Lights are going out on drama teacher’s career

This week, I reflected on the teaching career of Jaime Escalante (pictured), the teacher who inspired his students in East Los Angeles, and others in the movie, "Stand and Deliver" (1988). Mr. Escalante passed away a few days ago. He was 79 years young.

In Mr. Escalante's honor, I am celebrating the teaching career of a lesser known teacher, Doug Smith. Smith is a high school drama teacher in California. (His former students include American Idol's Adam Lambert)

Smith's teaching philosophy: Love the art in yourself, not yourself in the art.

He is the focus in the following article:

Lights are going out on drama teacher’s career
By Blanca Gonzalez, UNION-TRIBUNE

The curtain will come down on Doug Smith’s teaching career this spring after more than 30 years of inspiring and guiding high school drama students, but for now, the show goes on.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/apr/03/lights-are-going-out-on-drama-teachers-career/

Quoted in AJC article: ‘Undercover Boss’ on CBS

CBS hasn’t had a new reality show hit in several years so when it green-lit “Undercover Boss,” the network only ordered nine episodes, a dutiful sign of caution.
...
“I think most workers think executives are aloof and don’t understand their problems,” said Perry Binder, an assistant professor for legal studies at the Robinson School of Business at Georgia State University. “They get a kick seeing them get down and dirty and hope if they see what they do each day, they can improve things.”

Continue reading:
Undercover Boss’ on CBS spotlights Stone Mountain Park & the Norcross company that runs it
March 25, 2010, by Rodney Ho
http://blogs.ajc.com/radio-tv-talk/2010/03/25/undercover-boss-on-cbs-spotlights-stone-mountain-park-the-norcross-company-that-owns-it/

Move Elementary School out of Harm's Way

This is a follow up to my Saturday, January 23, 2010 post

I follow the Marsh Fork/Massey coal issue very closely -- in April, there will be a school board vote on needed funds to move this school.

In West Virginia, the Marsh Fork elementary school sits 400 yards downstream from a dam holding back billions of gallons of water/coal sludge. The West Virginia government has refused to build a new elementary school in a safer location. The community, afraid for its children's lives, began the organization Pennies of Promise to raise the funds themselves. In April 2010, the school board will vote on funding for a new school. Are you willing to lend your voice to support these kids?

My students have joined the Facebook page below, and I am reaching out to other schools in an effort to elevate media awareness and the importance of a new school.

The "Pennies of Promise" Facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2256931294

Please pass this post on to others.

APRIL 7 UPDATE

Our prayers go out to all of the miners' families -- The Upper Big Branch mine near Whitesville, W. Va. is just 9 miles from Marsh Fork Elementary in Sundial, W. Va.

Marsh Fork Elementary School is the Media Staging Area for broadcast and print journalists for the latest information on the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster. Video on this link. http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/90049972.html

WVU is collecting condolences for families of mine disaster http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2010/04/06/wvu-collecting-condolences-for-families-of-massey-energy-mine-disaster/

Keep Them Laughing to Keep Them Learning

Below is my university's Center for Teaching & Learning Newsletter (pdf)

CONTENTS:

New technologies spark student-teacher symbiosis

Teaching Today’s Students - Is it harder or just different?

Keep Them Laughing to Keep Them Learning - my article, originally in Atlanta Journal Constitution

I never dreamed of being a college professor.
Does anybody?

When my third grade teacher asked us about our dream job, Molly said, “Astronaut.” Evan, “An actor.” Perry: “Obtain a terminal degree and lecture on legal morasses.”

Whether you teach third grade or nuclear physics, every student wants a
good laugh. As teacher accountability objectives collide with shorter attention
spans, laughter is the secret ingredient to keep everyone on task.

CONTINUE READING (PDF)

http://www.gsu.edu/images/CTL/_CTLnewsletterSpring10.pdf

Students found their hearts in Joe Fran’s classroom

I enjoy reading these stories and passing them on:

By Cate Murway, Correspondent, Bristol Pilot News
We all have favorite teachers. Whether they taught us how to read, write or do arithmetic, encouraged us, challenged us or gave sound advice in times of confusion, all of us have one or two educators in mind when we are asked: “What is the best thing you learned, so far?”

...

“Teaching was a wonderful career for me and I loved it. The student taught me as much as I taught them. I taught them to love and be passionate.”

Continue Reading: http://www.buckslocalnews.com/articles/2010/03/17/bristol_pilot/news/doc4ba126bba69a2897790441.txt

Lured Into Trade School and Debt - A Recurring Story

Many years ago, I taught at a trade school and found that the teachers were as passionate about their craft as any teachers I have met. However, I also found that the administration had pressure to recruit students in a way that public institutions do not. I have taught classes at all levels of higher education - from graduate schools, to four year universities, to community colleges. While there must be some proprietary schools with time-tested success, simply put - our two-year colleges (which face budget cuts) are the ticket for people to obtain specific job training, and avoid the massive debts discussed in this New York Times article (March 13, 2010) - In Hard Times, Lured Into Trade School and Debt.

It would be unfair to make a sweeping allegation against all trade schools. However, there are many schools which still employ the practices referenced in the article. As a way to help students and attorneys, I wrote a 50+ page book chapter on how a student can confront a trade school in court, if that student believes s/he is the victim of unscrupulous practices.

My piece, written in the mid-1990's, "Liability of Private Trade School To Student" is not available online - you need to visit a law school library or access it from a Lexis or Westlaw database (Cite: 22 Am. Jur. Proof of Facts 3d 411).

The NY Times article makes it crystal clear that fifteen-plus years after my article, abuses in the trade school sector are the same or worse in 2010. (even after legislation was passed, e.g., barring incentives for admissions representatives based on the number of students they enroll)

Here is the Introduction to Liability of Private Trade School To Student (much of which is excerpted from the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Governmental Affairs (United States Senate, May 1991)

In the state of Texas, a truck-driving school arranged a $5,000 loan for a student who was eventually denied a state operator's license. The reason for denial of the license was that the student was unable to operate a truck's clutch because she only had one foot. Unfortunately, such tales are not unusual in the private education sector. [Footnote]

Today, as the federal government scrutinizes the default rates on loans offered to students at private trade schools, [FN] these schools have created a public perception of greed at the expense of education. Testifying before the U.S. Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, one trade school owner recently admitted: "I'm a businessman out to make a profit. Truly, I don't care about the well-being of the students." [FN]

The proprietary school sector [FN] has become a big business due, in part, to the accessibility of financial aid to trade schools and the lack of credible regulatory bodies to police such schools. As one school president stated before the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in 1991, "there is no way to escape being a slave to the quarterly report. Quality education and higher earnings are two masters. You can't serve both." [FN] The Subcommittee found that such attitudes are prevalent at many proprietary schools. For example, the former financial aid administrator for one school testified that contests were held whereby sales representatives earned incentive awards for enrolling the largest number of students during a given period. Likewise, receptionists with the largest number of student phone contacts were given time off, and loan counselors received cash, color televisions, or other such awards for the largest number of applicants processed. The former financial aid administrator remarked that he "always felt a little strange that the instructors never had a contest, or that the placement office never was rewarded if they placed a high number of graduates." [FN]

Unfortunately, the prospect of regulating the trade school industry has become bleaker in recent times. For example, in Florida, the state licensing agency for trade schools recently cut its staff from five to three investigators for a total of 550 schools. [FN] As economic times get tougher, many college admissions representatives, earning commissions on each student they enroll, often do not have the student's best interests at heart. As a former school owner, convicted of defrauding a guaranteed student loan program, testified:
In the proprietary school business, what you sell is 'dreams,' and so ninety-nine percent of the sales were made in…poor, black areas…at welfare offices and unemployment lines, and in housing projects. My approach…was that 'if [a prospect] could breath, scribble his name, had a driver's license, and was over eighteen years of age,' he was qualified for [the school's] program. My tactics…, [which] were approved, and even encouraged, by the school's owners included making the down payment for the prospect (the amount of which would be reimbursed to me out of the financial aid proceeds) and…going so far as to accompany the prospect to a pawn shop in order for him to obtain enough money for it. [FN]

The purpose of this article is two-fold. First, it attempts to briefly educate the general practitioner about the "tricks of the trade" in the proprietary school business, the laws relating to financial aid for students, and the process of enrolling students in trade schools. Second, the article discusses the causes of action that can be filed against trade schools, the defenses to those causes of action, and the elements of proof that are necessary for a plaintiff student to successfully prosecute a civil claim of intentional misrepresentation against a trade school. [FN]

Thoughts on Building a Better Teacher

Follow up to March 7 posting:

I think when it comes to learning a subject like algebra, a teacher can put in 20 hours of work, and be 20 hours more prepared- however, for communicating information or motivating students --this is an intangible skill.

The best way for teachers to work on these skills --- watch other teachers or seminar presenters in action. Not to emulate other teachers, but to add to the teachers' repertoire. Most important thing to me -- never try to be anyone else but yourself, and lean on your own strengths. The great comics borrow material from each other, but they are true to their own gifts.

My measure of a great teacher -- if s/he wakes up every morning looking forward to class and believes that it is a privilege to inspire young minds -- if it's not a job, but a passion, that's the teacher I want in my k-5 class (and I had few or none!). To me, teaching is a job only when I am under the weather or in a bad mood --other than that, it's a total joy. And a class can lift me out of any mood!

When I was in 9th grade, we had an amazing social studies teacher who was the victim of the budget cuts. He went on to succeed in the private sector, but likely would've been the greatest 30-year teacher around. Think of all of the lives he could've positively impacted. State legislatures nationwide needs to be dream builders, not bottom line slashers.

Building a Better Teacher

Today's NY Times Magazine has an interesting article with a presumptuous title.

By ELIZABETH GREEN
Published: March 2, 2010

Excerpt: [w]hen it came to actual teaching, the daily task of getting students to learn, the school floundered. Students disobeyed teachers’ instructions, and class discussions veered away from the lesson plans. In one class Lemov observed, the teacher spent several minutes debating a student about why he didn’t have a pencil. Another divided her students into two groups to practice multiplication together, only to watch them turn to the more interesting work of chatting. A single quiet student soldiered on with the problems. As Lemov drove from Syracuse back to his home in Albany, he tried to figure out what he could do to help. He knew how to advise schools to adopt a better curriculum or raise standards or develop better communication channels between teachers and principals. But he realized that he had no clue how to advise schools about their main event: how to teach.

Continue reading: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/magazine/07Teachers-t.html

Michigan teacher recognized for inspiring his students

A decade ago, high school student Jeremy Warner sat in a science classroom in this school district, excited about learning. Fast forward to 2010, and Ubly science teacher Jeremy Warner is being rewarded for his efforts to excite his students about learning. Warner will receive the Science Teacher of Promise award at the Michigan Science Teacher Association (MSTA) conference this weekend in Lansing. He is the only teacher in the state receiving this award.

READ MORE: //www.michigansthumb.com/articles/2010/03/03/news/local_news/doc4b8e5463d6cb2461175147.txt

Between the Snowflakes - From the Dorm to Lake Placid

I wrote this article a long time ago for The Huffington Post and other outlets - I hope it offers a glimmer of optimism in the face of so much current doubt.

“I like your hat,” Bill offered mischievously to the middle-aged Russian gentleman.
The man kept walking with a deliberate gait.
“Trade you my Vikings football cap,” Bill tries, with the tact of a paparazzo in the Olympic Village.
The guy stopped and looked at Bill. Then at me, wrapped in a parka the size of the Hindenburg.
“Nyet,” he delivered stoic faced, as he trudged through the snow flurries.

This was the beginning of my trip to Lake Placid. At age 19, it was a safe bet that Bill and I were not destined to be goodwill ambassadors for these Games.

We left for Lake Placid from our Binghamton University dormitory at 2:00a.m., to a mock chorus of God Bless America from the less than enlightened frat boys. About forty pioneers boarded a charter bus for the one day, 14 hour roundtrip journey from Vestal, New York. As we pulled away from campus, my thoughts wandered back to Franz Klammer’s downhill run in 1976 at Innsbruck, and to the ice-cold keg of beer in the back of bus – courtesy of those more than enlightened frat boys.

Headline - Monday, February 18, 1980 - Bus waits may last throughout Games
“For the sixth day in a row, spectators were forced to wait for more than an hour-and-a-half at some venues sites.”

Headline – Many treated for frostbite
(UPI) “A bitter wind from the Northwest … plunged the ’chill factor’ to minus 40 (F and C).”

When the bus arrived at 9:00a.m., the first thing I wanted to do was see the Olympic torch and get in touch with all the good that it represents. The silver cauldron was perched about 100 feet above the snowdrifts. The base of the structure was a very unassuming platform from which the torch was first lit. After the lighting, the cauldron traveled up to its resting place along a track supported by two thin white beams, one on each side of the track. Access to the torch was permitted, as Bill took a picture of me on the platform. I posed with both arms raised in victory celebration form.

Headline – U.S. Government pressures USOC to boycott Moscow
Headline – Counter Olympic site sought
(UPI The United States has set a deadline of Wednesday, Feb. 20, for the Soviets to withdraw their estimated 95,000 troops from Afghanistan.

The first event we saw was the 70 meter combined Ski Jump at Intervale Mountain at 12:30p.m. For $16.80US, Bill and I got to stand among a pack of people for two hours without binoculars, hot chocolate, or wool socks. No matter. While our vantage point wasn’t perfect, it was a treat to watch airborne jumpers maintain their poise. During the event, my mind wandered back to Binghamton where everyone was huddled under blankets in front of the TV for the Games, while I was here as a witness to history.

Headline – ABC didn’t seem to be with it
(AP) “Even though it showed two gold medals being decided, ABC didn’t really seem to be into the Olympics during its 2½-hour presentation Sunday. … Delaying presentation of the downhill was inexcusable after the results were announced.”

After the ski jump, we had a few hours before going to an ice hockey game at the Olympic Center. Bill and I used this time to look around the Olympic Village. I vividly remember an East German athlete limping near us. We tried to talk to him about his injury, but the language barrier proved to be daunting. I also remember people from all over the world trading pins, and wondering what the big deal was. Who knew?!

Headline – What to do in a crisis
“If your car stalls out, your fingers freeze up, or you find out the place you had planned to stay the night is all booked up, don’t panic. [The disaster operational plan] is only a phone call away.”

At 4:30p.m., Bill and I headed into the Field House for a greatly anticipated ice hockey match between the USSR and Finland ($28.00US for lower level seats). When we bought tickets several months earlier, we were more excited to see the best hockey team on the planet than to see our homegrown USA team (which was playing Romania later that evening). After all, the Soviets were going to win the gold in style, right? Though Finland jumped out to an early 2-1 lead – much to the delight of the mostly American, anti-Russian crowd which chanted “Finnish ‘em off!!!” – the Soviets were formidable, beating Finland, 4-2.

At nightfall, we saw a spectacular fireworks display over frozen Mirror Lake, as the Games ended for another day. The competition would continue through Sunday, February 24 -- ending with the Gold Medal Round of the ice hockey tournament. But for Bill and me, it was back to the ice-cold bus with the empty keg of beer. And a seven hour trip back to Binghamton and a TV Olympics.

Headline – Monday, February 25, 1980 – Lake Placid: The Deserted Village
“With the games ending, Olympic Village will now be prepared for the role it was built for – as a prison.”

Many years have passed since my journey to Lake Placid. And in that time, I don’t tolerate the cold as well, busses still don’t arrive at events, corporate logos loom larger, and people lob bombs to make a point. It’s enough to make those close to the Olympic Movement question their very involvement in the spirit of competition for the sake of a higher purpose.

In 1997, I sat in an Atlanta movie theatre for the world premiere of Bud Greenspan’s documentary, Atlanta’s Olympic Glory. Memories of the Lake Placid Games rushed back as quickly as images of the 1996 Games flashed on the screen. I’m fascinated as to how Mr. Greenspan, a self-described historian, captures poignant yet often unnoticed moments of the Games while filtering out the high profile politics of the day.

For me, such a perspective on history is a matter of one’s outlook. But ultimately, what we dwell on and how we recall important events are functions of choice. And isn’t that the heart of the Olympic Movement - - to choose an ideal to shoot for, as we live and deal with global and personal challenges. Day-by-day, as an integral part of the equation.

As I watch the current Winter Games, I will approach them with the same anticipation as that 19 year old playing in an icebox called Lake Placid. Choosing to filter out without minimizing the scandals and the other negative things we often confuse as being newsworthy.  Navigating around the headlines.  Walking between the snowflakes.

Hoping this time to meet that Russian gentleman with the hat, and believing this time he’d say - - “Da, but throw in two pins with that stupid looking cap!”

Perry Binder, J.D. is an author, professional speaker, and Legal Studies professor in Atlanta, GA. From 1992-1995, he was a sports radio talk show host on Miami Beach, with diverse shows including Love of the Game.  He served on the Inaugural Board of the Bob Beamon Foundation for Youth, which supported the Inner City Games created by Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Perry has appeared in print media and on radio and television, including ESPN Classic where he discussed the Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding case and other sports controversies.

c 2000-2022 Perry Binder

Sources:
Daily Olympic Digest, Lake Placid News, February 18, 1980
Red Smith, The New York Times, February 25, 1980, page C3

Schedule of Events - Monday, February 18, 1980

8:00a.m. . Men’s Figure Skating, Compulsory Figures
9:00a.m. Women’s Cross Country Skiing - 10 kilometer
10:00a.m Men’s Alpine Skiing - Giant Slalom, 1st Run
12:30p.m. Ski Jumping – 70 meter combined * (attended this event)
* Gold medal: Anton Innauer, Austria, 266.3 points

Hockey
1:00p.m. Canada-Japan Arena
1:30p.m. Sweden-Norway Field House
4:30p.m. Holland-Poland Arena
5:00p.m. USSR-Finland Field House (attended this event)
8:00p.m. Czechoslovakia-Germany Arena
8:30p.m. USA-Romania Field House

Most Medals
Team: East Germany - 23 Medals 9 Gold 7 Silver 7 Bronze
Individual: Eric Heiden, USA, Speed Skating – 5 Gold Medals