30 and Out
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
PREFACE
Many of the candidates who run for president campaign as the "education" president. The "set...up" visits that the candidates make to schools are ludicrous.
Parents do not know what goes on in the classroom. (Almost all children if asked "What went on in school today? "or" What did you learn?" will reply "Nothing!")
Above all, politicians know virtually nothing about schools (most of them attended private schools whereas 90% of today’s students attend public school.) Since some children have "graduated" from fist fights to killing each other with guns, parents have a right to know what schools are really like.
This book written by a classroom teacher addresses the multiple problems that teachers face every day. Most of the commentary is about elementary school children who are still in their formative years. It is here where a child may decide if he will lash out against society - even with a gun.
The book looks at the joy and humor of teaching. There are many ideas that had a positive effect on students and parents. It is a book for teachers, parents and perspective teachers to read.
Since retiring, the author, John Kennedy a.k.a. "Tri-state Kennedy" says the following: "One of the saddest things I see in the morning is when parents put their young children on school buses. Their faces still show little concern about their child’s safety and that the child is off for a day of learning. In too many instances this is not happening (in spite of the great resilience of children.) I hope it is not too late to "tell it as it is" and save our children."
The solution to school excellence is not just money. In many cases it is communication, parental involvement, and the restoration of teacher respect and authority.
Introduction
- These were decades of great change in America. The changes in society during these years changed the schools. Schools always reflect the changes in society. What went on outside the schools changed the individual behavior of pupils, parents, teachers, administrators and others who make up the schools. The tools of the educational trade were changed, too.
During these decades I was a teacher mostly in the elementary grades on Staten Island, one of the five boroughs New York City.
For some, numerology holds an ongoing fascination. For some the number seven is lucky. The number thirteen connotes bad luck especially if it falls on Friday. Perhaps thirteen is the next birthday for your child who leaves the last theoretical age of innocence. (It’s probably much lower now.) Six hundred sixty...six is an important number for students of Biblical Eschatology.
The years between 1960 and 1990 number thirty. For me the number thirty was also the number of years needed for full retirement benefits. I began to look back at my 30 years and was able to see many events of my teaching career within numerical content of 30. Thus, the title of this book, "30 and Out!"
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
This is the story, as told by a NYC elementary school teacher, of the thirty years he taught in public schools. It tells of the joy, heartache and frustration that teachers deal with on a day-to-day, year-to-year basis. You will laugh at the responses that children make, the insight they sometimes possess and the gentle hearts they still have at their age. You will also read of the frustrations experienced by teachers as they deal with the bureaucracy and politics of people who have no idea of what goes on in a classroom and many times make decisions that are unrealistic. It may also reveal to parents what REALLY goes on in a classroom!
About the Author
John Kennedy is a graduate of Columbia University, received his Master’s Degree from Rutgers University and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Administration and Supervision from NYU. He taught for 30 years in the NYC school system in the elementary grades, as well as teaching remedial reading in a local high school. He is married and has two grown children. He resides in Ocala, Florida and Newport, Vermont.