Mukilteo Musings

And this is Today:

1. Interestingly, Bill Gates had an opinion piece in today's paper about education and how our schools are in such great need of not only money but new ideas. He also mentioned the Kansas City, KS school district which I wrote about yesterday.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2002196154_gates04.html

"We need a new design that realizes that all students can do rigorous work.
There is mounting evidence in favor of this approach. Take the Kansas City, Kan., public school district, where 79 percent of students are minorities and 74 percent live below the poverty line. For years, the district struggled with high dropout rates and low test scores. In 1996, it adopted a school-reform model that, among many other steps, requires all students to take college-prep courses. Since then, the district's graduation rate has climbed more than 30 percentage points."

I have some thoughts about this. First of all, just think about these statistics. WOW! Seventy-nine percent of the students are minorities and 74% live below poverty level. To me, this is unacceptable in America--completely unacceptable. Secondly, Gates points out that if you expect children to perform, they are capable. Yes!! I learned that 30 years ago in Kansas City. We must never assume these kids are not able to do rigorous work. They can succeed if we provide the right program. It has taken Kansas City an awful long time but it looks like they are beginning to have some success.

2. And on a completely unrelated topic, the USS Lincoln aircraft carrier is returning home at this very moment. I am so happy that they were sent to help provide relief from the devastation of the Tsunami at Christmas time. News reports told of how ecstatic crew members were to be able to provide humanitarian help instead of going to war. In my opinion, this was a wonderful use of our military and I am proud of all of the young members on board. Those little dark pegs in my pictures are the crew members all lined up as they pull into the Naval Station in Everett. Welcome Home!!


From my front deck


From back deck--see the people?


See the boat for size comparison? This thing is so huge.

It is truly thrilling to watch it sail by with Coast Guard and news helicopters. The massiveness of it cannot be conveyed with pictures.