Texsox

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Apr 10, 2016 -> 10:45 AM) First day after Christmas Break then. Announce it in advance to give parents time to plan for the closure. I think that too many teachers forget we are child care services as well. Perhaps hey could start with the high schools and gradually work back to the younger kids.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Apr 10, 2016 -> 10:35 AM) If you're talking about teachers or other public employees, I don't like strikes. At least not in the middle of the school year when you are inconveniencing thousands of parents who aren't to blame for your plight. As for employees of a private company, I say do what you think is best. Just don't whine when there are layoffs or your company moves. And that is the problem with teacher's salaries in most places. We sign contracts without knowing the salaries. Basically in the next few weeks I will sign a contract agreeing to work during the next school year. In the middle of August the school board will authorize the new salaries for the coming school year. When would you like teachers to strike? After they have worked under that contract? Immediately as soon as they see the new wages and without trying to negotiate? That will delay the start of school. During the school year?

There doesn't seem to be a winning formula in lineups. A manager who tries to "ride the hot bat" and freely makes adjustments is accused of making players uncomfortable, the players don't know their roll from day to day, etc. A manager who dogmatically keeps the same line up each day gets blasted for leaving a guy in who isn't performing. Not taking advantage of hot hitters . . .

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Apr 8, 2016 -> 09:06 AM) I know way more about the White Sox franchise and it's history than I like to admit but for some reason player numbers never really stuck to me. I barely know anyone's. Off the top of my head it's Frank Thomas 35 and Nick Swisher "Dirty 30" (yuck). Same here. I would have to do this backwards, pick a player and go look up their number. Which seriously isn't happening. But I like reading everyone's lists.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 9, 2016 -> 06:17 PM) It was 5 or 6 years old and had none of that stuff on it. The past couple design changes have given the crew cab pickups more car-like interiors. There still are the single bench seat, big bed, HD work trucks out there. But the super crew F150s are really more like passenger vehicles today than the trucks of old. There is a driving adjustment to rear wheel drive and maneuvering a big vehicle is different. But you just can't beat the ride of a long, wide wheelbase while sitting up above most other vehicles on the road. The roomy interiors make long driving trips a joy. A full size adult can cross and uncross their legs in the backseat without hitting the seat in front of them.

The allegations from students is a worry that all too many teachers worry about. I've been able to teach in two well respected school districts with some good kids. Currently I am teaching advanced placement classes with mostly college bound or military bound students.

I am creating a first and second year curriculum for my high school golf team. Basically I need some structure so the players understand what they should be working on at each practice and a way to track their progress. It also allows me to automate the process from the players moving from our 9 hole cheap beginner tournaments to our expensive 36 hole country club tournaments. As a first year player what I have is a way to "earn your clubs" using TopGolf as an objective measuring tool. Basically hit 3/5 on the fly to the target without a serious miss*** and you can "put that club in your bag". They need to accomplish this on three different occasions with the last one being under the observation of a coach. Not so much as a trust issue but to ramp up the pressure just a bit. I have a rules section. Basically understand playing the ball as it lies through the green. Boundary markings, white, red, yellow, and how to play accordingly, where to tee off from, how to mark your ball, etc. I also have etiquette and expectations sections. Finally a "habits" section. Setting up your work area when you get to the ball. Our pre-shot routine I teach all the players, keeping your clubs clean, etc. And finally terminology so they understand what we are talking about. "Taking it outside the line, up in the stance, etc. I will ramp stuff up for the second year players.

QUOTE (flavum @ Apr 9, 2016 -> 06:39 PM) Who had Smylie Kaufman in their Masters pool? This guy. I also had Ricky.

One thing I have noticed the past decade or two is workers now basically want all other workers to earn less and receive lower benefits. Whenever a group goes on strike or there are other compensation issue it seems the popular opinion is suck it up, others have it worst. That seems dangerous to me and furthers to dissolution of the middle class. From auto workers to teachers we don't seem to mind seeing other people's real wages fall. I understand more the public sector jobs because those relate to our taxes. It seems that we are cheering more profits for owners and less money for our neighbors. I'm concerned about what that does to our economy. We already demand that the wealthiest Americans pay less in taxes so they can create more jobs, now we want them to pay those people less. That shifts both the tax burden and every other economic stress to the working class. We just went through a period of record profits for many sectors in the economy just wages remained stagnant and unemployment did not drop as fast. Are we really better off as a nation if wealth is concentrated and held at the top and not "trickling down"? I see this in Mexico all the time. People are either extremely wealthy or barely hanging on. The middle class there is razor thin.

At the end of the day you add up what you earn plus benefits. If I was earning 8% more and paying into the pension, no problem. If you pay me less and make those payments, that's fine also. I'll pay 100% of my health plan, but the salary better be higher.

Finally, let's look at the scope of what we are trying to accomplish with the schools. Lately the social emotional character development of kids is being thrusted on the schools. http://www.casel.org/ We aren't really into taking anything out of the school day, but we keep adding. Does society really want me to be responsible for the emotional development of a kid I see 48 minutes a day? How am I going to have any meaningful impact on the social development of a kid who goes home to a dysfunctional family? When I was at my last school 15% of the students had a parent who had been in jail or prison, close to 50% had a family member or close friend in jail. And I am going to be judged on that child's character? I take seriously the fact that I may be the best role model that student sees each day and I do my best to help guide my students. They know when I'm talking to them like a dad and appreciate that. I would rather throw that in for free than be expected to and evaluated on how well the student's turn out. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_emotional_learning http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/it...earning_why_now

I think the last two posts are really good. I've been teaching now for 8 years after almost 30 years in business management. Recognizing, evaluating, and incentivising teachers may be the biggest challenge I have seen. As was mentioned if you want your best teachers where they can do the most good, they will be with the most difficult to teach population. But what yardstick do you use to evaluate them? The gains achieved in their classroom will not be apparent for a year or more down the road. I spend a fair amount of time teaching kids how to learn, how to study, how to manage their time, etc. That won't show up until they are in college. (I teach mostly juniors and seniors). I went from teaching at a Title One school with a sizable migrant population, mostly English language learners, being raised by one parent who was probably working two jobs and barely making by to an above average economical population with a much larger percentage of two parent families. Somewhere on that drive, based on student performances, I became a much better teacher! The best answer I have for evaluating teachers doesn't work in today's climate, because it is subjective not objective. Hire good supervisors and have them evaluate and trust them to do their jobs. Again, not perfect by a long shot but better than any other method I"ve heard. I have a student that has been arrested three times this school year. Are you really going to evaluate me on how well this kid does on a test? I think I am doing a great job just getting him to my class everyday five minutes late. And the money situation. Yes, you have to pay for good stuff and teaching kids has gotten more expensive. If you want them job, career, college, ready they need the same tools that they will be using in their jobs, careers, and college. Teachers, like everybody else, gravitate towards the best positions. For teachers the salary is just one part but it is important. Technology, benefits, security (physical and economic), support, all drive the best teachers.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Apr 8, 2016 -> 12:48 PM) Jim...since I blasted you earlier on your F150 comment, I should point out, I absolutely love how trucks ride. Albeit, if money was no matter, I'd go with the Tundra, but F150's are really nice vehicles, imo. I prefer the more truck riding SUV's as well to the car based versions, but that is more because I like sitting higher, etc. I thought it was hilarious The built in San Antonio, Texas Tundra is a very nice truck. If their dealers were better at internet sales I would have given them a better look. But they would not even quote me a price, I had to come to the dealer ship. For passenger comfort I just don't see how anyone could prefer a sitting on the floor with no legroom car over a crew cab truck. But Texas roads are wider, our distances between towns is greater, and like I mentioned earlier, the state is basically set up for Suburbans and pickups so parking isn't a problem.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 7, 2016 -> 09:44 PM) I have driven my FIL's F150 and I absolutely hated it. It is like driving a tank. It loud and bulky, and not user friendly. I'm not certain why it would be loud. Mine is quieter inside and out than most tinny compacts. They are large and take some getting use to. It helps that here there are so many being driven that parking lots are basically designed to allow bigger vehicles. I usually will back into most parking spots so the back up camera is a big help. And user friendly? Mine has nice big controls so driving with gloves on is easy. Voice activated most everything works nice. Lots of steering wheel controls, etc. Are you certain it wasn't just driving a strange vehicle for the first time?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Apr 7, 2016 -> 09:33 PM) Sounds like someone is feeling the Bern. ??

I love my F150. Great towing. Room for five full size adults without them sitting in each other's laps or knocking knees. No worries about hauling something home from the nursery or Lowes, I can see over traffic, smooth and quiet on the highway . . .

I'm certain most people wouldn't mind a 3 or 4% pay cut in their net pay. Hey. instead of a raise, how about we cut your salary for 2017! YEAH! Come on no one wants their take home pay cut. It doesn't matter what you earn. And those of us that fully contributed to SS enjoy receiving less than half of our SS because we are on a pension.

QUOTE (flavum @ Apr 7, 2016 -> 09:01 PM) Good story from Ogrin. It was exciting back then when he would occasionally contend. Big Cubs fan. But still a nice guy. He's a damn good student of the game and from what I can tell a solid instructor. I don't do much teaching when I am there, I find myself watching what he is doing and picking up some nice tips.

Funny story. I was at Top Golf with my team for practice this afternoon. I asked David Ogrin (former PGA tour player from Waukegan) and their Director of Instruction if he had played Augusta. I knew he won the Texas Open and must have qualified for at least one Masters. "David, did you play the Masters?" "Yes, three times" "What's your favorite Master's memory?" Without any hesitation "1984 I made the cut and played with Jack on Saturday." That wins most any golf story, told in most any bar, anywhere I've been. He went on to tell about he and Jack both hitting over the green on 5 and ending up in some bushes. He mentions they are walking back there and he does a dead on imitation of Jack "I didn't know there were these bushes back here."

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Apr 7, 2016 -> 01:27 PM) Rickie Fowler (+7) Well there goes most of my action LittleHurt I am BigHurt on that performance.

So I have my girl's team in 3rd place after day 1 of the district tournament. The back half of the team just did not come through. My #1 tied her tournament best and my #2 had her best tournament round. In horrible winds, drizzle, and fading light. My #1 is in 2nd place overall. The boy's really struggled. Our best player couldn't play. Our #3 had to take a job and hasn't practiced in a month. We are in 5th of 11th and going nowhere. Hoping for a top 10 from my #2 player.

Stone would have moved over to PxP in my scenario.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Mar 24, 2016 -> 05:44 PM) (and than Bush Jr decided he wanted to go spend crazy). You really need to go back to Reagan. Reagan taught Washington that you can cut taxes and have social programs. Make everyone happy while running up the debt. We've been in that mode since.

I've hoped that Hawk would have slid over to color and allowed someone else to handle the PxP.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Mar 24, 2016 -> 05:44 PM) Especially not when the south and heavy religious states tend to drive the early primaries and thus the early momentum. I realize my social liberal approach will probably not be the republican parties approach for another 10 or 15 years (as I have to think anyone that is young and eventually converts over to the republican party as they age would have similarly more liberal positions on social issues), but it really is time for a third party. It wasn't that long ago that I felt most of my values relatively aligned with the republican party (and than Bush Jr decided he wanted to go spend crazy). Interesting prediction. I'm a socially liberal, fiscal and law and order conservative. I wind up valuing the social over the others.