Mountain Mama

Am I a Hack?

2011-12-26T18:30:00.004-05:00

My apologies for the lack of blogging. The sprint to break, moving across town, and a friend's wedding really took it out of me Some time to reflect during break has me thinking about an issue that visited me often during the semester.

I'm guilty of talking up the hormonal teenager aspect of Romeo and Juliet, reading aloud the cursing in Of Mice and Men, and finding violent poems to share with my students. I'm not out to get their childhoods. Just their intrinsic motivation. And I keep coming back to one of the Big Questions I tell my kids to ask: Is this hack teaching? More importantly, is it good teaching?

I reject completely the view that we should treasure this young adults as little children and censor any texts that might make them angry or sad. But I am often reminded by how child-like they are as I was when one of my juniors told me that he looked forward to all the extra money he would have when he made $26,000 a year. These are people who need introducing into the adult world gradually.

Many of them already have at least one foot in that world. Most of my ninth graders could relate to a love so consuming it made you forget everything you held dear (including your previous love which also consumed you). The eleventh graders were not shocked by Steinbeck's use of language, but they were able to articulate that the language sounded like kids who had just discovered cursing and what that immature quality helped reveal about the men's characters. They were able to use a poem full of violent imagery about a young man who accidentally killed his younger brother on a hunting trip to discuss the complexities of our own hunting culture and practice their close reading skills.

But shouldn't I be able to get my students to hone these skills without sinking so low? How do we balance helping students find intrinsic motivation with respect for the waning years of their childhood? Will my hack teaching make students think that classes that don't dwell on the more lowbrow aspects of the material are boring? Perhaps this blog post should be longer, but I don't have any answers to these questions. I'd appreciate your insights!

Finding the Switch

2011-12-10T08:04:00.004-05:00

Those of you who know me have heard me talk a lot about the light switch analogy when it comes to teaching kids who have been put in lower-level classes. Humans are born curious. Watch any baby try to stuff things in his or her mouth for an afternoon and you will see that we enter this world wanting to know all we can about it.

So, it broke my heart when one of my students asked at the beginning of the year, "What kid likes to learn?" She had so obviously been surrounded by other kids who felt like school wasn't for them, she had concluded that her classmate's feelings were the norm. Another teacher in my department and I started talking about curiosity switches. Everybody has a switch. When you get here, it's usually on. Something in your life--parents who don't read or read to you, a teacher who is mean, a friend who teaches you to de-value learning--can turn it off. The switch is firmly off for most of my last block class.

You might remember, careful blog reader, that we did a project exploring survival during a zombie attack in October. The switches were on then as students worked diligently in groups, problem-solved, and gave creative presentations on how they would stay safe. I've been searching for another project that would capture that same spirit ever since.

Yesterday, I had the students who had just received their writing test scores read this account of a successful school board member who nearly failed his state's standardized tests. We used this text to analyze author's purpose because we knew it would be on the reading test coming up in January. We also began a conversation about how we are smarter than the test makers. We know the scores matter in that they're required for high school graduation, but past that, we don't need those numbers to validate any one as a scholar or a person.

The students talked (mostly) one at a time. They asked each other questions. They never suggested my greatest fear--that because of this conversation, they wouldn't try to pass the next standardized test they have to take. I spoke very little. Accountability and testing aren't bad, my students concluded. The tests they're asked to take just aren't designed well.

"You know, you're the only teacher in this whole school who would let us talk like this," said the same girl who once told me no kids likes learning, "and it's really made me think."

(I don't think she's right about the other teachers. Most teachers seem to feel similarly about the tests. I'm just glad English gives me leeway to use conversations like this to sharpen our critical thinking skills.)

By her own admission, I made a student think critically. It was almost as good as the zombies.

Please De-Track Our School

2011-12-07T21:04:00.003-05:00

I often wonder how different it is to teach "higher-level" kids. Do they write on task all the time? Are they less disruptive? Are they smarter? They are certainly still children. They still would rather be hanging out with their friends than be in class. I can't imagine that they are fundamentally different they my crop of "lower-level" students.

Rather, I think these students have been conditioned to be successful. They've never been put in a room they perceive to be "the stupid class." They are surrounding by other kids who have kept their curiosity and also conditioned to succeed.

I like the idea floating around the English department of doing away with tracks. Right now, they're talking about keeping the honors level and then mixing everyone else together. I don't think that's ideal. The kids who can be the best example will, for the most part, still be removed to a little island. There will still be arguments made against kids moving up to the honors level. According to some chatter overheard in guidance, a kid in the lowest level ninth grade English class could never make it up to the Advanced Placement English class offered in twelfth grade. With such a system, where kids are registered for their English class in the spring of eighth grade, we say to students that what you do at thirteen will define your academic career.

Going from three tracks, to two, however, is definitely a step in the right direction. I remain very grateful for an administration that is open to change and focused on outcomes for kids.

Glasser v. Wong

2011-11-08T17:38:00.005-05:00

I spent most of last week out of school because of the death of my grandpa. My family is doing alright and the school was very supportive giving me the time I needed to be there for the family. My students, however, played their subs like a two-dollar banjo, as Toby would say.

I was reminded of passages both in The First Days of School and Teach Like a Champion where teachers ran such ship shape classrooms, the kids would work in the teacher's absence while the administration didn't even know the teacher was running late. Doesn't that sound like an amazing dream? Just get students to buy in to daily procedures and everything will run smoothly, even in your absence?

Here's my problem: I'm really uncomfortable with procedures. I'm not uncomfortable with them for myself. I like that every other Saturday is clean sheet day. I enjoy etiquette handbooks. I love organizing everything from my closet to my tax returns. But I can't wrap my brain around the idea of getting kids excited about how fast they pass in papers or sitting them in alphabetical order because I said so or even because it's more efficient for them when it comes to passing in papers.

I don't think school should be about having someone tell you where to sit and how to behave all day every day. The real world doesn't work like that. No one makes sure there's an alarm set when I'm supposed to get up or go eat. Sometimes I have to sit beside people that I don't like. Sometimes I sit beside people I do like and end up getting shushed in the library. I make choices and I have to live with the consequences. My ability to turn in papers quickly or even a larger ability to listen blindly to authority doesn't really do much for me.

I also continue to be affected by my experiences at the Glasser Quality School where I did a practicum in grad school. Students were quiet. They were orderly. They definitely learned. There were no detentions or raised voices. There were five minute breaks and CHOICES -- a program where students set down with specially-trained teachers to make plans for how they would get their act together in the classroom. This worked because everyone in the school bought in, the kids knew this was their last chance to graduate, and class sizes were small.

I knew that my classroom couldn't be exactly like the ones I saw at the Glasser school. But I thought I could incorporate some of it, mostly the respect that students and teachers showed each other and the way that students were prepared to live with their consequences. Just like in the real world. But it doesn't always work at my school.

Students take breaks, after two infractions they stay after in detention to write out a plan, we sign the plan, they get better. Two weeks later, however, they start going downhill again. I think I need to get serious about calling parents after they make their plans. I think I also need to get serious about handing out detentions to my eleventh graders. I know that I could have them passing alphabetical ordered papers in less than twenty seconds. But I also know that seeing them live in the sort of world where that's the behavior I reward would break my heart. And I'm not really sure what of value that sort of system would teach them.

Student Work Sample

2011-10-29T20:28:00.003-04:00

Students were assigned an oral history project in which they interviewed an older member of our community and recorded a story about the person. Student W. asked if he could "embellish" his story about his grandfather. I told him that's what storytellers often do. This is what I got (with permission to share):

Robert Edmund Harrell was created long ago in an underground laboratory, roughly below Siberia. He was made by the will of the Earth God, fusing rock and magma to form the greatest hero the world has ever known. Once the Moon God of the Earth's God's shenanigans, the Moon God constructed his own abomination, Jeffery. Jeffery and Robert Edmund Harrell fought for years, which created the oceans and continents. Eventually, Robert Edmund Harrell prevailed and saved the world from evil Jeffery's wrath.

A few years later Robert Edmund Harrell became very lonely and was looking for a mate he could carry on his legacy with. He found a human named Janet Compton and decided that she would be the best choice. Together, the populated the planet and maintained peace until around the year 1939 when a large war began. The United States of America wanted to control Robert Edmund Harrell because he was a very strong ally to have and if controlled well, could mean victory or defeat for the country. Robert Edmund Harrell realized quickly the position he was in. The United States was smart, but not smart enough to outwit Robert Edmund Harrell. He took control of the country from the inside, disguising himself as a regular human being. His goal was to force every country in the world to worship his power, and what better way than to start with one of the most powerful countries in the world.

By 1945, Robert Edmund Harrell had successfully taken over the United States of America. However, his action were being noticed by many people from around the world. A group formed called POTATO.

This is a rough draft. More to come. Names changed to protect the hilarious.

"I'm Going to Study Really Hard for My Vocab Quiz . . .

2011-10-28T08:15:00.005-04:00

. . . so I can take it fast and get to work on the zombies." - Student R.

Yesterday, I introduced a modified version of my father's Zombie Apocalypse project. Students work in teams to plan reasonably for the impeding zombie apocalypse. We assume they will have one hour to prepare for an onslaught of Romero-style zombies. They will write 500-word essays and make a group presentation on Monday. Each group has a copy of The Zombie Surival Guide (thanks, friends!), Florida's zombie apocalypse plan, and links to sites such as the CDC's zombie blog.

The students are quietly working in groups, asking questions, working until the bell rings. Why can't every week be Zombie Week? Any other ideas for projects that are similarly engaging?

Parent-Teacher Conferences

2011-10-22T08:48:00.003-04:00

Although my colleagues warned me ahead of time, I became a little disappointed at the low turnout for parent-teacher conferences at the end of this week. Eight parents (about two-thirds with their student) came to visit over two days of conferences (scheduled at different times to accommodate any parent working any shift). I just can't help but think, like many things in public education, there must be a better way.

I'm not sure what that better way might look like, though. I know that some schools often hold conferences at large employers in the community, but how would that work for parents who don't work there? We have a place like that in the community I teach and they often partner with the schools, but it doesn't sound like a satisfying, simple answer to me. One of our wonderful APs called the parent of every kid sitting on a D or F average in any class, so you'd think that would jump start some conferences. And I will say that out of those eight parents who showed up, five had kids who were in danger of failing. I also made sure to talk up the conferences in every note I've mailed home in the last month and called the parents of kids who seem to struggle the most.

The student-teacher across the hall said that when her daughter was in elementary school, she went to conferences all the time, but kind of tapered off as she got into high school. And she couldn't decide if she had done the right thing or not. What's the appropriate level of parental involvement? Does not coming to conference night mean you don't care? Should we have our conferences somewhere else in the community people feel more comfortable attending? For our community, the school really is a community center of sorts, so I'm not sure that's the solution.

Dear readers, if I have any, I am interested to hear what you think. How do we re-imagine the parent-teacher conference to make it worthwhile for student success?

You Win Some?

2011-10-17T18:43:00.004-04:00

So, today a couple of things worth blogging about happened. Also, since I've broken my foot, my after-school activities have been severely curtailed and leave some space for blogging. Little blessings?

Anyone who works with teenagers knows that it's a constant battle to keep them from saying gay or retard in a derogatory way. A lot of teachers give up. But I can't. Maybe it's the thought of my wonderful younger brother standing proudly as his class's homecoming rep last year. Maybe it's all of the people who happen to be gay who have loved me in my life. But I can't let these words go. If my job is to teach kids that words have meaning and power, then I think I have to show them how using words negatively can affect people around them. So, I don't allow those words in my classroom. I try not to be mean about it and I give kids a chance to rephrase, but I never, ever let them slide (when I hear them). Today, one of the eleventh grade girls who rarely gives me a lick of trouble busted out the r-word. I was shocked and surprised, but she immediately corrected herself, and I forgot all about it. After class, she came up to me nearly in tears apologizing for how disrespectful she'd been. I mean, I couldn't even remember what she had to apologize for, but it was obviously weighing on her. I'm sorry she felt so upset, but it's kind of nice to see kids Getting It -- especially when the It is something bigger than worrying about their SOLs tomorrow.

I've also started to notice that I'm not exhausted when I come home in the afternoons any more. I still stay at school till around five most afternoons, but when I get home I still feel alert enough to enjoy something besides hiding under my covers and watching Glee on Hulu (still eight days behind). This increased energy seems like a huge victory. I can't wait to take advantage of it when I'm back to being a biped.

Today did have its absurd moments, however. After school, I had a phone call from an irate parent demanding to know why I hadn't held any practices for the male cheerleaders who are supposed to perform at the pep rally on Thursday. After patiently explaining that I had tried three times to reschedule after breaking my foot and no kids had showed up, she explained to me that was because I wasn't holding my practices at eight o'clock at night after all the other commitments had ended. Now, I know the juniors have met after school and I really can't imagine my very wonderful administration expecting me to have practice for a fake team at eight at night on top of all the other things a first year teacher gets to experience.

I didn't tell her this, of course, I just let her volunteer herself into practicing with the kids at night and turning a video into me. I hope this works out because I'm a little preoccupied with the testing, conferences, and other duties of actually teaching coming up this week. Please say a little prayer for my eleventh graders taking their SOLs tomorrow and Wednesday. Mostly pray that they don't lose focus halfway through the test and can keep it together long enough to get the pass advance I know each of them has inside themselves.

Thirty by 30

2011-05-15T11:26:00.003-04:00

So, I know I have the terrible habit of posting about once a year, but I think I'm going to change that! In fact, blogging once a week is one of the thirty things I plan to do before turning 30. I've been inspired by my new friend Emily. Here's the list:

1. Visit NOLA

2. Visit India

3. Run the C’ville 10 miler

4. Publish an essay about education policy

5. Hike the AT

6. Work in Honduras

7. Start work on my doctorate

8. Become a National Board certified teacher

9. Go out West

10. Re-read the Frank Atkinson books about VA politics

11. Keep Atticus a healthy, happy dog

12. Send my parents on a trip to the Homestead

13. Throw a really great pig roast

14. Fall in love

15. Keep in touch with at least two students from every year I teach

16. Visit France

17. Drive in London

18. Stay at a convent for at least a week

19. Organize my finances (and keep them that way!)

20. Learn to fly fish and make my own flies

21. Raft the New River Gorge

22. Eat at the fancy new restaurant at the VMFA

23. Take my friend Bekah to a really nice ballet

24. Live in a city bigger than Charlottesville for at least one year

25. Go on a beach vacation where I do nothing but read, eat shrimp, and sip margaritas

26. Come up with a solid curriculum for grades 9 – 12 in Virginia

27. Blog at least once a week

28. Never give up on going to the gym at least four times a week

29. Help my brother sell his art

30. Decide there’s really no such thing as “settling down”

Also, I promise to keep y'all updated on my summer reading adventures. This summer I'll revisit the books I didn't get to last summer. I'm also starting The Moor's Last Sigh today for book club. Let me know if you'd like to read along with us!

Summer Reading Adventure

2010-04-20T17:17:00.001-04:00

I've been flirting with the idea of starting blogging again. We'll start with our summer reading adventures. Here's the list. Join in on conversations in the coming weeks!

Maggie’s Summer 2010 Reading List

Nonfiction – Political
The Dynamic Dominion – Frank Atkinson
Virginia in the Vanguard – Frank Atkinson
Going Rouge – Richard Kim & Betsy Reed
What a Party! – Terry McAuliffe
The Audacity to Win – David Plouffe
The Year of Obama – Larry Sabato

Nonfiction – Biography
Fever Pitch – Nick Hornby
The Polysyllabic Spree – Nick Hornby
Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert

Nonfiction – Teaching
The Quality School – William Glasser
One Day, All Children . . . – Wendy Kopp
Amazing Grace – Jonathan Kozol
The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child – Donalyn Miller
Holding on to Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones – Thomas Nevkirk
The Trouble with Black Boys – Pedro Noguera

Fiction – Adult
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – Jane Austen and Seth Garhame-Smith
Music for Chameleons – Truman Capote
Juliet, Naked – Nick Hornby
Ford Country – John Grisham
Liberty – Garrison Keillor
Push – Sapphire
Killer Angels – Michael Shaara
Brooklyn – Colm Tobin
Bartleby & Co. – Enrique Vila-Mates

Fiction – Young Adult
Durango Street – Frank Bonham
The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros
Coraline – Neil Gaiman
Little Brother X – Doctrow
Looking for Alaska – Green
Bronx Masquerade – Grimes
Hoot – Carl Hiaasan
The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
Inexcusable – Lynch
Monster – Myers
Rats Saw God – Thomas
Skinned – Wasserman
Make Lemonade – Wolff
American Born Chinese – Yang

Follow Me!

2008-12-09T16:52:00.002-05:00

As Raising Kaine ends its successful run in Virginia politics, I'm joining up with the group who hopes to help fill that vacuum at Blue Commonewalth. Please follow my blogging adventures there!

Tom Needs Your Help!

2008-11-26T08:25:00.003-05:00

You can debate Virgil Goode's prudence in requesting a recount, but no matter what you decide, Tom Perriello needs your help to keep his offices open and his lawyers on retainer during the recount. You can click here to donate. Just a few dollars are sure to help ensure progressive leadership in the Virginia Fifth!

All politics, all the time

2008-11-08T10:47:00.002-05:00

The New York Times reports that Gov. Mike Huckabee will begin a book tour in Iowa later this month. Despite my utter exhaustion following my two weeks on the trail, I have to say that I love elections. I think that they represent a time citizens can have a conversation about the direction of our country, but I dislike all of this focus on national races. All politics is local. And, in this endless campaign cycle, I would really like to see politicos turn our attentions to state races next. In Virginia, the entire House of Delegates will be up for re-election. This election is exceptionally important as congressional redistricting ocurrs following the 2010 census.

So, let's stay away from Iowa and New Hampshire for a few years (a lot of people in NH seem to not be big primary fans, anyway) and focus on the elections that will continue to shape our nation and will actually happen this decade.

Campaign Craziness

2008-10-31T10:15:00.003-04:00

Virginia is the place to be for this election season! I saw a quote in someone's gchat status the other day: "Obama can win without Virginia but with Virginia he can't lose!" Since I've been here, I've canvassed for VA-2 and VA-5. Both are likely Republican keeps, but the Danville Register and Bee endorsed Periello today.

Maybe it's just because I'm surround by Obama people all day, but I'm feeling really hopeful about this election so long as we keep knocking doors, making calls, and driving folks to the polls.

“Don’t believe for a second this election is over. Don’t think for a minute that power concedes. We have to work like our future depends on it in this last week, because it does.” - Barack Obama

Death and Taxes

2008-10-24T09:07:00.004-04:00

Sorry for the hiatus. I've been trying to get everything together for my campaign trip to Virginia. Today we take off for the Virginia 2nd and then it's back to C'ville to campaign for Obama, Warner, and Periello. Only eleven days left!

At any rate, I find this article from the Washington Post heartening during my morning peruse. It's a shame this line got burried three grafs down, instead of in the lede: "But for the first time in decades, Democrats appear to have the upper hand in the debate over taxes."And then, much further down, they let us know that "In the latest Washington Post-ABC tracking poll, Obama maintains a 51 to 43 percent lead over McCain on handling taxes."

Most of us have known for a long time that it is a fact most families enjoy better economic times under Democratic administrations and that Democrats seek to ease the financial burden on middle- and working-class families far more often than Republicans. It is very exciting to see the party finally own these facts! Yes, as Oliver Wendell Holmes (a Republican) said, taxes are the price of a civilized society. But there's nothing wrong with highlighting the fact that we would rather tax people who can afford it than those who can't.

Eleven days. Go knock doors.

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

2008-10-14T07:03:00.005-04:00

Thanks to Raising Kaine for this one:

With all of the finger pointing McCain has been doing lately toward ACORN, he must have forgotten he spoke at at this pro-immigration rally co-sponsored by the community action group.

Let us all collectively mourn for the loss of the John McCain of 2000 and his "Straight Talk."

In true liberal media fashion, the Washington Post article doesn't mention McCain's appearance.

You Can't Scare Me; I'm Stickin' to the Union

2008-10-12T12:12:00.005-04:00

In the craziness of KidFid and grantwriting, I also missed my chance to comment on these two items:

Ralph Stanley released a radio ad endorsing Obama. It's been getting a lot of play on 94.9 - the main country station here in Southwest Virginia.

Also, in true "Which Side Are You On" fashion, some coal miners in the southern part of West Virginia rallied against the company men's attempts to get them to speak out against their union's endorsement of Obama.

Just remember, their flag's a big ol' dollar sign.

"It lacks the throw-weight of 'Ron Reagan Jr. to Address Democratic Convention,' but it'll have to do."

2008-10-12T11:34:00.008-04:00

While on my Nashville road trip (Old Crow Medicine Show and Carolina Chocolate Drops at the Ryman!), the political world still turned. My favorite news that I missed is Christopher Buckley's endorsement of Barack Obama. Buckley, the son of National Review founder William F. Buckley, Jr., admits that his endorsement is not likely to be the end all of the campaign. I would, however, like to take the time to reflect on the GOP's recent dismissal of "cocktail conservatives."

I like the National Review. A group of people who paint themselves as fiscally conservative and socially libertarian are just fine in my book. Sure, I disagree with them on some points. If we had just let the states decide the segregation issue, for example, would we still be sending folks like Barack Obama to the back of the bus? Would two generations of black children have been denied the right to attend the best public schools available without Eisenhower calling in the 101st Airborne and nationalizing the Arkansas National Guard? Sometimes the national government has to take a stance on an issue -- and then enforce that stance -- or justice won't be done.

But these are political philosophy questions. We can respectfully disagree on methods of justice and still see both sides as smart, capable, patriotic people. It's the Republican Party's recent shift away from WFB's emphasis on reason that terrifies me. As a very wise man said recently, "It's like they take pride in being ignorant."

So, here's to you, Chris, and your whole National Review family. Let the debate the continue.

When Kathleen Parker Suggests You Go

2008-09-26T17:32:00.002-04:00

Although it sometimes leads to butting head with many feminists, I like the idea of feminism being the simple idea that women are human beings deserving of equal treatment under the law and equal pay. Everything after that is debatable. Today feminists from both parties can come together as Kathleen Parker suggests that Sarah Palin bow out of the race. Palin's candidacy insults all women. It's not having a woman nominee for any office that matters. It's having a qualified nominee. If that nominee is a woman, then so much the better for our democracy's ability to expand the number of voices in the conversation. Palin was nominated because of her gender, not because of her policies (although that whole praying for the pipeline thing probably excited the base) or because of her qualifications.

I keep hoping that when the glass ceiling is finally smashed, it will happen because the candidate is a qualified, poised, smart elected official who happens to be a woman.

"There are times when you are simply required to be impolite."

2008-09-21T20:26:00.003-04:00

I've been on a bit of a West Wing binge lately and this Sorkin-imagined conversation between Pres. Bartlet and Sen. Obama definitely hits the spot.

Of Hunters and NASCAR

2008-09-16T07:37:00.003-04:00

My Virginia Demcrats weekend reminded me just how in-touch our party can be. But let's keep working on it.

Ralph Stanley for President?

2008-09-09T18:02:00.003-04:00

Bluegrass legend Dr. Ralph Stanley just endorsed Barack Obama during a campaign stop in Lebanon, Virginia. If you don't know who Ralph Stanley is, you might be an eltist. In addition to all of his amazing banjo pickin', Stanley also sang "O Death" in the Cohen brother's film O Brother Where Art Thou? This endorsement really could go a long way with Appalachian voters.

Roundup

2008-09-05T09:47:00.004-04:00

There isn't too much I can say about last night's fairly quiet, but rhetorically interesting, speech that hasn't already been said.

But I do have to say that, optimistically, I have a renewed sense of love for this country and democracy in general. The last eight years have been rough for civil liberties, minorities, women, people in poverty, and pretty much every other marginalized group in this nation. But we're still standing. Even after eight years of failed leadership, we still have a place where free elections are the norm and there is still a modicum of respect for the Bill of Rights among everyday people. Is that silly or simplistic or naive? So be it; it gets me to the voting booth.

Oh, and watch this:

Priceless

2008-09-04T12:42:00.001-04:00

A small apology from the media directed at Gov. Palin.

Language and the GOP

2008-09-03T20:35:00.002-04:00

So I'm sitting in my disaster of a new kitchen watching the RNC and, maybe it's just the English major in me, but I'm growing increasingly frustrated with their use of rhetoric. There was just a "detailed" 45-second spot on how McCain will save America by "putting prosperity first." Are you serious? Who isn't for prosperity? And just how do you balance putting prosperity first with the speech former EBay CEO Meg Whitman gave on how government can't solve your problems. If they can't solve your problems, how can they put prosperity anywhere in the line-up? This might just be a preaching to the choir post, but it's this sort of doublethink that brought us wars on terror and drugs and other intangibles that can't actually be defeated.

Why Bristol Palin's Pregnancy Matters

2008-09-03T07:42:00.004-04:00

Obama may have declared family off-limits, but his opponents haven't. Bristol Palin's pregnancy could just be a footnote in this election, had her mother not promised during her 2006 gubernatorial campaign "explicit sex education courses will find no support from me" in the conservative Eagle Forum (that page has recently been "rectified", but you can still read about it here).

Palin also slashed funding for housing programs for teenage mothers.*

So while the Obama campaign might "take the high road" and not mention Palin's hypocrisy, she seems to have gotten a free pass. Her daughter made a mistake (or not, who cares?) and Palin appears supportive. It's a shame she couldn't be supportive of all young women faced with unplanned pregnancies, or you know, support programs that teach young men and women alike to prevent them.

Make no mistake, there are other issues at stake here, such as Palin supporting the "Bridge to Nowhere" before she was against it, her possible abuse of power involving police enforcement, and her lobbying for earmarks while campaigning as a "fiscal conservative." But I am a little disappointed in the media backing off on the issues brought to light by Palin's daughter's pregnancy. If she's going to campaign on family values, she ought to be held accountable when she doesn't live up to them by truly supporting all teenage mothers.

*Apparently, she failed to fully fund the program. I apologize.

Watchdogs?

2008-09-01T22:59:00.001-04:00

I love to hear journalists say "You didn't answer the question" - maybe because it happens so rarely.

Looks Like His Prayers Have Been Answered

2008-09-01T07:21:00.003-04:00

The moral here, I reckon, is to be careful what you wish for as it could cause hundreds of thousands of people to be evacuted from their homes and live in fear of another Katrina-like disaster.

What does Gustav mean if, as Stuart Shepherd says, it's "always up to God"?

Of course, Shepherd "apologized" after being named Keith Olbermann's Worst Person in the World but since his taped segment included him consulting the "Wide-eyed Liberal Mainstream Media Dictionary," you'll forgive me for not taking it very seriously.

Palin? Oh, please.

2008-08-31T10:55:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the break during such a fun, political time.

Let's rejoin our race in Dayton, Ohio where John McCain just insulted feminists across the country by suggesting that one woman equals another. That glass ceiling Palin referred to in her "speech" - don't you think it's positions such as McCain's disapproval of equal pay for equal work that have made that ceiling and kept it firmly in place? Feminism should be large enough to embrace pro-choice and pro-life positions. Feminism is the belief that women are people, too. But McCain didn't nominate Palin because she's a qualified person for the job; he nominated her because of her gender.

As for all the foaming at the mouth about Palin's rural credentials, hunting moose doesn't make one qualified to be a heartbeat (and an election, thankfully) away from the presidency. I'd rather see a city-slicker with a heart for workers all over the nation than someone who suggested in her inaugural address that we all just need to pull ourselves up from our bootstraps. Never mind the lack of boots.

At least early polls suggest most voters see this political stunt for what it is.

O'Biden

2008-08-24T18:58:00.002-04:00

I don't have television, so I just now got to watch Biden's speech thanks to Politico and I don't have too much to add to the blogosphere. But I'm very impressed with the way in which Biden has already addressed both his social connections to McCain and his previous (merited) criticism of Obama. I really hope that they electorate can see that Obama is still holding on to those politics of change when he is willing to surround himself with principled, experienced critics.

On to Denver.

"Appalachia, ideologically, is at war with itself."

2008-08-24T18:04:00.004-04:00

My hometown newspaper, The Roanoke Times, has a great package today about Appalachian voters and Obama's chances in Virginia.

Pundits and bloggers, myself included, have already spilled a lot of digital ink about how to swing rural mountain voters one way or the other. This is important to both campaigns, but I don't know what I can say that hasn't already been said. I would like to point out, however, how the Times' piece tries to balance coverage of people in Appalachia. Yes, a lot of us still operate under the misunderstanding that Obama is Muslim. A lot of us are racist. A lot of us are disenchanged. And, yes, a lot of us are bitter.

But as I've moved even farther back up into the mountains, I am also reminded how people here would give you the shirt off their back, cut you a deal on rent you can't afford, and carry out a million other small acts of kindness. In sum, Appalachian voters are people, too - people who seem to have gotten a shorter end of the stick than those voters who don't worry as much about Obama's racial background. People in poverty who are racist or too busy feeding their families to pay attention to politics don't deserve to be exploited, either.

And if you think that considering how to cover these voters without being condescending, just ask Obama what sort of electoral risks that attitude carries.

Well, maybe not

2008-08-13T14:15:00.004-04:00

Looks like Wes Clark will be in Italy instead of accepting the Democratic VP nomination. Oh well, this game is fun.

If We'd Just Run Government Like a Business

2008-08-13T08:30:00.001-04:00

I think comparisions of government to business is generally overly simple and not very helpful. Mark Warner remains an exception to that rule and I'm excited to see him deliver a keynote at the convetion in just 13 days!

Broad Side of a Barn

2008-08-12T07:14:00.002-04:00

Maybe rural America never needed Edwards in the first place; we've got Obama:

My Money is on Wes Clark

2008-08-11T18:19:00.004-04:00

I very nearly drank the Kaine kool-aid when it came to Obama's VP pick but now that the Associated Press has released the themes for the Democratic Convention, I really think it's going to be Gen. Clark. The VP's night is "Securing America's Future." Those who obsessively read about this race, like myself, will note that is the motto of Gen. Clark's PAC. I can't imagine a better nod to the Clintonistas without the choice actually being HRC herself. Gen. Clark is also white and a man. It would be a shame to leave those folks out from under our big tent.

Clark was my original choice back in 2004 when he wowed me at Tudor's Biscuit World in Roanoke, so I may be a little biased, but I really can't imagine anyone better to counter McCain's accusations of inexperience (other than Sen. Webb who has very publicly said "No, thank you").

A little bit of election humor . . .

2008-08-09T15:30:00.003-04:00

. . . in the midst of all the somber news out of China, Georgia, and Raleigh:

Thanks, Ezana.

“You can say that for the first time in his life, Mudcat refused to comment."

2008-08-08T20:42:00.004-04:00

The worst things about this aren't the affair or the lying, it's the total disregard Edwards had for those who worked for him and believed in him as well as his legacy and the Democratic party. Can you imagine if he'd been the nominee? Did he really think this wouldn't out? I, for one, really thought Edwards was a different type of politican and feel incredibly betrayed.

On the bright side, there is now an opening for the Progressive Working Class/First Generation College Student Advocate. Daddy, I know you're reading.

The Complicated Case of Country Music

2008-08-06T14:42:00.004-04:00

Over at TNR, Jason Zengerle suggests that Toby Keith isn't all bad. And I have to agree. Not just because I love ironically singing "The Angry American" but because Keith represents a genre that gives a lot of credence to storytelling, banjo music, and other pluses of Appalachian culture. Sure, some of it is ridiculous (see "Redneck Woman") and some of it is objectifying but country music is pretty far behind in the list of genres that encourage violence and objectification.

2008-07-31T21:28:00.002-04:00

And I would be remiss as a progressive rural blogger if I didn't encourage y'all to read Mudcat's review of Rep. Cooter's new book.

I fully intend to start a Tim Kaine watch tomorrow if he hasn't already been added to the ticket by now. In the meantime, here's a speech where he launches into nearly perfect Spanish at 2:45. We can discuss the details later.

Country Roads

2008-07-31T21:03:00.005-04:00

(That title was inevitable. I thought with all the driving I'm in the midst of, I could at least make it somewhat topical.)

Today I started my first "grown-up" job going to a fiddlers' convention! Despite my father's fear that Clifftop is a Yankee, hippie-ridden place, it's a very nice convention. There are lots of Yankee hippies but they all seemed nice and I didn't hear one word about Deliverance. I put up fliers for our KidFid contest at the Opera House in September, reconnected with some old friends (most notably Special Ed and the Short Bus), and listened to some nice fiddle and banjo music.

On the way home, I stopped in gorgeous Lewisburg. A friend and I visited in the fall and I fell in love. I really think Lewisburg is one of the only places outside of the Eastern Montgomery/Floyd area I could see myself settling. Even though it's right off 64, Lewisburg has managed to hold on to their downtown and have lots of great shops (Robert's Antiques, an antique store cum wine cellar and Serenity Now Outfitters are two of my favorites).

The drive from Lewisburg to home in Green Bank got me thinking, however. Just what does a fiddle contest for kids have to do with rural poverty? How has Lewisburg and Greenbrier County managed to remain picturesque and wealthy (one would think they'd have to give up some of their beauty to reap the rewards of a nearby interstate)?

The first question is much easier to answer than the first, I think. According to the westvirginiaminesaftey.org, coal directly employs about 40,000 people in this state and that number is shrinking. Tourism employs about 40,000 people as well while it is the state's fastest growing industry. This number also doesn't include the number of people employed in ecotourism, state parks, and other recreation areas. Marlinton, thankfully, isn't near a coal seam but logging has certainly devastated some of the forests here and this part of the state isn't immune from the previously discussed "brain drain." Cultural activities, such as KidFid, not only help people in this area to own their culture and see it as vital and downright fun, but it also brings money into the local economy without felling a single tree or blowing the top off any mountains. And I get to go to some fiddle fests in the process. Everybody, but King Coal and his friend the logging industry, wins.

I'll have to think a little longer and get to know the area better before I can answer the second question. Thoughts?

The Adventure Begins

2008-07-30T19:29:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we packed up the family vehicles and drove over the mountains into West Virginia. My parents are gone now and I'm (mostly) unpacked. Today I met with my boss, oriented myself with beautiful Marlinton, cooked a little, wasted a little time, and now I'm sitting at the kitchen table looking out on some beautiful old-growth forest mixed with farmland. The farthest ridge I can see is in Virginia.

Tomorrow I leave to do some publicity at the fiddle fest Clifftop. Monday it's Galax, where I'll get to see some of my family. In the next few weeks, I hope to have many friends come visit as they head back to school and I start to get settled. My landlady is wonderful. She just brought me some snap beans and blueberries from her garden. Bekah's Mosey is going to come live with me once we get things all settled here and there. Tomorrow I'm going to begin a year's service dedicated to helping eradicate poverty in Appalachia. I'll try not to get too idealistic or too jaded.

So, here it goes. Deep breath.

We Can't Afford No Education?

2008-07-27T20:06:00.003-04:00

My dear friend David Moltz over at Inside Higher Ed had a piece a few days ago about the influx of first-generation college students at small liberal-arts schools. As hard as it may be for some of my friends in C'ville to believe, there is still a substantive portion of the US that doesn't even get a shot at a four-year education.

David says Kentucky ranks 47th in terms of people with bachelor's degrees or higher. In case you're interested, West Virginia is dead last with 16.5 percent of the population holding post-secondary degrees. Virginia is 7th but I wonder what the ranking would be if you just included the Fightin' Ninth. According to the Census Bureau, the nationwide average is 27 percent.

"Save the Environment, Abolish the DH!"

2008-07-22T10:04:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the delay; camp doesn't provide much time or internet access but as I've been laid low with strep for a couple days, I found this gem at TNR.

In other news, we had a camper last week who could name all the World Series winners since 1903 (excepting 1904 and 1994, of course). He could also play "Smoke on the Water" on the guitar. He's nine.

Hey, Teacher

2008-06-25T08:20:00.003-04:00

Here is further proof that there is something funny in the water in the Washington suburbs. I just don't see how linking teacher pay to a dubious standardized testing system is going to come close to solving our educational woes in this country. Right now I have to go to some Americorps sessions on poverty but more on this later.

Hunting for Rural Votes

2008-06-21T20:43:00.006-04:00

Mudcat Saunders, my favorite political operative, has been getting a lot of press lately given the buzz surrounds us rural voters these days. As much as it pains me to say it, The Weekly Standard offers a great profile and fairly unbiased rundown of "Mudcat Math" and his subsequent rural strategy. Mudcat asserts that getting a Republican to vote Democratic is a "twofer" because the other guys lose a vote at the same time we win one. Pretty simple, huh? Matt Labash also discusses Sen. Jim Webb's idea that bringing black city voters and white rural ones to the same table has a lot of promise because we share so many problems. Labash, however, incorrectly states that we "couldn't be more divorced culturally." I would just like to point out our mutual love of friend chicken and the fact that the banjo came from Africa and gave rise to country and blues. Combine those superficial similarities with the government's failure to address poverty for whites or blacks, and maybe you could have a winning ticket, according to rural politicians like Mudcat and Webb.

Over at The New Republic, Isaac Chotiner finds Mudcat to be furthering stereotypes of both Northern and Southern Democrats. Chotiner suggests Republicans have just as many elitists as the Democratic Party, and he's right. What he fails to notice, however, is that Mudcat (and other yellow dog Democrats down here) realizes the Democratic Party is much more likely to eventually embrace Bubba rather than just ridicule him. To paraphrase Jesus, I don't care about the elitism of the other party when mine has such a large plank in it's own eye. Chotiner's criticism that Mudcat condescends to his own people as much as Washington types doesn't really hold much water, either. After so many years of our culture being degraded, of course we're going to be just a little afraid untrustworthy politicians are going to throw out the guns with the gun show loophole.

As far as Obama and the rural race question go, the numbers in the Weekly Standard (ironically) provide some hope. The same number of voters in West Virginia and New York both claimed race was a factor in their decision (20 percent). I contend that Clinton's good showing in the rural south, especially the mountain south, has more to do with organization than race. The Clintons are (were?) the organization and when you can remember a time the organization saved your butt after a mine accident, you might be more inclined to vote the organization ticket. I think if he showed up, ready to learn about rural culture like Mark Warner during his famous hunting trip, Obama could stand a real chance in the Fightin' Ninth and other Appalachian districts.

Finally, I would like to pose a question: Why is it noble or praiseworthy when upper-middle class liberals vote their conscience and against their economic interests but when hicks do it, we're just showing our ignorance?

Rest in Peace, Tim

2008-06-13T16:06:00.003-04:00

My parents tell me that from a very young age I loved to watch the talking heads on Sunday morning television. Cartoons never were good enough for my weekend TV fix so I would just like to add my voice to those mourning the recent loss of Tim Russert who moved "Meet the Press" in a fantastic direction and always had the utmost journalistic integrity. Thanks for making us smarter and always asking the right questions, Mr. Russert.

2008-06-13T14:20:00.003-04:00

I know it's a few days old, but the Southern Political Report has an interesting piece about the rise and fall of the RPVA. Obviously, conservatism is alive and well in the Old Dominion, but I think this article points directly to the dangers of extremism in the pursuit of any ideology (sorry, Barry Goldwater). Democrats should take the lessons learned by the RPVA to heart and carefully continue to practice Mark Warner-style moderation in Virginia (and other potential purple states). After all, it's supposed to be a government for all people, not just those who completely embrace a right or left agenda.

Rules are made for people . . .

2008-05-31T12:00:00.002-04:00

Follow the proceedings of the DNC rules committee here. Although I'll refrain from much commentary now, I just wonder how it could possibly make any democratic sense to seat any delegates from a contest that didn't even include every candidates' name on the ballot. But then again, democratic and Democratic sense aren't always the same thing.

Passing Afternoon

2008-05-29T15:18:00.005-04:00

I missed posting about it because I have been at Alta Mons, but yesterday was what would have been James Bond creator Ian Flemming's 100th birthday. In tribute, apparently, a new Bond book has been released. It sounds intriguing enough, and I can't get enough of 007, to add it to my summer list. Thanks to Walt for the heads up.

Alta Mons is going well. We're finishing up all of the medical training tomorrow and I really do think that the staff is coming together nicely. Coordinating the CITs and the Day Camp isn't the most glamorous job at camp, but I feel so blessed to be there. God shows Himself in the simple things and I really think that the people coming to camp this summer are seeing that already. Alta Mons is no longer the place I grew up. A lot of the identifying features have been changed by logging and new permanent staff, but I just keep trying to remember what Bekah told me last summer about the children running around screaming and playing: It's not any different for them.

I'll post more and some pictures later, but now it's off to Indiana Jones with the staff.

Catfish are Jumpin'

2008-05-20T08:01:00.012-04:00

Within a couple hours, I'll be at Alta Mons mostly for the duration. This event marks my first day of summer so I thought I would share my summer reading list. Feel free to suggest books to add (or remove) although I fear I will be reading from this list until Christmastime.

The Penelopiad - Margaret Atwood

The Last of the Mohicans - James Fenimore Cooper

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek - Annie Dillard

The Life You Save May Be Your Own - Paul Elie

Cold Mountain - Charles Frazier *

Thirteen Moons - Charles Frazier

A Blue Moon in Poorwater - Cathryn Hankla

Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy

Ulysses - James Joyce

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - Barbara Kingsolver

Angels in America - Tony Kushner

The Problem of Pain - C.S. Lewis

A River Runs Through It - Norman MacLean *

Teacher Man - Frank McCourt *

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - Mark Twain

A Time to FIGHT - James Webb

An asterisk denotes a re-read. I've already finished Angels in America (the first part was assigned for class) and I'm two-thirds of the way through my perennial summer opener Cold Mountain. I will probably start Ulysses next as I received it for my 21st birthday in December. This is the summer of epic.

That Makes Both WV Senators for Obama

2008-05-19T15:05:00.011-04:00

Sen. Byrd once again proves himself to be a pragmatic, if occasionally sleepy, Democrat with his recent endorsement of Obama: "Barack Obama is a noble-hearted patriot and humble Christian, and he has my full faith and support."

Now if only the rest of Appalachia could follow Senators Byrd and Rockefeller's lead in the general election.

House Worship

2008-05-19T14:19:00.002-04:00

As one who is terribly excited to move into my in-law apartment in July, I definitely cherish the American Dream of having a little space to plant my garden and roam around with my all-American mutt. Hal Crowther takes a look in the Oxford American at how that dream has exploded into McMansions and subprime mortgages and suggests we all scale back a little.