We Don't Need No Education…

We don't need no thought control.

No dark sarcasm in the classroom,

Teacher leave them kids alone.

Hey teacher leave them kids alone!

All in all you’re just another brick in the wall…

Is it just my imagination or are people, especially younger people, a lot dumber than they used to be? The other day I was at the grocery store in the small town where I live. I was waiting to check out. When the checker got off the phone it was my turn. Not the company phone but her personal cell phone. My husband happened to be there as well and he made a comment about no talking on personal phones at work. He got the blank stare. She had absolutely no understanding of what he was referring to.

She started scanning the products then made an unintelligible request on the intercom. Apparently whatever it was she said was funny. To her, anyway. She started cackling and talking about how embarrassing that was. She was so embarrassed. She couldn’t believe she just did that. I wanted to tell her it didn’t matter because nobody understood a word of what was said anyway. When the sacker came to help she went into it again. The funny thing she said? She needed help on three four. She never meant to say three four just three. How embarrassing. Ha ha ha ha ha. Give me a break and scan the rest of the groceries.

Next, as people were lining up behind me, she called for a quick check. A manager type, I presume, because she came out from behind the locked counter where the cigarettes are, went to the next counter to check. A Taylor Swift song came on over the intercom playing the canned music. The ‘manager’ type started singing, loudly, with customers in line. That created another fit of laughter and hysteria from my checker. The sacker grinned some as my husband tried to make a joke out of it. The ‘manager’ type apparently enjoyed the attention because she sang louder and did a little dance.

Finally, after leaving the grocery store twilight zone, the sacker was putting the groceries in the car. They have gone to transparent bags. Are these bags stronger? No. Are they bigger? No. It seems that nobody bothered to tell the sacker. He put ten vegetable cans in one sack, not double bagged. Guess what happened when the groceries were being unloaded at home? He also put the groceries in the bags in odd combinations. This could be a Monkish trait on my part but when I get two bags of frozen corn I want them in the same bag. If not the same bag I want them in the bag with other cold things, not the laundry detergent. At least he didn’t squash the bread.

If you are up on what’s happening in education at all you know that the governor of Texas is trying for a balanced budget. If he realizes his vision through cuts alone, 100,000 teachers could lose their jobs. That’s approximately one third of the teachers employed by Texas public schools. That is not counting the support staff that is essential to the education system who will also be cut. Currently in the budget, schools got $50 billion in state and federal money to teach 4.8 million students. With the cuts the governor proposes to make, Texas schools will be short $10 billion. This includes money that would be necessary to pay for an estimated 160,000 new students expected to enroll over the next two years.

http://dallasdrilling.wordpress.com/2010/12/30/clown-of-the-year-2010-rick-perry/

Texas already has the lowest high school graduation rate in the nation. The shortage in education funds will help make sure that our kids will not only be dumb, they won’t know how to go to work. And if they are lucky enough to get a job they won’t know what to do or how to act after they get there.

http://tinyurl.com/4rct435

They say everything is bigger in Texas. I guess the governor is insuring that we’ll have the highest amount of future citizens who can’t perform. If the scene at the grocery store is any indication, we are well on our way.

We don't need no education,

We don't need no thought control.

No dark sarcasm in the classroom.

Teachers leave them kids alone.

Hey teacher leave us kids alone!

Sorry for the soapbox. I’m off of it now. It just really worries me. These kids are the future. And it’s looking bleak. I’m not too worried about them taking care of me. They won’t know how!

Willow cowl from Ravelry, in progress.

Close up of Willow

Sorry for the soapbox. I’m off of it now. It just really worries me. These kids are the future. And it’s looking bleak. I’m not too worried about them taking care of me. They won’t know how! Day 335, March 1, and I’m taking a mental health day. That’s what I told my boss! He didn’t know how true it was. I’m still pretty upset about Bryce’s car. I know, it was an accident and it could happen to anyone. But he trusted me with it. I know, get over it! I choose a nubby black yarn with off white and blue green puffs on it for this day. Wednesday, day 336, is March 2,hump day, halfway through the work week, and I’m glad. I had to drive the truck to work today. It’s too big for me. And it’s dirty. I hate to get my hands dusty or dirty and even the steering wheel was nasty.. I put in for vacation for spring break. It’s an automatic leave system we have to use now. Interesting, and not hard if you can read. I met some friends and we ate and went to a movie. Ashton Kutchen is nice to look at! I picked an orange and white boucle yarn for today. Day 337, March 3 and I’m looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow so I’ll probably wake up early! Alan comes home tonight. I’m glad. I think a thick blue variegated yarn is a good pick. Friday, day 338, March 4, and I do get to sleep in a little anyway. It’s nice. I don’t have any plans. I just hang out here because I don’t have a vehicle anyway. Hockey game tonight and that should be fun. We meet the kids and they all enjoy it. The only thing is that it’s freezing. I am literally shaking I’m so cold. I used a flag ribbon yarn that is mixed greens, hoping that thinking of summer will make me warmer! I remember when summer was a good thing, a time to rest then renew for the coming school year. It might not be that way this year.

All I can say to my teacher colleagues and friends is hang in there. They, the kids, do need education. I’m just afraid they are going to all find out the hard way.

All in all you're just another brick in the wall.

All in all you're just another brick in the wall.