Two Is Better Than One

Okay, so I am a certified introvert. Could probably win the Couch Potato Award of the Year. My idea of a lovely Sunday afternoon is coming home from church, sitting on the couch with lunch, and watching a Columbo episode. Better yet, follow that up with a Law and Order marathon.

My sister gave me an official diagnosis years ago when we lived together (we lived together for nine years when I first graduated from college). She told me that when it comes to her, she derives energy from being around people. She is motivated and feels most alive when she is in the company of others. Occasionally she needs a break and will take a respite, 'shutting herself in' as she calls it. But not too much of that, or she will go crazy. I, on the other hand, am the opposite. Being by myself alone with my thoughts energizes me. Being with people drains me. I can take some of it for a while, but then I must go off and fill myself from the well of solitude.

Funny, then, how alive I felt today when I spent time 'collaborating' with my new co worker, an assistant principal who just came on board. We walked through our new building, looking at possibilities, at what can be, in that space to motivate students. We shared ideas about school routines that will build positive culture. And we planned great things for tomorrow's family meeting. Wow! When we share like that, time seems to fly. We even shared tales of sexual discrimination, how at times our leadership is not taken as seriously by people (men), and we have to prove we are not sex objects. (The last topic of conversation resulted from earlier that day when I introduced her to a staff person, who said, "Wow, we have some young meat coming on board." Can you believe that? And this is 2007.) We also discussed potential bumps in the road we see down the line, but resolved to work, together, for our students' good.

The Bible says that 'two are better than one, for they have greater reward for their labor' (somewhere in Ecclesiastes). I believe it was Solomon who noted the warmth that comes from having a thought partner, and the practicality as well (the 'greater reward' mentioned earlier, plus the support when one of you is down).

This week in my quiet times I've been studying the life of Daniel, and I'm reminded today that he had three friends his age (Shad, Mesh, and Abed). I'm sure having their support made it easier for him to stand tall in a culture that was very foreign to him.

As collaborative as I like to think I am, I really do prefer the company of myself (natural bent). But even I, introvert exhibit A, am enriched tremendously when I have a partner in the game.

Good Movie

Okay, so I went away for like a day to get some rest and stuff, and I watched a good movie at this hotel. The name of the movie is "Breach" and it was starring Ryan Philippe (not one of my favorite actors, but he does a pretty decent job in this pic). I forgot the name of the dude who plays Philippe's emissary, but he was good, too, as was the female FBI leader (she's played in tons of stuff, but she's the kinda actress where no one really remembers her name -- only her face).

Anyway, what was interesting was the movie was based on a true story. (After I watched it, I googled the story and listened to an NPR interview with Eric O'Neill, the real FBI wanna be or upstart who took down Robert Hanssen, real life American spy.) It's about this young guy who's interested in becoming an FBI agent, and he's given a tough case that will determine whether he makes it into the agency or not. The test is to take down this spy, who has been an FBI agent for a very long time and who is mad intelligent. As an aside (and this part is true, too) this spy is a sexual deviant who videotapes having sex with his wife and sends it to people w.o her permission. Ironically, he's also a devout Catholic.

Of course, I loved the young upstart trying to prove himself theme, and the proving himself opposite the older, wicked so-called boss was even more interesting to me. So was the rookie's challenge of figuring out if he had what it took to be an agent (some moments of self doubt, combined with struggles over whether or not to trust his superior, resonated w. me, as did his boss's combination flawed personality and vulnerability emotionally). What also tripped me out was that most of this movie was really true. Unlike tons of movies that are loosely based on true stories, this one stuck to the facts mostly (just google Hanssen and O'Neill, and you'll see).

Finally, reading about Hanssen was pretty sad -- hearing how many lives he compromised by selling U.S. secrets. And, hearing that he may have given info that helped bin Laden w. 9/11. Interesting, this world of spies, that is. Makes me wonder what makes a person a traitor. Hmmmm.....

Spades

Hiring staff is like playing spades. You have a limited number of options, and what cards you select depend upon a variety of factors: how strong the suit or number is in relation to other cards, in what order you can play the cards to make the most possible books, and so on. Finding the right folks for your team is pretty complex. It's more than just what hard skills the person has, though that's the minimum requirement. It's also what that person brings to the table outside of those hard skills: coachability, willingness to work as a team player with other staff, heart for students, and other expertise or background. Plus, it's how that person fits into the existing team -- what they might add or detract in terms of diversity, team spirit, stability, etc. And you have to find people who are not just good for kids, but who are good for adults, too, since working with kids is only part of the job. And there's no perfect candidate. You have to balance the candidate's needs with those of others, weighing how much you're really able to invest in them and if they can help you mold others. You also have to have a vision for where you want the school to go long-term, and if that person can help you get there. Man, this stuff is hard!

Education Funding - Part II

Here are some one-page summaries of the proposed legislation to improve the way public education is funded in IL (proposed by Emil Jones and Gov. Blagojevich).

http://www.ieanea.org/resources/28/Tax%20Fairness%20Plan/Understanding_the_Tax_Fairness_Plan.PDF

and...

http://www.ieanea.org/resources/28/Tax%20Fairness%20Plan/Education%20and%20the%20Tax%20Fairness%20Plan%20faq.pdf


Here's a summary of similar legislation, HB/SB 750, another plan to reform public education funding, this time through increasing income tax and sales tax.

http://www.ctbaonline.org/New_Folder/Education/Fact_Sheet_750_Package_3-2007.pdf

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:7kjXMugJL2gJ:www.workwelfareandfamilies.org/PDF/Fact_Sheet_750_FastFacts.pdf+hb/sb+750&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=us

Education Funding

With IL legislators deliberating on alternative means of funding public education, I was struck by this recent article in the New York Times Magazine.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/12/education/12middle.html?ex=1179633600&en=b11db2c011747c17&ei=5070&emc=eta1

This article is about an East Coast public middle school that could serve as a model for educating youngsters in this difficult transition period. The school's creative curriculum, along with its intentional approach to social and emotional learning, were interesting.

What was striking, though, was the almost $25,000 per pupil the school has to spend. Because I just finished budget for my school for next year, I couldn't help but note that amount is over three times the amount we spend per pupil in Chicago (almost $7K per pupil for high school, and even less for grades K-8).

I know money is not the only factor in effectively educating students, but it certainly does make a difference. When administrators have to feverishly seek grants (additional funding) to provide
basics (like extra staff to tutor students who struggle severely or an assistant principal when the school is small or a counselor for every grade or a social worker or money for the social-emotional programs this East Coast school has), it is frustrating to see other schools for whom these matters are not an issue. When I talk to principal friends who are more than capable and willing to provide ongoing, quality staff development, but who lack the funding to do so, I almost want to cry because the bottom line is students being shortchanged on their education -- on their future.

I firmly believe students from low-income areas can achieve at the highest levels when certain conditions are set by the adults around them: high expectations, laser-like focus on learning, ongoing use of data, commitment to teacher development, and so on. Doing so requires creativity with use of finances, dogged pursuit of outside resources, and so on. For instance, in order for my school to run as it should, I have three additional streams of revenue outside the city's per pupil spending: two grants and the financial support of our non-profit operator.

However, educating poor students always will be an uphill battle until the issue of funding is settled in this country -- until there is equity in spending per pupil.

Grandma

I was just thinking about how many good memories I have with my grandma (mother's mom). Grandma Nola, who's 82 years old, is responsible for probably most of the good memories I have from childhood. With the chaotic home we were raised in, going to Grandma and Grandpa's almost every weekend was a welcome respite. Grandma was the one who took time to play with us -- the board game Trouble was a favorite of ours, as was Chinese checkers. Laying in Grandma's big bed, watching Carol Burnett or the Mary Tyler Moore show, was pure heaven to us. So was going downtown to McCrory's or Woolworth's, five and dime stores, every Saturday. My grandmother taught us how to wash and fold clothes and how to clean a house, teaching us lessons within the lessons, like how important it is to do your best the first time around, and it will save you from having to go back and do the job again. As simple as she was, Grandma was affirming with her words more than with her touch. If we didn't reach a goal, she would always tell us that all God asks us to do is our best, and since that satisfies Him, forget everybody else. Grandma never raised her hand to hit us not once -- though her 'shame, shame, shame', her way of expressing extreme disappointment at something we'd done, hurt like blows (wasn't often that we heard those words, though). I think my grandma also helped pass on a love of reading to us as well. Her "True Story" magazine and "Harlequin Romance" novels, not the best literature out there, were always around in huge numbers. Other good times we had were raiding Grandma Nola's jewelry drawer and trying on her costume jewelry. We fell out laughing one time when we ran across her 'falsies'! I really love my Grandma, because she showed a little girl love consistently, and her home was a veritable haven, a port in the storm, growing up the way we did.

Why Conservatives Have a Bad Rep

Check out this op-ed piece by Pat Buchanan, written in response to the V-Tech tragedy.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/uc/20070501/cm_uc_crpbux/op_332611;_ylt=AgYByL15Nro67Qa_20z.tCLq188F

Then, check out this response by author Kathy Kang, called "Resident Alien".
http://morethanservingtea.blogspot.com/

Can anyone see why conservatives have a bad rep?

Though I proudly call myself a conservative, a Christian, and an evangelical, I can understand why some believers shy away from those terms. Buchanan (insensitive conservative Catholic), Newt Gingrich (who felt the VTech tragedy would not have happened if people bore arms), and Pat Robertson (who called for Venezuelan Prez Hugo Chavez' assassination and who said Israeli PM Ariel Sharon's stroke was God's punishment for his Gaza withdrawal) all portray us in a negative light. And it's time we disassociated ourselves firmly from them in order to preserve a biblical, godly image of what it means to be a follower of Christ.

Chris Rock

Okay, so I'm slow when it comes to seeing popular movies. I don't really recommend Chris Rock's "Never Scared". Someone loaned it to me about a month ago, and I haven't been able to make it through the DVD due to the profanity. But....

Chris Rock said something funny about America. After saying repeatedly that America's the greatest country in the world, even for Blacks, he said this:

We Black Americans should be grateful to be here, but we have to be a little leery about being here. America is like that uncle that paid your way through college, but molested you. Pretty deep. Comedy's powerful.

Musings on Community Development

Today's BUILD was pretty cool. We visited the Lawndale Christian Health Center, a place I've often passed by but never stopped into. (Sorry for ending a sentence with a preposition.) Bruce Miller, COO and CFO of the center, gave us a talk about how LCHC got started, what it provides for the community, what principles it's based on, and so forth. Really well-done, informative, and open discussion about the opportunities and challenges of the work they do.

Three thinking points surfaced for me today as we sat around the table with Bruce.

The first is a question Bruce posed to us, which is one I wrestle with all the time. The question went something like, In order to change a community, is access to quality healthcare alone the whole solution? Of course not was my response. Though having a solid clinic and pharmacy with caring, competent medical professionals is certainly necessary, it is insufficient. Especially, in light of data Bruce shared about smoking habits (and the effect on children with asthma) and eating/exercise habits (and the diabetes and other conditions that result) in poor neighborhoods. These practices can only be treated -- not eliminated -- by external resources. Bruce used the data to show why LCHC needs Lawndale Church -- why it would be insufficient for the health ministry to function in an isolated way. I agree. But this matter also got me thinking about how (almost) every area of change for a community requires the community members' themselves to change -- be it education, housing (spending/savings habits), or whatever. I know this is a tough thing to think about because we don't want to go to the other extreme of blaming the victim. But I can't help but think how if we don't get this piece of the puzzle right, then we will not have the impact we can in terms of transforming or redeeming individuals, let alone a community.

Second matter. We were posed with the question of how an org. like LCDC / LCHC remains Christian while providing services for which they receive government funds. Orgs like the Y, the Salvation Army, and Christian hospitals, which have clear Christian roots but which are not particularly Christian today, were given as examples. I think this is an interesting question, esp. given how easy it is to be concerned about a cause (like social justice or health care or housing) that how you address that cause becomes a lesser priority (i.e., do we really need Christian workers in our clinic, or do we just need good people?; isn't the main thing to provide a quality service?; who cares, as long as we do it in a 'good' way?). The fact that this Lawndale guy even asked this question was impressive to me, because I think sometimes when trying to be relevant to our culture and to meet its needs, it's all too easy to lose your Christian distinctive. And when that's done, of course you can still provide a service, but it's certainly not the same. Having your doctor treat your illness and pray for you is a double blessing. And there just might be a slippery slope that starts when the distinctive's lost. On the flip side, though, I've been in a situation where the Christianity was heightened and the service provided was mediocre (or sub-par, even). In that case, I found myself wanting the service to be good even at the expense of the Christianity being gone. (ex: Who wants to go to a Christian doctor who's nice but whose medical care is so poor, you're worse off health-wise?) This is an important issue for which there are no easy answers.

Which brings me to the final point. I'm noticing a pattern. Those who embrace relocation to the city -- and who insist that this is the best and perhaps only really effective way to minister in the 'hood -- seem to have a line over which they won't cross. And that line is relocating their own kids into the local schools. I have yet to meet someone who has sent their own kids to the local schools, and I certainly understand the reasons. (And I write this knowing I'd likely do the same thing myself with my own child.) It's interesting, though, to know that there are limits to relocation. There are some points where people hold back. Will people live on the same block? Yes. Will they go to the same church? Yep. Will they use the same clinic? Definitely. Will they send their kids to the same school? Nope. Either they'll homeschool or they'll send their kids to a Christian school in the hood (or to a magnet school/charter outside of the community). I completely understand the reasons why. I don't think I would sacrifice my own child's future or safety myself. But, I think the same logic that's applied to other aspects of community living (you don't have the same level of investment if you're not present) should be applied to public education. I think if it were, we'd see a massive change in the quality of schooling. I guess everyone feels that sacrifice is too great to make, though.

More Than Serving Tea

Sukhan Wong. Jeannie Chan-Yee. Yale and Yale Christian Fellowship. Filipino mom in Bahrain. Cindy Yoon. Judson Baptist Church.

These all point to contact I've had with folks of Asian descent. I must admit that my experiences have been very limited (Sukhan was the only Asian person in my almost all Black high school and, though my college and Christian college group had more Asians than Blacks, I did not go out of my way to pursue friendships with folks in this group, even though they seemed more 'real' to me than white Christians). The closest relationship with anyone Asian I've had was with Jeannie Chan, one of my college suitemates, fellow believer and now an adjunct at Fuller, but even that friendship had its limits.

Lately different high profile incidents have thrust the Asian community into the news more, making them the topic of conversation a lot. The VA Tech tragedy, in which a Korean-American went on a killing spree at an American university campus, has everyone talking about the burden racial minorities in this country feel when one of their own commits a crime. Also, a look into the shooter's background revealed a college student full of rage, caused by mental illness but also sparked by a pattern of ridicule and alienation growing up, due to his race. In progressive Christian circles, the Youth Specialties incident, where Christian publishers printed (but later retracted and publicly apologized for!) VBS materials that were racist towards folks of Chinese background, was a topic of conversation not too long ago. In both cases, unfortunate incidents have helped bring to light the reality of being an Asian-American in this country. More Than Serving Tea, an anthology of Asian American women's writing on topics like expectations, relationships, leadership, and faith, continues to give insight on what it's like for Asian-American Christian women, in particular, who live in two cultures and have a triple challenge: being Christian, being Asian-American, and being women.

Though there are obviously differences between my upbringing and experiences as a Black Christian woman, I was surprised at how much of this book resonates with me. It was funny to hear authors write about how Asian-Americans root for entertainers and athletes who are from their background, and how they feel deeply the disappointment and shame when someone who's Asian fails in some way. Blacks do the same thing. It was interesting to hear how certain Asian cultural behaviors (like submissiveness to authority in some-not all-Asian groups) have negative ramifications for the work place. Some African-Americans, raised to respect authority, have to learn to become comfortable with 'pushing back' and expressing dissent (in a positive way), something that whites and others do naturally because of how they were raised. Though not to the same degree, I could identify with the hierarchal family structure (many Black churches still tend to be run by Black men, esp. in the South and Midwest, and many more Black families than white ones are complementarian rather than egalitarian), with the sense of loyalty to community that exists in my culture, too, and with the restraint from showing emotions that has become synonymous with being a 'strong Black woman'.

What's neat about this book is that the authors point out these challenges, but not in a spirit of anger or resentment. They do so in the spirit of Christ: naming what has made their road tough, but then going to God and His Word to help interpret their experiences. So the result is a gratitude to God for the cultures in which they were born (warts and all), a worship of the God who values them as His creation (apart from performance or race/ethnicity or gender), and a wise affirmation of the gifts of their culture yet a sensible pushing aside of anything in their culture that does not affirm their biblical worth and that does not lead them to the peace, love, and joy that Christ brings.

Can you tell I like this book? I think it's a must-read for all folks -- Christian and non-Christian, male and female, Asian or non-Asian. And the authors are: Nikkie A. Toyama and Tracey Gee (editors), Kathy Kang, Christie Heller de Leon, and Asifa Dean (contributors), and Jeanette Yep (consulting editor).

Peace.