Chicken Scratch

Question:  How is a chicken pecking at its food a metaphor for the public schoolteacher's job?
Hint: The following are from students.
What time is it?
Do you have a pencil?
Can I go to the bathroom?
Do you have a pencil?
What page?
Can I get a drink of water?
Can I go to the nurse?
Do you have a pencil?
Can I go to my locker?
What page?
What are we doing today?
Do you have a pencil?
Can I go to the library?
Do you have a pencil?
Do you have a pencil?
Do you have a pencil?

Answer:  Schoolmarm is chicken feed.  Students are the chicks!

Soapbox

Many of you know that I am from Indiana and quite proud it.  So, last week when I was watching the news and saw the current Ind. governor, Mitch Daniels,  featured I was pleased.  It was a short-lived moment of pleasure because out of this fellow Hoosier's mouth came this sentence.  "Student teacher ratio doesn't matter.  If you put a good teacher in front of 60-70 students they will learn."  Unbelievable.  Today I learned that Mr. Daniels is considering running for president.  In my mind this begs the question of just how much do we want/need the federal governmnet involved in public education.  I am afraid the new crop of politicians will hamstring public schools to the point of ineffectiveness.  Since nature does not like a void, the door will be open to more private schools or charter schools.  Perhaps that is all bad.  European countries have long separated the troublemakers from those who want to learn which is one reason their schools out perform American schools.  I would love to have a classroom of students who really wanted to learn and not have to put up with the clowns.  I don't have the answer to our country's financial problems, but I know that if education is cut much more we will all pay a steep price for a generation to come.