I wanted to follow up the STRIKE! post with some hard numbers. The Mayor says Quincy pays better than any other district on the South Shore. I looked up how much I would make in other South Shore towns given my degrees, years of service, and department head status.
In Quincy, I make $61,123. For the same exact job, I would make:
75,295 in Norwell
74,345 in Duxbury
70,025 in Milton
68,550 in Hanover
67,565 in Scituate
66,530 in Cohasset
66, 238 in Marshfield
66, 255 in Hingham
65,105 in Abington
64,657 in Brockton
64,898 in Braintree
63,985 in Weymouth
62,905 in Rockland
61,055 in Hull
That puts Quincy second from the bottom in the sample I looked up.
THESE TOTALS TAKE INTO ACCOUNT DEDUCTIONS FOR HEALTH BENEFITS, whether 90-10, 80-20, 70-30, 50-50, whatever.
And I say again, I will go to 80-20, probably even beyond. It's not a matter of holding to 90-10. It's a matter of not earning less for the same job I do now.
But more than that, for me right now, it's a matter of being truthful about the situation. The mayor quite simply has not done that.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Monday, June 11, 2007
STRIKE!
Today concluded day two of the Quincy teachers strike, with another day to come tomorrow and no end in sight. These have been a few of the most surreal days I've ever lived.
To anyone who pays attention, I must urge you to not believe everything you see on TV or read in the newspaper. TV news tends to oversimplify by saying that this is all about health benefits. It's not. That is a significant part of the issue, but it's not the only one. Everyone I know is prepared to concede on this point and move more in line with working America and double our contributions. What we're asking is that the city phase it in over a longer period and offer raises to offset the increase in cost.
I've done the math many times over: in the first two years of the city's proposed contract, I lose money, break even in the third, and begin to see a modest raise in the fourth. The mayor's 13% raise over four years when combined with benefit shifting amounts to a 3% pay cut for me. It's worse for my colleagues on family health plans.
The mayor likes to point to other city unions that have accepted his 13% raise to offset the doubling of benefits contributions. Please do not forget that those workers have ample opportunities to earn overtime - something teachers do all the time, but never get compensated for. We have no inventives or opportunties to mitigate the benefit shift, like some other city employees do.
He also keeps referring to us as "the best paid teachers on the South Shore." How he can say this when state statistics are readily available (and disprove him) is beyond me.
And notice the 17% raise he got last year alone is never mentioned, nor is his salary of $95,000 - not counting his $4800 travel allowance.
And let's not overlook the new Quincy High School project, now $48 million overbudget because of his tardiness in filing state papers, while districts all around us build new schools and repair exisiting ones at state expense, not local taxpayer expense.
I don't know about you, but an extra $48 million would be nice to have lying around.
In my ranting I do not intend you to make you take my side. Just simply look at the whole story and consider the limited information the press is giving.
The Patriot Ledger ran an unfair and biased editorial this weekend. They gave us "an F" for failing Quincy's students by going on strike. I'll say only this in response: over the last ten years, Ledger management has absolutely crushed the unions in its employ, so its overt anti-union stance in that editorial makes sense. Also, the term "outsourcing" could be applied to the Ledger's employment patterns - another indication of its feelings about workers.
I canceled my home delivery Saturday afternoon.
As for the strike itself, it's been great for two reasons - during our morning picketing I walk 4 miles (according to a digital pedometer), which can't be bad for my overall health. And I've never felt so united and close to my co-workers as I do right now. We are a team, not separated by departments, seniority, or supervisory status. We're in this together, and that togetherness is palpable every minute when we picket, carpool to South Boston to sit through union meetings, or storm city hall. Unfortunately it takes this kind of thing to have that kind of effect.
So tomorrow promises another 6-9am picket, 4 miles of exercise, a quick bite to eat, a two-hour membership meeting in a packed and stuffy union hall, and some variation of the "storm city hall" routine in the afternoon. I should be giving my period two class its final exam and preparing book orders for my department. But the former scenario is what I'm stuck with - perhaps by choice, but then again, not really. This situation could have been averted months ago, even a year ago, if the city of Quincy had the kind of leadership it deserves.
To anyone who pays attention, I must urge you to not believe everything you see on TV or read in the newspaper. TV news tends to oversimplify by saying that this is all about health benefits. It's not. That is a significant part of the issue, but it's not the only one. Everyone I know is prepared to concede on this point and move more in line with working America and double our contributions. What we're asking is that the city phase it in over a longer period and offer raises to offset the increase in cost.
I've done the math many times over: in the first two years of the city's proposed contract, I lose money, break even in the third, and begin to see a modest raise in the fourth. The mayor's 13% raise over four years when combined with benefit shifting amounts to a 3% pay cut for me. It's worse for my colleagues on family health plans.
The mayor likes to point to other city unions that have accepted his 13% raise to offset the doubling of benefits contributions. Please do not forget that those workers have ample opportunities to earn overtime - something teachers do all the time, but never get compensated for. We have no inventives or opportunties to mitigate the benefit shift, like some other city employees do.
He also keeps referring to us as "the best paid teachers on the South Shore." How he can say this when state statistics are readily available (and disprove him) is beyond me.
And notice the 17% raise he got last year alone is never mentioned, nor is his salary of $95,000 - not counting his $4800 travel allowance.
And let's not overlook the new Quincy High School project, now $48 million overbudget because of his tardiness in filing state papers, while districts all around us build new schools and repair exisiting ones at state expense, not local taxpayer expense.
I don't know about you, but an extra $48 million would be nice to have lying around.
In my ranting I do not intend you to make you take my side. Just simply look at the whole story and consider the limited information the press is giving.
The Patriot Ledger ran an unfair and biased editorial this weekend. They gave us "an F" for failing Quincy's students by going on strike. I'll say only this in response: over the last ten years, Ledger management has absolutely crushed the unions in its employ, so its overt anti-union stance in that editorial makes sense. Also, the term "outsourcing" could be applied to the Ledger's employment patterns - another indication of its feelings about workers.
I canceled my home delivery Saturday afternoon.
As for the strike itself, it's been great for two reasons - during our morning picketing I walk 4 miles (according to a digital pedometer), which can't be bad for my overall health. And I've never felt so united and close to my co-workers as I do right now. We are a team, not separated by departments, seniority, or supervisory status. We're in this together, and that togetherness is palpable every minute when we picket, carpool to South Boston to sit through union meetings, or storm city hall. Unfortunately it takes this kind of thing to have that kind of effect.
So tomorrow promises another 6-9am picket, 4 miles of exercise, a quick bite to eat, a two-hour membership meeting in a packed and stuffy union hall, and some variation of the "storm city hall" routine in the afternoon. I should be giving my period two class its final exam and preparing book orders for my department. But the former scenario is what I'm stuck with - perhaps by choice, but then again, not really. This situation could have been averted months ago, even a year ago, if the city of Quincy had the kind of leadership it deserves.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
London Calling
So the Patriot Ledger replied that my reply to Mr. Olsen ran too long for them to print. I tried as much as I could to cut it down but I couldn't do it and still convey all the points I wanted to. But my response did make the rounds through North Quincy High School, which is preaching to the choir, but it was sort of therapeutic I suppose to put it on paper. The coming week will be "big," for lack of a better term. Our D-Day is Friday, June 8th. We have a very long, perhaps deep into the night, meeting scheduled for Thursday at 3:30. The union membership will vote to accept the city's last best offer or to strike the next day. It's hard to get a read on how people in other buildings feel, but my sense is that we don't have the simple majority required to vote for a strike. And I'm not sure the last best offer is going to be something we really want. So as far as I can tell, we lose no matter how this turns out. I just want to go down swinging.
Tomorrow, weather permitting, is graduation. It is customary for department chairs to sit on the platform with city administrators, city councilors, school committee members, and the mayor. After a very dramatic battle, we (the department chairs) have voted to not sit on the platform, much the same way the teachers will not be sitting in their reserved on-field section. The department chairs were split over whether or not we are contractually obligated to be up there. The consensus was that we're not. Things are bit more complicated in that one of us has a child in the graduating class and that person would have liked to have been on the platform so he can come down and hand his child his diploma. We think he can still do that by coming down from the stands at the appropriate time. My vote was against sitting on the platform and I offered two reasons. First, we would be the only representatives of the teachers' union on the platform and the union would prefer we not be up there. Second, sitting up there would place us with the very people we are negotiating with and I think it's not right to send a message of unity with them when the truth is we are very much opposed. Anyway, we voted and the vote was against sitting up there, so we are not. The day after our vote, we learned that the prior principals and Quincy clergy, all of whom traditionally sit on the platform, have also decided to not sit on the platform. This will leave only elected officials, the superintendent, and his appointees on the platform. Plus a very empty on-field teachers' section.
I escaped all of that drama for a few days last week by heading to London's West End. I managed to see some new things and hit a museum I had somehow never been to before.
Lord of the Rings is not the best thing you'll ever see, but you can certainly tell where your money goes. The effects are incredible. A forgettable score with nary a tune to remember. But very fun to watch.
The Lady from Dubuque is a typical Albee play - loaded with symbolism and metaphor and requiring far too much brain power to follow. Alas, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf excepted, Albee is not one of my favorites. But this play featured Maggie Smith - and it's always worth it to see her.
A third return to Billy Elliott. Obviously I like this one a lot. I think it's message is great and it has some excellent staging. Three times seen, and three different Billys. The first two were originals and both great. This one was apparently the first of the replacements and was good - not as good as the first two, but still good.
Equus is a dark and twisted psychological drama. Leaves you with much to think about. And draws on all the psych 101 and Freudian analysis you studied in college. The selling point for this production is of course Daniel Radcliffe. A grown up Harry Potter certainly has something to do with why every seat was full at this show. He's good, but then again, in terms of acting, he doesn't have to do much but react, especially to the doctor. He does indeed strip down to nothing and spend about 10 minutes with all of it out there for everyone to see. And there's no attempt to tone it down with dark lighting, standing in profile, or blocking by other characters. It's all there to see. So I give him credit for the courage to do that eight times a week in front of full houses. The doctor was played by Harry's uncle Vernon, Richard Griffiths. In History Boys, Griffiths owned the role of Hector and turned in one of the best peformances I've ever seen on stage. In Equus, he is good, but I had a hard time fully accepting him as the character. Maybe it was physical, maybe it was age. I don't know.
Tomorrow, weather permitting, is graduation. It is customary for department chairs to sit on the platform with city administrators, city councilors, school committee members, and the mayor. After a very dramatic battle, we (the department chairs) have voted to not sit on the platform, much the same way the teachers will not be sitting in their reserved on-field section. The department chairs were split over whether or not we are contractually obligated to be up there. The consensus was that we're not. Things are bit more complicated in that one of us has a child in the graduating class and that person would have liked to have been on the platform so he can come down and hand his child his diploma. We think he can still do that by coming down from the stands at the appropriate time. My vote was against sitting on the platform and I offered two reasons. First, we would be the only representatives of the teachers' union on the platform and the union would prefer we not be up there. Second, sitting up there would place us with the very people we are negotiating with and I think it's not right to send a message of unity with them when the truth is we are very much opposed. Anyway, we voted and the vote was against sitting up there, so we are not. The day after our vote, we learned that the prior principals and Quincy clergy, all of whom traditionally sit on the platform, have also decided to not sit on the platform. This will leave only elected officials, the superintendent, and his appointees on the platform. Plus a very empty on-field teachers' section.
I escaped all of that drama for a few days last week by heading to London's West End. I managed to see some new things and hit a museum I had somehow never been to before.
Lord of the Rings is not the best thing you'll ever see, but you can certainly tell where your money goes. The effects are incredible. A forgettable score with nary a tune to remember. But very fun to watch.
The Lady from Dubuque is a typical Albee play - loaded with symbolism and metaphor and requiring far too much brain power to follow. Alas, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf excepted, Albee is not one of my favorites. But this play featured Maggie Smith - and it's always worth it to see her.
A third return to Billy Elliott. Obviously I like this one a lot. I think it's message is great and it has some excellent staging. Three times seen, and three different Billys. The first two were originals and both great. This one was apparently the first of the replacements and was good - not as good as the first two, but still good.
Equus is a dark and twisted psychological drama. Leaves you with much to think about. And draws on all the psych 101 and Freudian analysis you studied in college. The selling point for this production is of course Daniel Radcliffe. A grown up Harry Potter certainly has something to do with why every seat was full at this show. He's good, but then again, in terms of acting, he doesn't have to do much but react, especially to the doctor. He does indeed strip down to nothing and spend about 10 minutes with all of it out there for everyone to see. And there's no attempt to tone it down with dark lighting, standing in profile, or blocking by other characters. It's all there to see. So I give him credit for the courage to do that eight times a week in front of full houses. The doctor was played by Harry's uncle Vernon, Richard Griffiths. In History Boys, Griffiths owned the role of Hector and turned in one of the best peformances I've ever seen on stage. In Equus, he is good, but I had a hard time fully accepting him as the character. Maybe it was physical, maybe it was age. I don't know.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Sent
So that letter you see below has been sent to the editorial department of the Patriot Ledger. I did make some minor revisions. A word here and there mostly. Although that part about having to go after master's degrees and licenses and how much that costs was put in after some colleagues suggested I put it there.
It's kind of long, but I hope the Ledger runs it in its entirety.
My target audience are all those people out there who have some notion that this job is a walk in the park because we get summers off, short work days, and stuff like that. In other words, the Richard Olsens of the world. If I can make just a few of them look at it differently than I'm happy.
But more than anything, I hope that my thing about paying for public education being an investment gets through to them. Any quality product is going to cost you some money. Why should a public school system be any different?
Thanks for listening.
It's kind of long, but I hope the Ledger runs it in its entirety.
My target audience are all those people out there who have some notion that this job is a walk in the park because we get summers off, short work days, and stuff like that. In other words, the Richard Olsens of the world. If I can make just a few of them look at it differently than I'm happy.
But more than anything, I hope that my thing about paying for public education being an investment gets through to them. Any quality product is going to cost you some money. Why should a public school system be any different?
Thanks for listening.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Venting some anger
So this letter to the editor appeared in today's Patriot Ledger:
READER’S VIEW: Teachers have it pretty good already
By RICHARD OLSEN, Quincy
To the Quincy teachers, It is time to step up and pay your fair share of your health care. It is time to step out of the protective bubble of a publicly funded job. It is time to step into the reality of how people earn money in the real world.
I am self employed, which means I get NO benefits, but fortunately my wife’s job covers 75 percent of our health care costs. Do the math, teachers - we pay 25 percent of our health care.You’re saying you would get the equivalent of a pay cut if you had to pay more than 10 percent of your health care costs.
Through our taxes, we pay for your salaries and benefits. So instead, you want US to take a pay cut (e.g., pay higher taxes) so you don’t have to pay more for your benefits?
As Tony Soprano would say, ‘‘Fuggedaboudit!’’ We are tired of hearing you whine about what should be your fair share. You have a job with summers off. Make up the difference and get a job in the summer.
Oh, by the way, I was a teacher for 19 years and the day I began to work in the real world I quickly realized what a deal I had as a teacher.
You have a pretty good deal, but it’s time to face the same reality as the rest of Quincy taxpayers, and pay your fair share.
Copyright 2007 The Patriot LedgerTransmitted Tuesday, May 15, 2007
This guy really pissed me off. Here I was all comfortable on my couch, reading my newpaper before moving on to rereading The Catcher in the Rye in preparation for the make believe job he thinks I have. So I directed my anger to my Word screen and wrote a reply letter to the editor. Here's my reply:
To Mr. Richard Olsen of Quincy,
I read your letter to the editor on May 15, 2007 (“Teachers Have It Pretty Good Already”). And frankly, I’m disheartened that someone who spent 19 years in the teaching profession and left for apparently greener pastures in the harsh real world could be so completely off the mark in his assessment of what teachers do and how they live.
You talk proudly about “how people earn money in the real world.” In the apparently make-believe world of public school teaching, I earn money by working from about 7am to 4pm (although my contract states 7:40 to 2:35) Monday through Friday, with a 25-minute lunch break. Most of that time I spend teaching or attending to administrative tasks. But some part of it I spend as confidant, confessor, and counselor to your Quincy children. For a good number of students, I play the role of a person in their lives who shows some level of concern or attention that they don’t get at home or in the community. Some days after school and for a considerable part of my weekend, I read their homework, tests, and papers and plan how to best reach them in the classroom in upcoming lessons. Sometimes I go to their choir recitals, drama shows, science fairs, art exhibitions, and sporting events, not just because I enjoy them but because it is discouraging when few of their families go to support them.
In the fall I write, on average, about forty letters of recommendation for seniors who are trying to make themselves competitive in the college market. I help another fifty write, revise, and edit their personal statements before they send them off with their applications.
You’re absolutely correct that I have a job with summers off. However, I am not paid for the summer months, so I guess it’s fair I should get them off. And to “make up the difference” last year, I did work a summer job, and the summer before that, and the summer before that, and the eight summers before that. In fact, it’s not really a summer job since I keep it during the school year to help me pay my bills each month of the year.
I spent many of those summers in the classroom, pursuing master’s degrees and licenses that the state and federal governments mandate I attain. Of course a series of summers is not enough to accumulate all the credits that are required. So one or two courses per semester during the school year is never out of the question. To be honest, the degree and the licenses are nice, but I could never have made any “level” changes and received any significant pay increases without them. In fact, I have spent about $85,000 of my own money in order for my salary to jump from under $30,000 to around $60,000 in eight years.
You do indeed pay my salary and benefits through your taxes. And I understand that to ask you to continue to pay 90% of my health care in a time when costs in that department are out of control is a bit demanding. However, I would suggest that if you do want to increase my contribution level to 20%, you give me something somewhere else to sustain the blow. You say that in either case, I’m asking you and the rest of Quincy’s taxpayers to take a pay cut so that I don’t have to. That’s a perfectly rational point, from the perspective of a Quincy resident and taxpayer. But I would plead with you to not look at it as a pay cut. Call it an “investment.” Yes an investment in me, but more than that, an investment in your schools, in your community, and most important, in your children. When you “invest” in me, I give you everything I have and help to create a system you can be proud of.
One other thing you’re absolutely right about … I do have a “good deal” as a teacher. I wake up every morning excited about going to my job, looking forward to the work that I will do there. I work with some of the most talented administrators and teachers you’re going to find. Best of all, I get to work with the most intelligent, kind-hearted, and hard working children in the world. Everyday I get to meet with them to read and discuss some of my favorite literature and the best books ever written. I get to help them grow as learners and communicators. And , my favorite, I get to watch them take pride in themselves when they excel and go beyond the boundaries they always thought were there.
So Mr. Olsen, yes, it’s quite a “deal.” One that I’m more than happy to enjoy. But don’t fool yourself for one second by believing that I don’t work hard or pay my “fair share.”
And be careful whom you quote. In one of my favorite episodes, Tony Soprano said “I won’t pay … I know too much about extortion.”
Robert Shaw
Hingham
So I didn't send it yet. I'll take it to work tomorrow to be looked at by some trusted colleagues. But I wanted it here if only to be out there somewhere, especially if I end up not sending it or they don't print it.
READER’S VIEW: Teachers have it pretty good already
By RICHARD OLSEN, Quincy
To the Quincy teachers, It is time to step up and pay your fair share of your health care. It is time to step out of the protective bubble of a publicly funded job. It is time to step into the reality of how people earn money in the real world.
I am self employed, which means I get NO benefits, but fortunately my wife’s job covers 75 percent of our health care costs. Do the math, teachers - we pay 25 percent of our health care.You’re saying you would get the equivalent of a pay cut if you had to pay more than 10 percent of your health care costs.
Through our taxes, we pay for your salaries and benefits. So instead, you want US to take a pay cut (e.g., pay higher taxes) so you don’t have to pay more for your benefits?
As Tony Soprano would say, ‘‘Fuggedaboudit!’’ We are tired of hearing you whine about what should be your fair share. You have a job with summers off. Make up the difference and get a job in the summer.
Oh, by the way, I was a teacher for 19 years and the day I began to work in the real world I quickly realized what a deal I had as a teacher.
You have a pretty good deal, but it’s time to face the same reality as the rest of Quincy taxpayers, and pay your fair share.
Copyright 2007 The Patriot LedgerTransmitted Tuesday, May 15, 2007
This guy really pissed me off. Here I was all comfortable on my couch, reading my newpaper before moving on to rereading The Catcher in the Rye in preparation for the make believe job he thinks I have. So I directed my anger to my Word screen and wrote a reply letter to the editor. Here's my reply:
To Mr. Richard Olsen of Quincy,
I read your letter to the editor on May 15, 2007 (“Teachers Have It Pretty Good Already”). And frankly, I’m disheartened that someone who spent 19 years in the teaching profession and left for apparently greener pastures in the harsh real world could be so completely off the mark in his assessment of what teachers do and how they live.
You talk proudly about “how people earn money in the real world.” In the apparently make-believe world of public school teaching, I earn money by working from about 7am to 4pm (although my contract states 7:40 to 2:35) Monday through Friday, with a 25-minute lunch break. Most of that time I spend teaching or attending to administrative tasks. But some part of it I spend as confidant, confessor, and counselor to your Quincy children. For a good number of students, I play the role of a person in their lives who shows some level of concern or attention that they don’t get at home or in the community. Some days after school and for a considerable part of my weekend, I read their homework, tests, and papers and plan how to best reach them in the classroom in upcoming lessons. Sometimes I go to their choir recitals, drama shows, science fairs, art exhibitions, and sporting events, not just because I enjoy them but because it is discouraging when few of their families go to support them.
In the fall I write, on average, about forty letters of recommendation for seniors who are trying to make themselves competitive in the college market. I help another fifty write, revise, and edit their personal statements before they send them off with their applications.
You’re absolutely correct that I have a job with summers off. However, I am not paid for the summer months, so I guess it’s fair I should get them off. And to “make up the difference” last year, I did work a summer job, and the summer before that, and the summer before that, and the eight summers before that. In fact, it’s not really a summer job since I keep it during the school year to help me pay my bills each month of the year.
I spent many of those summers in the classroom, pursuing master’s degrees and licenses that the state and federal governments mandate I attain. Of course a series of summers is not enough to accumulate all the credits that are required. So one or two courses per semester during the school year is never out of the question. To be honest, the degree and the licenses are nice, but I could never have made any “level” changes and received any significant pay increases without them. In fact, I have spent about $85,000 of my own money in order for my salary to jump from under $30,000 to around $60,000 in eight years.
You do indeed pay my salary and benefits through your taxes. And I understand that to ask you to continue to pay 90% of my health care in a time when costs in that department are out of control is a bit demanding. However, I would suggest that if you do want to increase my contribution level to 20%, you give me something somewhere else to sustain the blow. You say that in either case, I’m asking you and the rest of Quincy’s taxpayers to take a pay cut so that I don’t have to. That’s a perfectly rational point, from the perspective of a Quincy resident and taxpayer. But I would plead with you to not look at it as a pay cut. Call it an “investment.” Yes an investment in me, but more than that, an investment in your schools, in your community, and most important, in your children. When you “invest” in me, I give you everything I have and help to create a system you can be proud of.
One other thing you’re absolutely right about … I do have a “good deal” as a teacher. I wake up every morning excited about going to my job, looking forward to the work that I will do there. I work with some of the most talented administrators and teachers you’re going to find. Best of all, I get to work with the most intelligent, kind-hearted, and hard working children in the world. Everyday I get to meet with them to read and discuss some of my favorite literature and the best books ever written. I get to help them grow as learners and communicators. And , my favorite, I get to watch them take pride in themselves when they excel and go beyond the boundaries they always thought were there.
So Mr. Olsen, yes, it’s quite a “deal.” One that I’m more than happy to enjoy. But don’t fool yourself for one second by believing that I don’t work hard or pay my “fair share.”
And be careful whom you quote. In one of my favorite episodes, Tony Soprano said “I won’t pay … I know too much about extortion.”
Robert Shaw
Hingham
So I didn't send it yet. I'll take it to work tomorrow to be looked at by some trusted colleagues. But I wanted it here if only to be out there somewhere, especially if I end up not sending it or they don't print it.
Monday, May 14, 2007
Two Month Check-Up
It's been just over two months since my last post. I guess it's time to check in. Needless to say, this spring has been busy.
So the Red Sox are off to a terrific start. If we can keep this rolling through the summer, then the fall promises to be most exciting.
My man Obama has climbed up in the polls, but I fear he may have plateaued. I think he's banking on a significant Hillary misstep. Meanwhile, on the GOP side I fear the rise of Mitt Romney. McCain can't get his act moving, Rudy is slipping by the week, and no one else has a name anyone knows. Mitt is on the ascent and I'm not feeling too good about it.
On a recent trek to New York I saw some of the more recent additions to the theater season. Legally Blonde - entirely missable. Deuce - ditto, unless you just feel like seeing a legend like Angela Lansbury. Inherit the Wind - a classic done well and in good hands with Christopher Plummer in the lead. Curtains - not too bad, and on the whole, very entertaining, but about 30 minutes too long. Frost/Nixon - a master class in fine acting from Frank Langella and a compelling script.
Off to London at the end of the month to catch Equus, The Lady from Dubuque, and Lord of the Rings. And making a return visit to Billy Elliot. Looking forward to each, for different reasons.
Because these things always go this way, I'm missing a chance to see Keane in Boston during the time I'm in England. Oh well, next time around. Is it me or is "Nothing in My Way" totally addictive?
Spent nine days in Italy over April vacation. Over the course of the nine days, we enjoyed virtually cloudless skies and flawless weather. Started in Venice, which I found full of personality and charm. When I stepped on to a pedestrian foot bridge and caught my first glimpse of the Rialto and Grand Canal, I had one of those "moments." It was like something out of a storybook. Verona was quaint, as was Padua. Florence was everything they say it is. Michelangelo's David was another of those moments. It's so much bigger than I expected. Assisi was impressive. We finished in Rome. Had a papal audience, which even for a virtual non-believer like me, was quite thrilling and impressive. Vatican City was breathtaking, as was the Coliseum. Took the journey to Pompeii, which was totally cool. Walking through those ruins is like stepping back 2000 years. Caught a good glimpse of Napoli on the way. And of course, got a good look at the looming Mount Vesuvius.
As if that wasn't enough, I'm going back to Italy just after school gets out, this time for a 14 day tour. This takes a more southerly route. We start in the Mediterranean with a few days on the island of Lipari. Then to Sorrento for a few days, including a brief visit to Capri. Then up to Rome for a few, which will give me a chance to catch some of the things I missed last month. I know I will return to the Vatican for a longer and more detailed look.
Work is good. We're in the midst of some labor strife because our contract expired in August and the negotations have gone nowhere in the ten months since. The haggling point is employee health insurance contributions and it's been ugly for some time. I get the sense that we're headed for a strike, even if only for a single day, which is regrettable, but sadly, perhaps necessary. Even then, I'm not sure we will gain what we want from it.
Meanwhile, another school year races to its conclusion. The seniors are down to single digits in terms of days left. On the warm days, it gets disgustingly humid and uncomfortable in the building and no one wants to do a thing.
My new role as department chair requires me to work with the graduation speaker. We've selected the speaker, she completed a draft, and now begins my work of helping her to edit and revise her work by the end of the week. Next week we'll put her before a small audience and coach her on delivery.
I'm also in the midst of 2007-2008 scheduling, which means creating and revising a master schedule for the entire department. That's 16 teachers at 5 classes each, plus my own two. All while trying to keep classes at reasonable sizes. Next week, I get to compete with other department heads as we fight over periods and such.
And there's the decisions to be made about the rehiring (or not) of two third-year teachers (whose rehires would earn them each tenure) and two first-years.
Hence ... the busy spring. A villa on Lipari can't come fast enough.
So the Red Sox are off to a terrific start. If we can keep this rolling through the summer, then the fall promises to be most exciting.
My man Obama has climbed up in the polls, but I fear he may have plateaued. I think he's banking on a significant Hillary misstep. Meanwhile, on the GOP side I fear the rise of Mitt Romney. McCain can't get his act moving, Rudy is slipping by the week, and no one else has a name anyone knows. Mitt is on the ascent and I'm not feeling too good about it.
On a recent trek to New York I saw some of the more recent additions to the theater season. Legally Blonde - entirely missable. Deuce - ditto, unless you just feel like seeing a legend like Angela Lansbury. Inherit the Wind - a classic done well and in good hands with Christopher Plummer in the lead. Curtains - not too bad, and on the whole, very entertaining, but about 30 minutes too long. Frost/Nixon - a master class in fine acting from Frank Langella and a compelling script.
Off to London at the end of the month to catch Equus, The Lady from Dubuque, and Lord of the Rings. And making a return visit to Billy Elliot. Looking forward to each, for different reasons.
Because these things always go this way, I'm missing a chance to see Keane in Boston during the time I'm in England. Oh well, next time around. Is it me or is "Nothing in My Way" totally addictive?
Spent nine days in Italy over April vacation. Over the course of the nine days, we enjoyed virtually cloudless skies and flawless weather. Started in Venice, which I found full of personality and charm. When I stepped on to a pedestrian foot bridge and caught my first glimpse of the Rialto and Grand Canal, I had one of those "moments." It was like something out of a storybook. Verona was quaint, as was Padua. Florence was everything they say it is. Michelangelo's David was another of those moments. It's so much bigger than I expected. Assisi was impressive. We finished in Rome. Had a papal audience, which even for a virtual non-believer like me, was quite thrilling and impressive. Vatican City was breathtaking, as was the Coliseum. Took the journey to Pompeii, which was totally cool. Walking through those ruins is like stepping back 2000 years. Caught a good glimpse of Napoli on the way. And of course, got a good look at the looming Mount Vesuvius.
As if that wasn't enough, I'm going back to Italy just after school gets out, this time for a 14 day tour. This takes a more southerly route. We start in the Mediterranean with a few days on the island of Lipari. Then to Sorrento for a few days, including a brief visit to Capri. Then up to Rome for a few, which will give me a chance to catch some of the things I missed last month. I know I will return to the Vatican for a longer and more detailed look.
Work is good. We're in the midst of some labor strife because our contract expired in August and the negotations have gone nowhere in the ten months since. The haggling point is employee health insurance contributions and it's been ugly for some time. I get the sense that we're headed for a strike, even if only for a single day, which is regrettable, but sadly, perhaps necessary. Even then, I'm not sure we will gain what we want from it.
Meanwhile, another school year races to its conclusion. The seniors are down to single digits in terms of days left. On the warm days, it gets disgustingly humid and uncomfortable in the building and no one wants to do a thing.
My new role as department chair requires me to work with the graduation speaker. We've selected the speaker, she completed a draft, and now begins my work of helping her to edit and revise her work by the end of the week. Next week we'll put her before a small audience and coach her on delivery.
I'm also in the midst of 2007-2008 scheduling, which means creating and revising a master schedule for the entire department. That's 16 teachers at 5 classes each, plus my own two. All while trying to keep classes at reasonable sizes. Next week, I get to compete with other department heads as we fight over periods and such.
And there's the decisions to be made about the rehiring (or not) of two third-year teachers (whose rehires would earn them each tenure) and two first-years.
Hence ... the busy spring. A villa on Lipari can't come fast enough.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Spring Forward
Well, the weather feels a little more "spring" out there, but this early jump into daylight savings will make for some dark "late winter" mornings. This morning I have discovered VH-1 Classics, which at the moment is showing 80s videos. I've already seen/heard Genesis, the Stray Cats, Fine Young Cannibals, and A-Ha, and it's been only a half hour. To think it's been twenty years (or more for some of them) since I probably last saw these ... well, it's kind of scary. They're showing a commericial for Meat Loaf's latest concert tour. That's kind of scary too. Oh and here comes Chaka Khan. It really would not have been a complete morning without her. What a pleasant and unexpected lead-in to the Sunday morning political shows.
I suppose all of those will focus on Iraq and the 2008 presidential election. And all of them must make at least passing reference to Newt Gingrich's admission this week that he was committing adultery WHILE DRIVING THE EFFORT TO IMPEACH BILL CLINTON. The smell of hypocrisy is so very rank. Of course he will now get in on the 08 election with that skeleton pulled out of the closet. Not to mention how much I think we've come to realize how much Clinton's untruths pale in comparison to lying about a rationale for an invasion and a war and such matters. So Gingrich will be let off with an "oh, that's all?"
Just a random and, to me, terribly ironic fact - of the top three Republican frontrunners (McCain, Giuliani, Romney), the Mormon in the group is the only one to have been married only once.
And poor, poor Rudy. He's looking so very good right now and he's riding high. But this can't last for him. While it's true he's the most "electable" of this field of GOP candidates, once the party establishment gets it act together, he'll fall. On the surface he plays as the "maverick," but the truth is that John McCain has one of the most conservative and rightwing voting records in the Senate. This nomination is his to lose. And Romney will make a great running mate in the second spot next summer. Rudy should start taking measurements in the Homeland Security office.
Of course, this presumes a GOP victory in the general election. The Democrats have a good chance to win. But then again, they have the last two times and look what happened. I like Hillary and naturally would vote for her. But I am one of those with doubts about her ability to win. Ditto with Obama. I like John Edwards, but I'm not sure he can win either. Personally, I would like nothing more than to see Al Gore get in this thing. He could win ... heck, he already has once before.
Further proof that history runs in cycles. 1960. Incumbent vice president Richard Nixon loses a ridiculously close election to John Kennedy. Eight years go by. The country plunges deeper and deeper into a costly and unpopular war. A president from Texas gets most of the blame. Nixon spends the eight years sitting quietly by. 1968. Nixon comes back to win the White House.
Of course we're missing the assassination of a president, the geography of the war is a little different, and Gore has not exactly sat quietly by (he even won an Oscar). But history is a funny thing.
So Al, if by chance you're reading, please jump into this thing.
Until he does, Obama is my guy. The biggest argument against him (too inexperienced) is actually an asset if you ask me. What he has shown is the maturity and intelligence to handle the job. Dare I use these same criteria to evaluate our current president?
But another candidate I'd like to throw out there is Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico. Check this guy's resume and you will find the most qualified guy for the job, especially if you're looking from a foreign policy angle. Regardless of who the presidential candidate is, this guy is a no brainer for the vice presidential nomination. He's got the foreign policy expertise, he served in Congress, he's been a governor, he's from New Mexico (a swing state that leans red), and he's Hispanic (and that's a huge voting demographic).
I think I just talked myself into supporting him for the top job, let alone the second. Not a bad idea. But Gore is my dream. Obama is my choice until then. I like his ideas, I like his approach, and I find him easy to support.
Enough Sunday morning political talk. Simple Minds just ended and Tears for Fears just came on. I need a distraction....
I suppose all of those will focus on Iraq and the 2008 presidential election. And all of them must make at least passing reference to Newt Gingrich's admission this week that he was committing adultery WHILE DRIVING THE EFFORT TO IMPEACH BILL CLINTON. The smell of hypocrisy is so very rank. Of course he will now get in on the 08 election with that skeleton pulled out of the closet. Not to mention how much I think we've come to realize how much Clinton's untruths pale in comparison to lying about a rationale for an invasion and a war and such matters. So Gingrich will be let off with an "oh, that's all?"
Just a random and, to me, terribly ironic fact - of the top three Republican frontrunners (McCain, Giuliani, Romney), the Mormon in the group is the only one to have been married only once.
And poor, poor Rudy. He's looking so very good right now and he's riding high. But this can't last for him. While it's true he's the most "electable" of this field of GOP candidates, once the party establishment gets it act together, he'll fall. On the surface he plays as the "maverick," but the truth is that John McCain has one of the most conservative and rightwing voting records in the Senate. This nomination is his to lose. And Romney will make a great running mate in the second spot next summer. Rudy should start taking measurements in the Homeland Security office.
Of course, this presumes a GOP victory in the general election. The Democrats have a good chance to win. But then again, they have the last two times and look what happened. I like Hillary and naturally would vote for her. But I am one of those with doubts about her ability to win. Ditto with Obama. I like John Edwards, but I'm not sure he can win either. Personally, I would like nothing more than to see Al Gore get in this thing. He could win ... heck, he already has once before.
Further proof that history runs in cycles. 1960. Incumbent vice president Richard Nixon loses a ridiculously close election to John Kennedy. Eight years go by. The country plunges deeper and deeper into a costly and unpopular war. A president from Texas gets most of the blame. Nixon spends the eight years sitting quietly by. 1968. Nixon comes back to win the White House.
Of course we're missing the assassination of a president, the geography of the war is a little different, and Gore has not exactly sat quietly by (he even won an Oscar). But history is a funny thing.
So Al, if by chance you're reading, please jump into this thing.
Until he does, Obama is my guy. The biggest argument against him (too inexperienced) is actually an asset if you ask me. What he has shown is the maturity and intelligence to handle the job. Dare I use these same criteria to evaluate our current president?
But another candidate I'd like to throw out there is Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico. Check this guy's resume and you will find the most qualified guy for the job, especially if you're looking from a foreign policy angle. Regardless of who the presidential candidate is, this guy is a no brainer for the vice presidential nomination. He's got the foreign policy expertise, he served in Congress, he's been a governor, he's from New Mexico (a swing state that leans red), and he's Hispanic (and that's a huge voting demographic).
I think I just talked myself into supporting him for the top job, let alone the second. Not a bad idea. But Gore is my dream. Obama is my choice until then. I like his ideas, I like his approach, and I find him easy to support.
Enough Sunday morning political talk. Simple Minds just ended and Tears for Fears just came on. I need a distraction....
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