I just sent this letter off to the Colmunbian Newspaper in Vancouver. See a link to the full article below
Dear Editor,
The state's spokesman said:
"Agency spokeswoman Lee said the state disagrees with the accrediting body that all supervisors must have master’s degrees in social work..."
Before 1989 all supervisors (Social Worker 4's) and social worker 3's were required to have their masters in social work.
AFSCME and DSHS administrators decertified that position themselves a long long time ago in 1989. We got a big raise and the requirements for social worker 4 (supervisors) and social worker 3 (social workers or caseworkers) positions were weakened.
The next big investigation that a newspaper or television media should do is on what is going on in the Attorney General's Office. More of the story will come into view. Perhaps a federal Inspector General must be called. They recently did a good investigation on the Justice Department.
In 1911 the father of scientific management Frederick Winslow Taylor wrote: "In the past man has been first. In the future the system must be first."
It's been almost 100 years. These systems are crumbling. Reforms aren't working. The state has few leaders who will manage and monitor the system to success. Christine Gregoire in my opinion has failed in her responsibility to protect children when she was the attorney general and as governor.
Margo Logan
Here's the link:
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/06/06242008_Legislator-rebukes-childrens-agency.cfm?newsletter=1
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Remembering How You Learned to Read
Folks in my classes continue to report not remembering how they learned to read. A couple here and there do, but most do not.
One woman who learned to read before she went to school, again, like Scout in "To Kill a Mockingbird" got in trouble when she read along with the teacher.
I haven't spent a lot of time this spring reading with the seven year old in my life. I got an adult book out of the library on pirates. The pleasure and pride came to his face when he once again could tackle an adult book. I helped him when he stumbled with the decoding.
He stopped at one point and said, "My teacher says that if I come across five words that are hard to pronounce it means the book is too hard for me." "No way", I shouted gleefully! His look of relief warmed my heart.
He read the first page of the introduction. Took him 23 minutes of concentration and effort. I gave definition to the words he didn't know.
Kids want to be in the real world with adults. They really like to hang out with adults who treat them with respect who have an interest in the world.
One woman who learned to read before she went to school, again, like Scout in "To Kill a Mockingbird" got in trouble when she read along with the teacher.
I haven't spent a lot of time this spring reading with the seven year old in my life. I got an adult book out of the library on pirates. The pleasure and pride came to his face when he once again could tackle an adult book. I helped him when he stumbled with the decoding.
He stopped at one point and said, "My teacher says that if I come across five words that are hard to pronounce it means the book is too hard for me." "No way", I shouted gleefully! His look of relief warmed my heart.
He read the first page of the introduction. Took him 23 minutes of concentration and effort. I gave definition to the words he didn't know.
Kids want to be in the real world with adults. They really like to hang out with adults who treat them with respect who have an interest in the world.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The Child Care Licensing Website and the Ides of March
As a former child care licensor looking at the most newly created Department of Early Learning (DEL) website "Beware the Ides of March" phrase pops into my head.
Why?
Caesar's wife had a dream about treachery and betrayal that would happen mid-March. I don't have the exact date but the "NEW" child care licensing website got launched about mid-March.
As a parent looking up a child care provider on this website you will not be given the information whether or not the provider or facility has a "founded" child protective services (CPS) claim against it.
Parents now have access to all the regulations (called WACs) on the website but the bureaucracy fails to tell you that a WAC can be waived at the whim of a supervisor and manager.
Thus when a parent views a particular provider and the history looks clean, we don't know if they were found to have abused, neglected a child or a child was sexually abused on their property.
The CPS statute is being used to keep secrets. Investigations of child abuse in a licensed facility do not fall under the CPS law (RCW 26.44). That law was written to do with the "private" family not a "licensed" facility.
Perhaps some of our Senators and Representatives will help this next legislative session to clear up this problem for parents who must use licensed child care in order to go to work for the benefit of the state, the economy and stakeholders.
Why?
Caesar's wife had a dream about treachery and betrayal that would happen mid-March. I don't have the exact date but the "NEW" child care licensing website got launched about mid-March.
As a parent looking up a child care provider on this website you will not be given the information whether or not the provider or facility has a "founded" child protective services (CPS) claim against it.
Parents now have access to all the regulations (called WACs) on the website but the bureaucracy fails to tell you that a WAC can be waived at the whim of a supervisor and manager.
Thus when a parent views a particular provider and the history looks clean, we don't know if they were found to have abused, neglected a child or a child was sexually abused on their property.
The CPS statute is being used to keep secrets. Investigations of child abuse in a licensed facility do not fall under the CPS law (RCW 26.44). That law was written to do with the "private" family not a "licensed" facility.
Perhaps some of our Senators and Representatives will help this next legislative session to clear up this problem for parents who must use licensed child care in order to go to work for the benefit of the state, the economy and stakeholders.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Words out of the Mouth of DSHS
DSHS in 2002 in the courts stated in regards to the issues of health, safety and well-being of children in care and which the Washington Supreme Court rejected:
"the State’s arguments....children in foster care have no constitutionally protected rights or that the rights they do possess are no greater than convicted criminals in prison."
and:
"The Court also rejected the State’s defense that budgetary constraints allow it to violate the rights of children for whom it is caring...."
This is chilling. Who are the people running or connected to DSHS that have this mindset?
From: Braam v. State of Washington
"the State’s arguments....children in foster care have no constitutionally protected rights or that the rights they do possess are no greater than convicted criminals in prison."
and:
"The Court also rejected the State’s defense that budgetary constraints allow it to violate the rights of children for whom it is caring...."
This is chilling. Who are the people running or connected to DSHS that have this mindset?
From: Braam v. State of Washington
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Eco-healthy family home child care
209 family home child day care providers in Oregon are certified "eco-healthy" by the Oregon Environmental council.
Check out the the link below for some inspiring stories and ideas about the nature connection that is so important to children.
One of these providers was in my class today. After visiting her and others' eco-healthy day care homes I'll post my observations.
Good stuff.
http://www.oeconline.org/kidshealth/ehcc/ecoqualified
Check out the the link below for some inspiring stories and ideas about the nature connection that is so important to children.
One of these providers was in my class today. After visiting her and others' eco-healthy day care homes I'll post my observations.
Good stuff.
http://www.oeconline.org/kidshealth/ehcc/ecoqualified
Friday, April 25, 2008
DYKNWHWPPLWRTNTHBGNNNG?
BNSTDYNGTHHSTRYFRDNGNDWRTGNDTSFSCNTNGWHTDYTHNK
Been studying the history of reading and writing. It is fascinating. What do you think?
More later. Can you guess what this is about?
Been studying the history of reading and writing. It is fascinating. What do you think?
More later. Can you guess what this is about?
Sunday, April 20, 2008
A Reading and Writing Story
I've been asking friends and students I teach what they remember about learning to read. Below my friend Grace Stueve shares what she remembers:
To be able to write is a skill that should not be taken for granted although at times I tend to do so. There are many people who actually cannot write. That seems incredible to me.
I think I learned to write before I went to school. I know my son did. I can remember him being seated at a table with paper before him and pencil in hand laboring to write a letter to his grandmother while I was busy with some household task that required my attention.
He would ask how to spell certain words and I would trace the letters out in the air with my index finger and he would copy the motions onto his paper. It served as well as a blackboard and made it unnecessary for me to interrupt what ever I happened to be occupied with at the moment, and in the process he learned to write.
It seems to me that most children want to learn to write before they are old enough to go to school. It is valuable to their sense of identity to learn how those marks on paper represent the sound that is their name and the names of all other things in the world. As it is written in the Bible, "In the beginning was the word." There is something awesome - maybe even holy about writing.
Such was the miracle that transformed Helen Keller who was struck deaf, dumb, and blind by an illness at the age of eighteen months. When she realized that the letters traced by her teacher into the palm of her hand represented the names of the physical objects of the world she was able, in spite of of her multiple handicaps, to make sense of her life and grow to fame in spirit and intelligence.
As for myself, I cannot imagine what life would be like if I could not write. At present I am attempting to file things - mostly unpublished - that I have written in my lifetime of 80 years. Some of it goes back to childhood, others are the reams of writing - that defies classification - which I have turned out in the last ten years while attending THE HUDSON HOUSE WRITER'S STUDY GROUP started by Mary Kirkendall.
I once mentioned my filing problem to another good friend who had the solution. She said, " You have a shredder don't you? Why don't you just shred them?"
And do you know what? I think she was serious. She is a remarkably sane person and I generally agree with her opinions. But obviously she not a writer.
Grace Stueve
To be able to write is a skill that should not be taken for granted although at times I tend to do so. There are many people who actually cannot write. That seems incredible to me.
I think I learned to write before I went to school. I know my son did. I can remember him being seated at a table with paper before him and pencil in hand laboring to write a letter to his grandmother while I was busy with some household task that required my attention.
He would ask how to spell certain words and I would trace the letters out in the air with my index finger and he would copy the motions onto his paper. It served as well as a blackboard and made it unnecessary for me to interrupt what ever I happened to be occupied with at the moment, and in the process he learned to write.
It seems to me that most children want to learn to write before they are old enough to go to school. It is valuable to their sense of identity to learn how those marks on paper represent the sound that is their name and the names of all other things in the world. As it is written in the Bible, "In the beginning was the word." There is something awesome - maybe even holy about writing.
Such was the miracle that transformed Helen Keller who was struck deaf, dumb, and blind by an illness at the age of eighteen months. When she realized that the letters traced by her teacher into the palm of her hand represented the names of the physical objects of the world she was able, in spite of of her multiple handicaps, to make sense of her life and grow to fame in spirit and intelligence.
As for myself, I cannot imagine what life would be like if I could not write. At present I am attempting to file things - mostly unpublished - that I have written in my lifetime of 80 years. Some of it goes back to childhood, others are the reams of writing - that defies classification - which I have turned out in the last ten years while attending THE HUDSON HOUSE WRITER'S STUDY GROUP started by Mary Kirkendall.
I once mentioned my filing problem to another good friend who had the solution. She said, " You have a shredder don't you? Why don't you just shred them?"
And do you know what? I think she was serious. She is a remarkably sane person and I generally agree with her opinions. But obviously she not a writer.
Grace Stueve
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