A juggling technophile shares personal stories, challenges, humor and perhaps some political commentary.
Cathy is quoted in the Knoxnews article How goes security in schools?.
“I like the SROs. They’re good people, and they give the students the sense of ‘somebody’s there and is keeping an eye out,’ †said Cathy McCaughan, mother of students at Bearden middle and high schools.
But, she said, “I don’t know if they’re keeping an eye out for the kids so much (as) the vice principals’ disciplinary issues.â€
As a teen, I went to two high schools. Only going to one wasn’t challenging enough. Okay, maybe that’s not it. I went to 9th and 10th grade at Lenape High School in Medford, New Jersey. I went to 11th and 12th grade at Germantown High School in Germantown, Tennessee. In the 9th grade I was on the track team doing pole vault, high jump, hurdles, and the 400 meter relay. That was fun! I gave it up because I learned that if you work for someone they give you money. I started washing buses for $3 per hour under the table. That was the end of my high school extracurricular activity. What a mistake! Between working and being absorbed with computers, I never went to a high school football game.
Since my daughter Sarah is now on the flag team at her high school, we are going to the games as good band parents should, to support the school. I have to say I have enjoyed the games very much (despite what Cathy’s pictures would have you believe)! I like bumping into friends, and the teams play really well! I’ll be going to many more.
Farragut vs Bearden was a loud game! We showed up earlier than last time and thought we’d missed kickoff. From the parking lot the stadium could be seen as packed and it roared with activity. I won’t review the game because there are more qualified people to do that. I’ll just say it was not boring. The Bearden band did not know their routine so the half-time show had no marching and no flags. That was a bit of a let down. I was tickled to see Brian Hornback on the field during Scott Moore’s presentation of a $500 contribution to each school! Cathy knew he’d be there because Brian doesn’t miss Farragut football games but we really didn’t expect to see him much less on the field! During half-time a woman in the Farragut bleachers passed out and several paramedics and police carried her out. I fear it was heart attack. I’d certainly like to know that she’s okay. They almost drove an ambulance into the stadium to get her. The game went into overtime and the teams played ferociously but Bearden ended up losing to Farragut 35 to 28. Despite their great playing, the high schoolers were distraught, some to the point of tears. Frankly, Bearden won the can drive and played an exceptional game. I know its easy to say but they should be proud! Get ’em next time!
Here’s the schools I attended:
I am participating in a transition fair at West High School today. It is good to see so many familiar faces! Tommy’s teachers are there. Old friends are there. I like chatting with the parents of Tommy’s peers, the professionals, and people we have gotten to know over the years. The social opportunity, chance to catch up, and sharing of information is almost more valuable than the actual workshops. We talked our way half way through the first session!
This fair is exciting because Tommy has done so well for himself. I am excited at the prospect of Tommy going off on his own to further his education and then move onto be self-sufficient with a career. So unbelievable to consider either possibility since earlier in Tommy’s life we had assumed he would always live at home or otherwise under someone’s wings.
Tonight was the elementary school’s open house. It may have been only the kindergarten open house but the cub scout troop was meeting so there were enough cars at the school that a couple of people parked on the lower branches of some of the trees and a couple of SUVs managed to find some space on the roof. Cathy went early and helped sell year books. I caravaned the children around town as we picked up Sarah, Sarah’s friend, and Tommy from high school activities. We ended up at McDonald’s having dinner with some cub scout friends of ours. In due time, we dropped Molly and Tommy off at the house with hopes Tommy would do some chores and the rest of us deploy to the school. Look out! Chaos coming!
We had a wonderful time, saw some friends, had pleasant chats with teachers, Sarah fell chasing Evan and bled all over the new kindergarten rug, and Amy was able to show off her school. As we came to a close, I noticed the volunteer form horribly empty so I inquired and put our names down. In that time, already-over-volunteered-Cathy stared on in dread as I swiped another bit of time out of her life with a few strokes of a #2 pencil. While she was entranced with my unsanctioned scheduling, Sarah and Evan departed, followed shortly by Amy. As the ever confident Amy found herself alone in the hallway, she took it upon herself to walk out the front of the school, through the dark parking lot, and off to the playground. The parents got a frowny face tonight. Sarah and Evan took one hall of the school. Cathy raced to the gym. A couple of scout dads joined in the search with one commenting "my child is missing too…but he’s old enough to walk home!" The teacher joined the posse. Amy was found on the playground and as she was walked into the school, her name blared across the school intercom so that all visitors became away that the McCaughans lose their children.
Didn’t Noah go with us? Anyone seen Noah?
For those that don’t want to click through, that’s in reference to bulletproof backpacks.
Don’t have time to read? SimplyAudioBooks.com has a few free audiobooks to try out. Naturally, this is to encourage you to join their monthly subscription but even if you don’t join you can listen to some good works.
Because a good teacher does not kill the spirit of a happy child.
I had a call today and had the pleasure of being interviewed by Gordon Boyd of WVLT regarding the next phase of Knox County Schools rezoning, feeder schools (ie. Middle and Elementary). If they use my footage, it will air between 5:30 and 6 today. I enjoyed the interview and afterwards thought many wonderful ideas and tidbits of information I could have shared and probably could have talked another 15 minutes. Of all this school rezoning stuff, I have really come to respect the quality of our local reporters. Regardless of station, they are professional, courteous, well informed, and very friendly. I am very unimpressed with some of our school board members and hope that they will never again run for office unopposed! That said, Cindy Buttry, Robert Bratton, and Thomas Deakins did their jobs very well, deserve commendation, and should be re-elected. I cannot speak much one way or another for Rex Stooksbury or Jim Williams. I was terribly unimpressed with Sam Anderson and do not think he holds office with an open mind. Karen Carsen needs happy pills and to not hold office. I thought Indya Kincannon was going to be a good board member but in the end I think she is just a good politician. I felt she played both sides of the fence and at the last minute chose the side that benefited her the most. Dan Murphy is a self-serving, arrogant ass and should be booted out of office today.
Update: Here’s the article with a link to the video.
(Ok. Not a fair title but I made you look! Alternate titles: "Hot class at BHS" "Tommy Burns the String at Both Ends" "Tommy Scrambles Over an Open Fire")
Tommy’s wildlife class has been learning how to build fires on campus..an activity that would get most kids expelled. Today his class will have a fire building contest where groups have to build a fire up and burn a string 2 feet high. Tommy has done this on camping trips and should do well. After they burn their strings they get to cook on the open fire. Tommy choose to scramble eggs on his fire.
This morning we prepared his orange by slicing off the top third. Then we used a grapefruit knife to separate most of the meat from the skin so that this did not burden him during class. We put the sliced top back on and held it in place with rubber bands to keep the juices in during school. The recipe calls for 2 eggs so I sent 4. I could not find a egg carrier so I sliced up the egg carton to be a protective case. Tommy did not want any seasoning. We packaged the eggs and the orange carefully in an insulated container with ice packs. In the pocket of the container we put a plastic fork, aluminum foil (wraps around the orange while it cooks in the coals), and printed instructions. While others eat hot dogs and marshmallows, Tommy will be living it up with scrambled eggs!
Update: Tommy did well!
I am at a client location so I cannot confirm the information but someone was just asking me for details about the governor stepping up this morning to offer another solution regarding rezoning. Has anyone heard anything similar? Perhaps the person asking the question munged a couple of unrelated news stories.
I have updated the Rezoning Roundup with relevant links. Who else has blog posts, news articles, or opinion pieces regarding the Knox County School rezoning debacle?
Please plan to at tonight’s School Board Meeting at 5pm with a sign that says, "Vote NO!"
With the vote on the Knox County School Rezoning quickly approaching, and with the board on the fence between a yes and a no vote, the acting superintendent has begun trying to sway public opinion.
Mullins says he’s recommending that some siblings of high school students who would be grandfathered in at their current school … Students in the Crestwood Hills Subdivision could choose to attend either Hardin Valley or Bearden. The Holston Hills subdivision will remain zoned to Carter…[Source]
We have to remember that this rezoning plan is flawed on a whole. If suddenly, your neighborhood is not impacted, the plan is still flawed and the board needs to hear concern from your non-impacted neighborhood that your concern extends to the entire county and the board should vote no to this plan! Grandfathering siblings is purely a bribe. As time passes, and the younger children’s friends go off to a different high school, and the parents realize transporting their child to school everyday is unfavorable, they will concede to the rezoning in apathy forgetting the issues of safety and illogic which occurred with a yes vote.
The plan in its current form must be rejected! A new plan developed committee must be formed. Vote NO!
Update: See comments here.
Tonight I’ll be on Knox Politics (Comcast channel 12 – Community TV) from 8:30-9pm. This is a live broadcast and accepts calls at 865-215-2288. The topic will be Knox County School rezoning, of course. The bloopers DVD will be on special for $9.99.
I had a request last night to provide the Powerpoint presentation online. It will officially reside at Knoxschools.info but until then you can download it here: community forum powerpoint. Thanks to everyone that showed up last night! Please keep the momentum going. We need volumes of people at both public meetings and once the school board votes NO to this rezoning plan, we must act as a community to help build the YES plan! Last night’s agenda is below:
Cathy has been taped on a panel discussion to air on WBIR’s Inside Tennessee this Sunday morning at 9:30am. Be sure to watch! And apparently, I made page 9 of today’s paper.
