will have more of an opinion once I learn a bit more about what can be done, but straight up this sucks. Wisconsin's old industries are dying and we need to think out-of-the-box. Also, a year-old program should be allowed to have some breathing room. Especially with film. I mean a writer's strike crippled the industry for half of last year. Give it some time to grow.

Sheesh.

WTFisconsin: don't breathe deep

For those that think the state of Wisconsin is one big pot of fresh air, think again. Granted it's not India, where my Kleenex turned black when I sneezed, but unfortunately a new study came out today that showed Milwaukee is the second most challenging place to live with asthma.

The factors that ranked cities poorly were:

• Prevalence Factors – morbidity and mortality statistics
• Risk Factors – air quality, pollen, "100% smoke-free" laws, poverty and more
• Medical Factors – medication usage and access to specialists

It doesn't take a scientist to hypothesize from those risk factors.

Our air quality sucks. It's winter and we are under advisory for particle pollution. Wisconsin, the home of the founder of Earth Day, is mired in political infighting which results in its residents unable to catch their breath. Green solutions are never built and things like progressive public transportation (such as that in my hometown of Portland) never get off the drawing board.

Poverty, of course, is another issue, even prior to this economy. The city has the 7th highest poverty rate in the country, and a HUGE disparity in wealth and poverty between Milwaukee and its surrounding counties.

Finally, we have no restrictions on smoking whatsoever. I completely agree that this should be a statewide ban, and not just city-based (God knows Milwaukee does not need another city-suburbs battle factor). However, this needs to happen sooner rather than later. I cannot tell you how lovely it is to travel to cities that have smoking bans. I have plenty of friends that smoke and they don't mind going outside if they don't reek in the morning. Tonight I was only briefly in Flannery's, it wasn't very crowded and I only noticed a couple of folks smoking. Yet I get home and my freshly laundered jeans stink of stale cigarettes.

Maybe the detergent industry is the secret lobbyist in this state?

WTFisconsin: economy kills indie book store

First Atomic Records, now Harry W. Schwartz books.

I was devastated when I saw the news of my favorite local independent bookstore closing. As you recall, I specifically targeted Schwartz for my holiday shopping.

The silver lining? The store manager is going to reopen the Downer store location as Boswell Books.

I'm also trying to gather momentum for an Atomic/Schwartz Grieving/Shopping Spree. Still working out details in my head, but I'm thinking Saturday, February 7. So spread the word.

WTFisconsin: Jazz in the Park Shoots Itself In Foot

I usually defend Milwaukee. Especially when people from more "enlightened" cities try and use it as the butt of a joke. I am quick to point out all that Milwaukee has "going on," especially in its fabulous summertime. One of the top five "cool" factor things I inevitably will point out is Jazz in the Park.

"Jazz" is a Milwaukee Summer Institution. And it's one of the reasons I live where I live, one block east of Cathedral Square. A Thursday night gathering of the masses, this chill event is the place to catch up with friends, people-watch, halfway listen to music and imbibe in a couple glasses of BYOB wine.

Until today, the COLDEST DAY IN 13 YEARS in this town that cherishes every ounce of its summer....when the East Town Association announced the most devastating news ever.

There will be no more carry-ins at Jazz in the Park.

They cite some state statute that apparently isn't anything new, it's just been overlooked apparently for 19 years.

Ever heard of changing the law?

Nope, instead they are disappointing thousands of Milwaukeeans, many of whom are the exact young professionals they always whine about not retaining.

In my opinion, this is the most colossal Milwaukee blunder since my alma mater Marquette University tried to change its mascot to the "Gold," instead of keeping it the Golden Eagles or moving back to the Warriors. Luckily the community voice was strong enough that the decision was reversed within days.

Will it be the same with Jazz? The Twittersphere exploded right away, with several folks vowing to contact their alderperson. I emailed mine, Bob Bauman, immediately. I will keep you posted if his office responds.

UrbanMilwaukee.com has a much more level-headed view on this than I do (I never claimed to be an unbiased site, I just keep some opinions in check because of the nature of my day job), and I encourage you to read their opinions. Their suggestions for alternate revenue options are definitely something the Jazz folks should go back and consider.

In the meantime, I'm curious if there would be enough folks who could unite for a little good ol' fashioned civil disobedience at the first Jazz this year? I'd love to see them filling up the paddy wagons with young professionals grasping their Two Buck Chuck. I bet nothing would get the laws changed quicker.

Yes we can!

WTFisconsin: testing site discrimination

When you begin to look closely, you realize that contributing factors to the cycles of poverty are omnipresent.

Recently I found a new one.

It doesn't seem quite right to me that there's no GRE Testing Center in Milwaukee County. The closest center is located in Waukesha County and is completely inaccessible by public transportation. This seems to put those without transportation options at a disadvantage. While they can still take the paper-based exam at Marquette or UWM, they are stuck to doing that on a set date. They do not have the luxury of scheduling at a time that works for them. Advanced degrees are obviously a huge step out of the cycle of poverty, so it's disconcerting that the location of the center for the first step toward that goal is completely contrary to the endgame.

I choose not to have a personal vehicle, but at the end of the day I could rent or borrow one. Some folks don't even have that option. That's not the issue here, the issue that I have a problem with is the suburbs/exurbs hijacking educational opportunity from the urban center.

WTFisconsin: economy kills indie record store

I literally just finished posting the great news about non-profit goals being met, when I checked my email and saw the sad and shocking news of a local institution, Atomic Records, being forced to close its doors.

I just want to give one big F--- YOU to George W. Bush.

That said, I'm reupping my pledge to only buy local this holiday season. I am definitely going to get up to Atomic before it closes, and hopefully for some holiday gifts. I encourage you to do the same.

The week of December 6 - 13 is the Official Buy Local, Live Local Days.

Also, if this Atomic Tragedy has taught us anything it's not to take purveyors of local music for granted.