The Virginian-Pilot
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VIRGINIA BEACH
Virginia Beach City Public Schools are soliciting essays from students, staff, parents and alumni for a book that is tentatively called "The Power of Belief." Inspired by the public radio series "This I Believe," the project aims to gather first-person essays of 250 to 400 words about "a subject that has impacted thinking in your life."
The guidelines give the topics of nature, sports, music, parents, children and pets as examples. "Whatever shaped their life, we want to hear about," said schools spokeswoman Kathy O'Hara.
“Virginia Beach City Public Schools’ strategic plan, Compass to 2015, seeks to foster critical and creative thinking skills among students. Powerful writing is a wonderful way to hone those skills," said Fran Sharer, one of the project coordinators, in a press release. "But as the project took shape we eventually arrived at the decision to widen the circle of contributors. We believe that Virginia Beach citizens are eager to tell and to hear positive messages.”
Sharer is an instructional specialist in the department of curriculum and instruction.
Essays can be sent to believe@vbschools.com by December 1. Submissions should include the author’s name, address and connection to the school system. Alumni are also asked to include their graduation year and school.
The book, which would be sold as a fundraiser for the Virginia Beach Education Foundation, is slated for publication in late spring 2011.
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PURE Public Relations
Just goes to show that people "downtown" have w-a-y too much time on their hands...and I guarantee that anyone who has ever spoken truth to power will be automatically eliminated....that's the way they work....talk about an inspiration...my inspirational message is not one they'd publish.
Teachers are busting their buns at meetings, in-services, professional development, with larger class sizes, writing lesson plans, learning how to work the Promethean Boards and set up websites, grading, testing, talking to parents, and, should I forget...teaching! We could all use a little inspiration...how about a sincere "thank you and we understand the pressure you're under..and we are here for you if you need us because you're doing a great job no matter what the media says...and we're sorry you haven't received a raise in 3 to 5 years but we haven't forgotten you."
The folks downtown should be writing inspirational essays about their employees and how they are sacrificing their time and time with their families to make sure all children in VBCPS succeed...ah..shame on me... I forget...they're clueless.
It is the teacher's job
to put together and present a good lesson plan to learn reading, writing and arithmetic, the city's job to provide a safe and secure environment for our children to learn. If by chance a teacher or official sets good examples for others and is perceived as a positive role model, then that is a good thing. However, it is the parent's job to inspire and motivate their children.
Dumbing Down or Just Plain Scared?
Perhaps Virginia Beach's watered-down version of "This I Believe" reflects their underlying core belief that their students, teachers, and graduates aren't up to the difficult task of thinking, writing, and talking about personal beliefs and values. Perhaps they're afraid of the power of belief. After all, it is hard to identify your core beliefs, harder to write about them in 350-500 words, and hardest of all to discuss contrasting values and beliefs while neither giving nor taking offense.
Fortunately, NPR's "This I Believe" Web site (www.thisibelieve.org) has some great essays and sample curricula for those who want to explore and write about the values that guide their daily thoughts, actions, and choices. Those who want to write about "nature, sports, music, parents, children, pets" can take their cue from Virginia Beach at http://www.vbschools.com/announcements/powerBelief.asp.
Skirting the "V" word . . .
Virginia Beach has diminished the power of the "This I Believe" essay, which asks people to write about their personal philosophies and core values: "nothing less than a statement of your personal beliefs, of the values which rule your thought and action ... tell not only what you believe, but how you reached your beliefs, and if they have grown, what made them grow." Compare this to Virginia Beach's call for essays: "Do you have a heartfelt belief or core interest or conviction that has helped shape your life, in fact, made you who you are? Write about a subject that has impacted your thinking or your life. It could be anything – nature, sports, music, parents, children, pets." Writing about something that has influenced ("impacted" being rightly reserved for teeth or physical collisions) your life isn't the same as writing about the core values that guide your life. They switched the emphasis from the values themselves to things that shaped the values. Why?
Why are they doing this?
Why are they spending tax dollars to put this together? The ability of school officials to waste money never ceases to amaze me. Next time they cry about needing more money, I'll remember this waste and vote to cut their budget even more!
Bad news and good news
The bad news--there is an unnecessary and costly layer of administration, i.e., instructional specialists.
The good news--one and possibly more instructional specialists ("... one of the project coordinators...") will be involved with this ill-conceived project rather than bugging and nit-picking teachers.
sorry...
enhanceD
I'm sure
anyone submitting work whose life was enhance by their belief in God will be re-directed, re-educated, or re-jected.
I had an imaginary friend once
I had an imaginary friend once too. If yours continues to guide and help you in your adult life with disregard for logic, by all means: more power to you.
Like the comment
"Harvey" is playing over at the Virginia Beach Little Theater :)