My Current Soundtrack: 21, by Adele

Back when we lived in Texas, Mark started doing the cutest thing: he would buy me a CD as a gift and leave it in my car's CD player. I would start the car and be surprised when, instead of the usual NPR, I heard some great new music. It doesn't happen as much lately (that doesn't work as well with iTunes), but I was pretty charmed on Wednesday when Adele (rather than Steve Inskeep--no offense, Steve) unexpectedly started off my morning drive.

Okay, this is getting ridiculous.

I got another National Board call-to-arms email, this time regarding total elimination of funding for NBPTS on the federal level.  So let me get this straight: on one hand, we have a major national conversation about education reform, and the loudest voices are saying that teachers suck and must be replaced by the bevy of superteachers that are apparently waiting in the wings.  On the other hand, we are attempting to solve our economic woes by taking money from good teachers who have gone above and beyond to prove their ability and commitment and defunding the organization that holds teachers to high standards.  To quote Seth and Amy, really?  Really?! 

Happy days are here again...

...the skies above are clear again.  Life is good today, and here's why:

• "Joy and Pain" is currently playing on my iPod.
• My beautiful red jacket arrived yesterday, and it is fabulous like nobody's business.  I wore it this morning and felt like a total glamazon.
• I got to sing last night, and I still feel good from that today.
• I spent at least ten minutes of my planning period dancing in my classroom ("Joy and Pain" will do that for you).
• My window is open--it might as well be spring!
• Even though Mark says he's temporarily over Mi Casita, there's a good chance I can talk him into it for dinner tonight. Mmm, tacos de pollo asado (light on the onions, plenty of cilantro).
• That was a slant rhyme.  I'm a lyrical gangsta.

Playing with my money is like playing with my emotions.

So I got an email the other day exhorting National Board Certified Teachers to take to the streets to protest a proposed end to the 12% pay increase we get for being so darned awesome.  I was ambivalent: If giving up my 12% saves teachers' jobs, how can I not be for that? But there are reasons beyond my own greed (and desire for a new Kenneth Cole trench coat) that make me feel defensive of the pay increase.  Teachers are increasingly under attack right now.  The lack of respect for my profession is pathetic, but sadly, in many cases, the disrespect is not misplaced.  There are plenty of teachers who, to put it mildly, are not a credit to the profession.  Why are these people in the classroom?  Frankly, because it is easy to become a teacher.  It is certainly not easy to teach or to be a good teacher, but--at least in a decent economy--getting into the classroom appears to be pretty simple.  I keep reading bleak statistics about the number of teachers who were in the bottom half of their college classes, and it makes me feel depressed and defensive.  It's ridiculous that teacher has become shorthand for "academic lowlife," especially when my colleagues do not fit that description at all.  AT ALL.  The vast majority of the people I teach with--and all of the teachers I'm friends with--are working with some truly intimidating brainpower.  These people are in teaching because they are passionate about their subject matter.  They certainly had the option to pursue an impressive career in some other field, but they wanted to teach.    If this were the case in the entire profession, US public schools would be the envy of the world.