Top paying degrees?

Twice this week someone has posted to either facebook or twitter the results of a study that show that the two top paying degrees to get in college are engineering and math/computer science. What they don't tell you is that a math degree on its own gets you no where. I don't know of a single friend ( me included) who got a degree in math that is not teaching. That puts us in the education category which was at the bottom of this pay scale list.
   I almost think that it is unfair advertising not to insist that the students who are good and interested in math take classes that augment math such as engineering, computer science or finance. At the same time, quit glorifying the engineers as if they are the second coming. Seriously, all the 'skills' that engineers bring to the table they learned in a math class. All the problem solving and critical thinking that the studies are touting, started in a math class. So how about some love? Where's the praise for math? Engineering without math is voc ed. It's metal shop or auto hobby or wood shop.
  It's time to redesign the majors in college so that you don't spit out really bright mathematicians who are only qualified to teach other mathematicians, etc...... How much more productive can we be if we offer these math majors some classes that will translate into jobs after graduation?

So here's fair warning : MAMAS, DON"T LET YOUR BABIES GROW UP TO BE MATH MAJORS!!!

Change The Equation

This is a complicated issue, no doubt about it. To even broach the subject of where we went wrong in the STEM education standards is a vert delicate arena. I have my own theories and observations but to voice them is to stir up a huge dust storm that obscures the issues.

First of all quit comparing our student's test scores to those of the Chinese, Indians, Russians or Japanese. For crying out loud, it's patently obvious that is far easier to educate a homogenous population than the population that we have here in the US. And for pity's sake how about the 'holier than thou' Yankee states quit looking down your noses at the southern states. Do you really want me to point out the elephant in the room? Have you looked at your demographics lately? Before I even go into the issues that haunt and hamper differing races and ethnicities, it again goes back to my assertion that it is easier to educate a homogenous population than one that is truly diverse. Here are some of the numbers to highlight the different challenges that TX and CA face:

Here are the percentages of the state population that is caucasian ( non- hispanic)
NY : 60%
CT: 73%
MA: 79%
OR: 80%
PA : 81%
WI: 85%
IA: 90%

and now for TX and CA, 46% and 41% respectively. So you see that these extremely heavily populated and popular states are a  majority-minority state. So as the 'oh so educated'  people from the east coast, upper midwest and Northwest lecture us and cluck their tongues at us, why don't they applaud the fact that we 2 states are making great strides in educating the future of America. This is what America will look like in a few decades and generations. Gasp, yes, don't panic up there in Iowa, there might actually be a minority living on your street and going to your schools. We are living it. We are functioning and embracing our people.  We drive down our streets where the billboards are entirely in Spanish. We have leaders and employees that reflect the ingredients from all over the world.

So as these think tanks wring their hands and whisper "why can't they all just emulate how WE do it up here in CT?" Here's the answer: because our population is diverse. Deal with it. Accept it and plan accordingly. Do you spend more money per pupil than we do in TX? Yes, and you know what?  You also spend more on housing, food, gas and entertainment. It's not about comparing dollars spent or standardized test scores. How about some suggestions about how to improve STEM education for the real demographic distribution of the region?

So the organization" Change The Equation" sent letters to each of 50 governors asking them to take steps to address the dismal education standards in STEM areas. I just wonder how many of these members of the organization actually live and work in an area with majority minority populations. I also wonder how many of these members give any credit to the enormous task TX and CA are facing with educating such tremendous numbers of people, many of whom do not speak English.

I really want to find some suggestions about how we can improve here in TX. I'll try to articulate some thoughts next time....

to teach or not to teach....

 Well, well, well. I returned home after day three of my triathlon training training. No that's not a typo, I am training for triathlon training. I was so paralyzed after my workout on Thursday that my right arm would not bend enough for me to reach my mouth with a fork, let alone a toothbrush. And forget about drying my hair. So needless to say it was a long weekend of very little hygiene.....

So back to my return from the gym today.....there was a message on the machine. It was TCU ( Dr Doran) calling to tell me he really needed me to return to TCU and teach math. Well I am never one to turn down such a flattering request. I have to say that it really is perfect timing. It's a no brainer for me. It pays enough for me to cover Alex's college tuition. It's only 3 days a week, 10 hours a week and I will only be 1/2 mile from Betsy is she needs me to run up to school and bring her things like lunch, calculators, forgotten homework, etc. The other benefits of course are the cute frat boys that will be streaming into my classes!! Seriously, Mrs Robinson, you've got nothing on me. It's really hard to believe that in a blink of an eye I went from a potential date to a potential mother to these boys. Ooh, I just realized I have even more incentive to lose weight now that my rear end will be front and center of all eyes in the class. There's nothing more distracting in a math class than a "hippo shimmy" going on at the board.

Once more into the breach..........

well maybe not so fast

Well, I was alerted to the fact that Osama Bin Laden was killed by US forces in Pakistan today. I got a text message and then checked it out on twitter. Talk about news traveling fast. As I walked up the stairs to tell my husband to turn on the news my 15 year old daughter called out from her room that she had just heard the news on facebook. It's hard to believe that we live in a world where there is almost no lag time in big new stories.

So how does this news make us feel? I have to say that my focus on Bin Laden had faded over the past 10 years. So now I feel sort of a let down. Sort of anti-climactic. What's wrong with me? I was almost embarrassed to see the folks outside the white house cheering and survivors of 9-11 calling for pictures of his dead body. This struggle has taken so long and has cost so many innocent lives that it's hard to feel celebratory. I must admit that my feelings are somewhat tinged by my dislike for Obama and his leadership style. So, I'm trying to be objective about the news. I'm trying to give Obama the benefit of the doubt concerning Osama.    I'm going to give the President a fair nod of approval.  Well done sir.

I hope this makes us safer, but I tend to think that someone else will fill his shoes. What a tough situation. I'm actually encouraged to find that there are secret operatives working on our behalf to root out these terrorists and bring them down.

Get a job or exercise?

 So as I sit here on my ever expanding derriere and contemplate my navel, Bobby came home from golfing with the newspaper. The headline was about triathlons.
  So searching for my purpose in life as I transition from the happy housewife/mommy to whatever I'm supposed to be next..... I've considered a new career but unless something spectacular comes my way out of the blue I think my career will probably stay on the math teacher track. Not so bad when you think about the alternative. Of course the grass is always greener when I look out over my successful friends and their awesome careers. Get a grip Deb, and get real. Ok, so the reality is that I am 30 lbs. overweight, approaching 50 and I'm about to have a lot more free time on my hands. As I write this I realize just how unoriginal my 'plight' is. Geez, wtf?
   Alrighty then. So if I want to be able to get the most out of the years that Bobby and I will be spending together I better spend my time on what will make those years be the best we can make them. A job or lack of job really won't affect how Bobby feels about me. But my physical 'status' just might!! Not really. He's a great guy and will always love me, but let's face it- sexier & healthier is better.

  Therefore as of this week as finals for the TCU students wind down and I have some serious free time on my hands I will devote everyday from 9-12 to exercise and then the subsequent clean-up ( which for me takes an hour from start to finish with all the make-up and blow drying). I'm going to join LA fitness because they have a lap pool and tons of treadmills, etc. It's not far off the bike path along the river so I can incorporate the biking aspect to and from the gym.

ok, the next post will be day 1 of the mommy triathlon training program.....

So I really didn't dream that

For years I thought perhaps I had just imagined eating these chewy, slightly grainy, tube stick astronaut snacks. I remember they were always smaller than you'd think after you tore open the space-age foil lined tube wrapping. I actually think that there may have been a couple of iterations of them because just today I viewed a you-tube video of a  1970's commercial for them and it didn't look quite right. A friend of mine on facebook found the commercial because she too was haunted by the memory of these space sticks. So with the miracle of the internet I have been able to view 2 products from my childhood that all these years have only been a vague, elusive memory of childhood fun-food.
  The second product was Koogle! Oh, how I loved koogle as a kid. But all these years I've never met anyone who remembers it. I would occasionaly mention it at parties, after a few adult beverages, but no one seemed to know what I was talking about. So again, my facebook friend came to the rescue with the name of the product.
  Now, it sort of makes me wonder. If the only other friends that I know who remember the space sticks and koogle grew up on Air Force bases like me and shopped at the commissary like me , and now those products are banned ( or are they?)......was the gov't just testing these strange products on unsuspecting kids who loved space and airplanes? I sense a conspiracy in here somewhere....
   Well, I'm telling you if you never tried Koogle then you missed out on one of he delicious wonders of modern food science!

Space memories and Tang

That was a sobering thought. The first space shuttle launch and landing occurred 30 years ago. I'd like to say that I was a mere babe at the time but alas I was practically launched myself. What an exciting thing to witness. How fortunate we were to live at Edwards AFB and be a first hand witness to history. It's interesting to think about how much this event was so much a part of my life that I just took it for granted. Growing up my whole life surrounded by jets,  sonic booms and wide open spaces. Here comes this gigantic space craft that had been launched into space like  a rocket and was casually landing on a strip of dry lake bed like a jet airplane. Very cool, indeed.
   It's interesting also that this anniversary shares it's date with the 50th anniversary of the ride of  Yuri  Gagarin in 1961. Now for sure I was not even alive at that point so it doesn't resonate with me as strongly. That and the fact that he was Russian. So growing up, we pretty much ignored contributions from the 'commies'. But as an adult when I think about how awesome that must have been for humanity to realize that we were about to propel ourselves into the space age. Wow.

All of this space related reminiscing got me thinking about the food and snacks that we used to eat as kids that had some sort of space related theme to it. The most obvious example is of course, Tang. Geez, could there be a grosser powdered drink on the planet than Tang? We'd stumble into the kitchen where our mom had been up for hours already and there on the kitchen table the glasses of freshly stirred Tang were waiting for us. It was gross, Everyone knew it was gross. But we drank it anyways because it was cool. Hey man, astronauts drank this stuff and they are rock stars so drink up brother! Remember when you'd get about 80% finished and you'd have to catch your breath, because of course you had been secretly holding our breath trying to deaden your taste buds ability to function. Then you'd catch a glance of the bottom  f the glass. There it was. The grit. Giant piles of undissolved astronaut grit. You'd clear your throat and tell yourself "man up dude, finish your Tang, don't be a woos." One last swallow.
   So last night I posted a question on facebook asking my friends for an appropriate drink to toast to the 30th/50th anniversaries. I was just thinking vodka with the Russian connection. Then there it was. Someone suggested Tang. Then the suggestions started pouring in and the final version ended up being dubbed the Tang-tini.  Na Zdorovie.