October 2008

You know you’re a math teacher when even I’m even starting to make the small parts of life mathematical.

A few instances:

Friend Quality vs. Quantity Ratio

I had a long conversation with a friend of mine who was looking at someone’s profile on Facebook and mentioning how many friends this person had. This person apparently had tons of people from all across the Northeast and even into the Midwest. It’s easy to think that the person’s making great connections. But then I said, “What if some other person’s friends on Facebook were Ban Ki-Moon, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Arthur O. Sulzberger, Jr., and Russell Simmons?” Who cares if you have 2000+ friends when the 5 friends this person may know and comment on his or her posts have a combined wealth and influence of over a kagillion dollars? I understand that there are different definitions of wealth and fortune, but how powerful are your connections if everything you do is spread thin?

Good Class vs. Bad Class Ratio

At first, teachers (good or bad) will tell you that there’s that one class that they really don’t get along with. But then when you ask them to narrow that, it’s really down to about 5-6. As a matter of fact, that’s most classes actually. The 10% ratio doesn’t work for just the most “talented” individuals, but the ones that need more serious intervention. Out of 90 or so children, if I only have 9 or less total that need that sort of intervention, that’s a good day. (just hopefully not in the same class)

Common Quality vs. Quantity Ratio

Now, would I prefer a comment that discussed the global economy in the eyes of Karl Marx or Deng Xiaoping (when relevant) or “hey nice site.” I got a billion comments from Tramadol spammers who can fill that requirement quite nicely. Not that I’m dissing those who leave any comments, but comments of substance, whether they’re one-liners or full paragraphs are much better than 200 spews of randomness. Any day.

All this to say that numbers matter, but if we can’t interpret what they mean, then they’re wasted. We need to look at the value and variables behind them all.

jose, getting better at guestimation by the day …

Tagged as: math

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A few links:

• Problogger has the most comments I’ve ever seen for one post. Awesome on all ends.
• Electronic Village presents a video on Barack, Curtis, and the perception of manhood in the Black community.
• Cute babies at Boing Boing plead their innocence. They swear they’re not terrorists. You be the judge.
• The families of Brandon McClellan (Black man who was dragged to death) and Jennifer Hudson (mother and brother killed, nephew missing), I send my deepest condolences.
• Yeah, I know you don’t like getting stats about the drop-out rate in this country, but it’s not going away (Thanks, LeaderTalk).

A point to make:

Early on in my career (yes, it’s a career now), we were told that there’ll be tough moments that’ll test our mettle, but we should always appreciate the small moments and inflate them as much as possible. That moment for this blog came at this comment:

Anonymous { 08.09.08 at 11:15 pm }

I agree with everything above; I am a gay high school student, in the bible belt, and have not yet come out to even friends and family. I am not so much afraid that they will abandon me, but I am afraid that they will never be able to think of me in the same way. I really appreciate you doing this for these teens.

Before that comment, there were only 8 comments on that post, 2 of them from me. And there were good points made, but I just kept writing, not thinking much about what I wrote. I posted this in January, and that’s where most of the comments ended. Seven months later, a young men somewhere out there puts that thought out there. I was so awed, I couldn’t even reply. I just kinda nodded in silence as I read it over again.

When I read comments like that, it’s not so much about how many comments I get, but about what they say.

I’ll get into that tomorrow. For now, comment as you please. I’ll be reading and nodding along.

jose, who is always halfway between the moon and New York City …

Tagged as: blogging, links, short notes

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Remember how in the Time Out NY Mag, I called Mayor Bloomberg out for being on every damn list I’ve read. From TONY’s 41 to Esquire’s 75. No problem. For better or worse, he’s New York City’s mayor and I harbor no hate for his hustle.

However, I’m really not feeling his policies.

I completely disagree with the massive overdevelopment of NYC, the rent hikes, the infiltration of KIPP and charter schools and the corporatization of public schools, and the latest coup de grâce, a referendum to keep voters from having any say as to whether he gets to run for a thid term.

But it’s like I’ve said: NYC is Rome. It’s the Empire City in the Empire State, the Capital’s Capital, and now, we have our benevolent dictator. Or even plutocrat. His money’s his muscle so few people have the courage to stand against him when he really only sees NYC as his blue chip and not as a city with actual people living in it. And not all of them have tons of money either.

Yet, and even still, I wouldn’t wish the same fate of Julius Caesar to Bloomberg. I can disagree without being disagreeable. I’m just not so sure some of my other colleagues will be as good-natured.

jose, who’s taking a cooler approach to everything …

Tagged as: bloomberg, nyc, politics

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Breakneck speeds of immense change
Imposing and important questions laid in the musty air
Dark wavy strands of black strewn across a librarian / teacher - prototype glasses
An Amazon with hips as wide as her influence
Curves in the form of encapsulated time
She’s the sugar container in my coffee
And the alcohol in my Vodka
Mature and appropriate in all situations
Ever-present her essence
My eyes confusingly fluctuate and dilate
Between shielding my eyes from your brilliance
And seduction to your image
Your visage you’ve graced me with so often
And your imperfect perfection is a synecdoche for our reality
Our relationship, our present, our now
Ours.

jose vilson © 2008

jose, who just needed to get that out of my system …

Tagged as: love, poetry

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I have to invoke 2Pac now. In a way, I’m mad, annoyed, and many ways, disappointed in the direction that education’s taking these days. There seem to be a few schools of thought that I’d like to address in one fell swoop.

1. I love trade (and hence, teacher) unions.
2. Our current unions aren’t representing us well right now.
3. We need principals and administrators.
4. School systems need less charters and economists, and more money.
5. Teachers, flaws and all, are not the problem, and anyone who can’t see that really needs to do a realistic check on their own point of view. Possible read-up on the history of labor, even on a minimal level, required.

I know, loaded statements. What do I care, though? Frankly, I don’t think I have anything to lose. For one, anyone who’s ever read The People’s History of the United States (or any other book on labor, or any residents of Detroit for that matter) know that unions came about as a means of representing the interests not just of employees but also customers, improving services which we take for granted. If not for unions, people in corporations who have no unions know what decent wages and benefits look like. And frankly, I wouldn’t want to model schools after corporations: Lord knows right now that corporations are now modeling schools. (Did I just say that?)

Speaking of which, I’m not feeling the idea of KIPP schools or any of that charter school members not just because of their anti-union message. I’m just not happy with kids getting treated like consumers rather than innovators, and that seems to be the general theme I hear when I hear about charter schools. Pay students for getting answers right? Sure. Pay students for wearing their uniform? Sure. Pay students and parents for what they’re SUPPOSED to do?! Absolutely. But giving more intuitive and intrinsic rewards, some that might develop character and good community building? While I have some really great classes this year, I can also see that some of them are simply snotty-nosed brats who get everything they want even when they haven’t necessarily earned it. Now, I can only imagine that what happens if that’s state-sponsored.

Then there’s this whole thing about protection of teachers which I only somewhat get. On the one hand, I agree with lots of people out there: many teachers either need to leave the profession in its entirety or need to improve their teaching drastically. But that’s why we’re supposed to have principals and assistant principals: their role essentially is a teacher of teachers, not their deans and judges. Administrators should have 5-7 years in the classroom before they go telling suggesting to other teachers.

And really, this education business is really a microcosm of the constant flux of this laissez-faire market, because with deregulation, we can make it seem like consumers really have a choice when they’re just contributing money to the same corporation, make it seem like scores for inner-city children are moving up because of whatever new trendy educational movement has taken place when it’s really that the test was made easier, or even simple things like putting up more parking meters in places that were free just to fund corporate welfare bailouts for the very people who rob us over and again.

But when conversations about ed / ed-tech / future of ed come up, I’m mostly mum, strictly because I’m one of the young guys that believe simple things like more stringent tenure, smaller class sizes, better school support and administrators, less (and more cogent) standardized testing, a little better training in pedagogy and child psychology, and less paperwork can really go a long way in clearing things up for teachers and helping them handle the profession.

jose, who can’t deny it, he’s a rider …

Tagged as: education

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Average time when I get to sleep: 11:07pm.

Average time when I wake up: 5:30am.

I’ve grown tired of listening to Kanye West’s Champion as my alarm, and I’m getting annoyed that I wake up earlier than the sun does, and oftentimes the moon and I seem to walk in the same direction. Sometimes I’m Mr. Meticulous about how I dress, and break out the steam iron and starch, trying to look fresh for the day. Other days, I just put on the slacks I had on the day before with a shirt I don’t have to even, just stretch out a bit, though those moments have become sparse. At this point, I’m much more concerned with organizing my life than my room, as evidenced by this huge pile of clean clothes I haven’t taken care of. Even people from Krypton have certain flaws in other planets.

School’s good. Frankly, I wish I could divulge more about my present situation, but I have people reading a lot closer at my text than they should. Unlike many of my blogging compadres, I don’t really have an issue with people reading my blog anymore. It was bound to happen; now it’s about controlling what’s public. Frankly, if they wanted to know what I felt about them, they should just ask. Anyways, the teaching itself is getting better. I’ve become more involved in lesson planning itself, and trying to get better at the craft. My greatest strength is that I have more than one way to explain how the maths work, and this year, I’ve added a few more to my repertoire.

Love is good. As with any relationship, you have to deal with it the way you deal with rumors - not with a “no comment” but putting some of the issues on front street, and hoping that they can be resolved. You’re right; I’m not going to list the pros and cons of my relationship with her here on this blog, but between us, I’ve already laid out a platform where we can come out a little less filtered about our feelings and intentions, no matter how much it may hurt at first. She’s become a part of my personal growth, and in many ways, a piece of the personal drive I have now. Despite my “laziness,” I still manage to get tons done, and she’s a big part of that. Having someone as motivated as you are is important if you want to get things done.

I want this phone. Like now.

The Latino alumni group I’m president of is doing great work. We have a good motivated staff. My writing’s coming along. I gained a few pounds more than I’d like, but my heart health has gotten better. I’m looking around the room right now thinking, “Wow, I really do get things done.” Whether it be that TONY interview, all the communication I keep up with on Facebook, Twitter, (sometimes) MySpace, or that book I’m a part of (and I contractually can’t discuss), I keep myself rather busy.

But most important, while my confidence has risen to new heights, I’m ever humbled by you. Yes, you, the reader. People who constantly give me feedback and keep me working hard on my craft. And most of it isn’t just a perfunctory gesture, but people who actually care about how well I’m doing and don’t want anything in return (except maybe a phone call or a reply on their wall). While I’ve surpassed the point of humility for myself, I can’t say enough about all the wonderful responses from some of you.

I think I’ll end there.

jose, who has invited a few people to guest-blog here for the first time ever …

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A few notes:

• If you have my Facebook or Twitter, you already know this, but remember that fake interview I did with myself via Time Out New York Magazine? Right. The people at TONY found out about it and gave me a real one! It’s in stores now, and here is the interview itself. NYC educators / bloggers represent!
• I can’t any longer consider myself a pop cult personality on any level, but I also find this increased visibility weird and humbling.
• Terry Tate is back in a big way. Victim #1: Sarah Palin.
• Speaking of which, what if Sarah Palin was president? One group dares to imagine …
• Only after I finished live-blogging did I notice that RSS readers couldn’t see the Javascript from the reader, (duh, Jose).
• GothamSchools’ redesign is the dopest layout for any schooly blog out there, hands down.
• Thank you, Eduwonkette, for including me in the Presidential Debate edition of the Carnival of Education.
• Colin Powell endorses Barack Obama … sooooo?
• Saw my grandmother this weekend after a good decade and change. I’ve changed a ton. She hasn’t changed at all. All is well.
• This morning, I woke up with John Legend on my brain. Maybe the stars and planets are aligned in such a way to make me rethink that which I love, or those whom I love. This year, I’ve learned more than any other time that humans are indeed a dynamic being, and that, arguably, our biggest contradiction is that, because we’re such dynamic beings, we wish for some sort of statis, some freezing of themselves and others around them, because it makes them feel comfortable. Once they have this caricature of what you are, it’s much easier to live with oneself. Just a thought.
• Tomorrow, a post on, yes, that dreaded r word. R being relationships.

jose, who has a phone call or two to make.

Tagged as: short notes

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Last night, an enclave of us decided to liveblog the last debate between John McCain and Barack Obama at Hofstra University. While so much of the liveblogging was entertaining (while the debate often droned on), we noticed a few things of particular interest to us:

1) John McCain looks like a hard-pressed thumb
2) Both of their educational positions blow (as a teacher, I got particularly fired up about that)
3) There was no mention of Asians, even in passing.
4) The Latino community really got smacked around from both candidates.

The last one was of particular interest to me because of the implications that that carries for the issues most pertinent to Latinos today, including (but not exclusively) immigration, education, health care, and unemployment. The four main bloggers on last night’s debate immediately screamed immigration when we heard Schiffer mention the “last question,” but to no avail.

My girlfriend mentioned something about Barack Obama that has rung in my ears to this day: as liberal as he is, he still hadn’t talked to the Latino community until he needed votes from us. We also don’t really seem to know what he’s going to do for those Latino interests, especially in volatile places like California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida. He bypassed the Latino community throughout much of his campaign, and unfortunately, we see the product of that last night, where he implicitly lambasted countries like Venezuela and Colombia, countries of rich heritage and an even prouder people.

It’s bad enough that just the very image of the word “alien” doesn’t evoke the little green weirdos but a brown-skinned, black-haired man with indigenous features and a Mexican accent, or a dark man with scruffy clothing and a almost-French but more Creole accent. Some people expect Latinos to keep selling oranges on the roadside, to stay behind the hot kitchens of their favorite restaurants, to stay as servants (in some cases locked in the closet so they wouldn’t leave their “master’s” homes). Their language, even when seemingly polite, invites discussion of the foreign, the unfamiliar, the extraterrestrial … something that I for one thought Barack could relate to.

Yet, and contradictorily, they’ll call la migra on them, and people will yell out how these immigrants, whether legal or not, don’t deserve those very jobs that they’re having them do, that they’re scums of the earth when they’re cleaning up your scum, that they shouldn’t have children in this country even as they’re taking care of theirs, and that their language needn’t be so damn pervasive, when all English has ever done for so many of America’s citizens is bar them from really dining in the same table. And of course, if the keymasters in this society say they’re vermin, everyone follows suit, as evidenced by the treatment I’ve seen from people of all colors to our immigrant community.

But here we are in 2008, raids all over the nation, children in classrooms where the teacher hasn’t been trained to teach those who speak more than one language, older folks dismissing those kids listening to reggaeton and neglecting their intelligences, and hipsters appropriating Tex-Mex and calling it as authentic as “El Paso,” whatever that means. I’m struggling with this idea of united Latinos, but I’m struggling even more with the oppressive nature of these politricks. And while I may understand that people in the US may have their beefs with Colombia and Venezuela, but if that’s what any presidential nominee wants to concentrate their efforts on in this time of critical change in this American population, then frankly, fuck it.

Yes, I said it. Fuck that. It’s time for people to rise up.

jose, standing opposite the mainstream thought …

Tagged as: immigration, latino, politics

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Tonight, I’m live-blogging the debates with fellow madmen and women Mamitamala, The Unapologetic Mexican, Kai Chang, Holly from Feministe, (hopefully) Sylvia, and hosted by Jack from The Angry Brown Butch. It starts at around 830pm, so tune in and feel free to post your own comments as we liveblog this event.

jose, who is pretty excited about all of this.

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