NYC Parking Rules, Can They Get Any More Severe?

Mayor Bloomberg, the Parking Violations Department and other city officials, their hypocrisy and bias can’t get much worse. Some streets, you are able to park on without the hassle from the traffic agents; other streets you are clearly breaking parking rules. All streets that allow double parking for street cleaning are in violation of the parking rules, so they say; nevertheless, they allow it, depending on the area of the city. One of the ways traffic agents differentiate in their method of distribution of tickets is to go after out of state residents. What is often good for the goose is not always good for the gander. I came back to my car to find it ticketed for double parking, even though, I like so many others on that block were double parked in obedience to the alternate side of the street cleaning rules. What is the alternative? Everyone who double-parks believes it to be the city’s just way of handling a bad situation. For the driver who is ticketed because he/she has obeyed the street cleaning rules, it is often a violation of his/her self-respect. Prohibiting a driver to move his/her car to the other of the street in order to remain in compliance with the street cleaning rules should not be categorized as an unauthorized and illegal act; it is most definitely an unfavorable and unreasonable rule. When I was ticketed, there were two other cars in front of me and two cars in back of me; none of them had an occupant; they were double parked; yet, they had no ticket. My car was the only car ticketed. I relate this as a form of bias because of my Connecticut license plate. Needless to say, I am outrage, and I truly think that Mayor Bloomberg needs to focus on making things better within the NYC parking system, to stop their privilege of enforcing unreasonable demands and penalties on residents and out of state drivers.

Social Studies Curriculum Plays a Significant Role in Students’ Academic Achievement

Engle and Ochoa (1998), acknowledged that scholars contribute to the skewing of the facts when they write out of ignorance or from ill founded assumptions.  For instance, it is now clear that historians, many of whom were also textbook writers, wrote in the post-Civil War period with an anti-women, anti-black, anti-Native American and anti-labor union bias, a bias which only later historians have tried to correct.

Reflections:

No one knows more than I, except for God, the anxiety I feel as a teacher.   Nevertheless,  the act of teaching and getting feedback from the students (visibly in their response) is encouraging.  I will remain grateful for the wonderful guidance that was given me at my recent stay at a public school in Manhattan, in which I worked with 2nd and 4th grade students.   It was one of the most enlightening ventures that I have ever encountered.  It takes planning, practice and cooperative building to teach.  It isn’t easy to create that wonderful environment that stimulates learning, but it can be done.  It’s a joy to see students react eagerly to learning something comprehensible and interesting, and social studies when taught properly is the curriculum that fills minds with knowledge concerning the vastness of mankind and earth.

Teaching social studies is supposedly designed to promote democratic citizenship but it has proven to be not so effective.  The correlation between minority students inability to achieve academically is attributed to the principle hypocrisy of a democracy that is supposed to be a fair nation, equal to all.  Educational equity has been denied to blacks, Hispanics and other minorities and now some of its history is being told.  If we are to understand social and cultural differences, students of different groups have to be taught about commonalities of all people, and they have to be taught about the blood, sweat and tears that came out of the building of this nation.  Students of all nationalities should be aware of their ancestors’ contributions, be it good or bad.  The consciousness of America is finally realizing its obligation to confess to what went before.   What a significant social change to society this will bring forth, and I believe that students will demonstrate a willingness to participate in the generation of a more impartial society.

The way curriculum is taught in the classroom is important to students’ development, and schools should be accountable to a higher standard, especially because they have affected children chances for achievement in their adult lives.  But, why has it taken so long for this country to recognize the damage done to 28% or more of, the U.S. population, people of diversity?  Higher standards, better teachers, more accountability and other practices should have been into play a century ago to make amends for this nation’s past deed.  For now, the learning experiences of the highly competent children may be compromised by a less stimulating social studies curriculum which is directed at a high proportion of children who have not only learning difficulties, but are excluded from the curriculum; hopefully, this is being addressed.

References:  Engle, S.H; Ochoa, A.S. (1988) .  Education for Democratic Citizenship:  Decision

Making in the Social Studies.  Teacher College Press.  Columbia University, NY and London.  p  95.

We Must Protect Our Children

Out of the darkness, steps a male or perhaps a female.  Most children know not to trust strangers, but this stranger who watches this street urchin trashing through other people’s belongings, jingles change in his/her hand.  Dropping the coins in his/her pants pocket, the kid is foolish as he searches for the coins.  Feeling the pervert up as he does, the child walks away feeling dirty.  Beyond that his only thought is about how he is going to spend his quarters.

It Was Then

I exit with my father from the neighborhood pub, his take out is beer, pork skins and pickles.  I curiously ask about the posters along the wall, at the white boxers hitting punching bags, at the arrogant smiles of Irish, German, Italian in the neighborhood,  at the For Sale Signs that increase weekly, at the view seen through picturesque bay windows of heads pondering, contemplating evacuation, as cars sit front of homes and taverns, as children attend school, play bat ball, hop scotch and jump rope.

Thank God! This attitude has changed.

Imagine

Imagine that as Michael looks down upon all the buzz and excitement and tears that his death has generated, it was worth his dying especially at the pinnacle of his career. Imagine that if he had lived to engaged himself in the concerts that he was obligated to do, he would have failed miserably as the super star he wants was. Imagine Michael’s drug addictions and cosmetic surgeries seriously damaging his breathing, respiratory system, stamina and endurance. Imagine there is a time and place for everything and his place and time came to a peak. Imagine God is good all the time and all the time GOD is good. Imagine Michael in heaven at peace with himself…

Have we become a nation of idol worshippers?

People of the world need to heed this advice and wake up. A nation such as one that we have become, and other nations like us that worship an idol such as Michael Jackson, will only bring about disaster to itself. May God help us all.

The Puerto Rican Parade displays grandeur and a sense of pride.

The Political leaders in New York City certainly give the Puerto Rican community leverage each year in support of their parade up 5th Avenue. The parade displays grandeur and a sense of pride, but do Puerto Ricans get that same cooperation in the schools? No! Students can’t build or reclaim what they have lost without seeing it presented before them. In the view of many Puerto Rican families, they have been robbed of their history and heritage. Is there any wonder why Puerto Rican students see themselves as failures, and lack desire to secure what they don’t see, such as the wealth of their farmland, family and country? When people are stripped of their language and culture, they are also largely stripped of their identity as a people.

Puerto Rican children have become the fastest growing ethnic group in public schools.   A small number of  Puerto Rican students have fared very well academically, but the majorities have had difficult and unsatisfactory experiences, including low levels of academic achievement, severe ethnic isolation and one of the highest dropout rates of all groups of students in the U.S.

To teachers and parents, examine the existing curriculums in your school and home.   Develop a sense of who these children are and how they operate as a group.   Explore the internal needs and capabilities of  their identities.  Do the existing curriculums in the schools address particular group issues, identity and social justice?  How are these curriculums rooted in children needs and experiences?