Is Our Children Learning?

As a report that has not yet been made public will show within the next week, I was a failure at my job again last year. The students at Public High School have fallen another couple of points on the Social Studies portion of their state testing and it was my job to raise the scores. This hits in the same week when I tested my students for the first time this school year and a good 80 percent or more of them failed my test. A test where I gave them a study guide listing what they needed to know a week before the test. A test where I played a version of Jeopardy with them the day before the test basically rewording every question they needed to know the next day.

And these numbers include my two Advanced Placement classes. Kids who are supposed to be the best and brightest our school has to offer and preparing themselves for college. I asked one class after I handed back the stack of 30 and 40 percent papers who had studied the night before the test. One young lady raised her hand. She had missed close to two of the first six weeks of school. More than any other student I have. Her score on the test-90. The highest of the AP group. What the hell am I doing?

It is beyond depressing when the kid who spent the least amount of time in your classroom can do better then everyone else on what has become by far the most important aspect of education--THE TEST. I spend a huge amount of my time preparing students for THE TEST and they continue to fail in unbelievable numbers. I watch my students eyes glaze over as we discuss strategies to write better answers on ORQs by using SREs to raise our scores on the CATS so we can meet our goals for NCLB, and I wish for their sake and mine I could be doing something else, anything else.

And coming up in the next few weeks I am sure will be countless meetings called to figure out what to do about this. I have no idea. Everything they have asked me to try. I have tried. But we aren't getting anywhere. And the whole system just makes less and less sense to me. Here is my biggest complaint. Why am I giving these kids grades? I give each child an A, B, C, D or U based on their knowledge of my subject and effort in my class. As the teacher I am assessing whether they know the material to a satisfactory level. So why after I give a kid a U because they won't pay attention, stay awake, or do their work to learn the material, does the state give them a test to assess whether they have learned the material so they can grade our school. What? He is novice at Social Studies--I think I told you that already when his report card said U because he didn't bother to learn in my class.

I know it is my job to get them to succeed, but have you ever tried getting a 17 year old to do something they think is useless? Frustrating. So what are we teaching them? In my room it appears we are learning you can come to work everyday prepared, enthusiastic, and with certain goals in mind and still at the end of the day be labeled a miserable failure. A tough lesson for them and me but maybe one we all need to know. In the meantime it appears we may be inadvertently achieving our goal. Could it be the easiest way to not leave any child behind is to never go anywhere?

BO KNOWS Back to You probably drops off my list after week two. The actors and the news background brought me in but the focus on the one night stand between the characters has lost me. Also I really wanted to like Journeyman but I wasn't feeling it. I will give it one more chance.

BO KNOWS Grey's Anatomy may be sentimental fluff but when it is working it is really well written, well acted sentimental fluff. When the story stays away from Meredith's personal life the show is actually enjoyable. Here is hoping that last scene Thursday doesn't drag us back to endless episodes about Meredith's indefensible poor choices.

FOOTBALL SUNDAY

Bo goes 4-1 last week for a strong showing and a record of 8-6 on the season. Week 4 here we come.

BO KNOWS The Bitches are 3-0 and LT has still to really play an LT type game in fantasy numbers. This is the week he breaks out. That combined with the Giants D playing a rivalry game for pride on Sunday night. (lowering the effect of McNabb and Westbrook) will lead to a Bitches 4-0 start.

BO KNOWS someone has to win the 0-3 battle between the James Gang and the IPS Allstars. Bye weeks and injuries have led the Gang to replace its weak line-up with its even weaker bench so we can all congratulate the All stars on their first win of the season and I will now put my head in the oven.

BO KNOWS It is a huge game between the 2-1 Griz and the 3-0 Juice. There is a big difference between 3-1 and 2-2. You would think it may be the week to get The Juice with a Leonard and one armed Alexander backfield, but Favre will continue his excellence and Harrison will finally put up numbers today to match Owens and The Juice will be 4-0.

BO KNOWS The Eye of the Tiger has 5 players in the line-up in the top 10 at their position and two more within the top 15 but 0 wins. That kind of bad luck can not continue. Tigers get it done today.

BO KNOWS he can not believe Romo and the Vikings are ranked first at their positions. But add that to the resurgence of Edgerrin James and the big game potential of Driver and Wayne and the Bs win.

Oh just in case the Gang does the impossible today and message for the IPS Allstars--Enjoy week 4

WATCH FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

So my fantasy football team is horrible and their appears to be no way to solve this problem so I must seek other diversions, so what luck that the new fall TV schedule really gets going this week. TIVO is both a blessing and a curse as it allows me to watch TV on my own schedule which would be impossible with my three year old. The problem is I record more shows than it will ever be humanly possible for me to watch so here is a quick look at the shows I will be recording that will continue to prevent me from ever seeing the many episodes of The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and PTI that already fill my DVRs memory. So here is what I will be doing until Lost returns in February.

SHOWS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BE ON MY LIST--These are the shows I watched last year that I will continue to record and watch. Now one show I will finish is Damages. I am not sure how many episodes remain but it has my attention and I will have to see it play out. Add to that Heroes which is the only show I stay up to see on the night it airs. The Office and My Name is Earl I think are the two funniest shows on TV and the only comedies on my list. And I know it is seen as a chick thing but I was late getting into Brothers and Sisters but then watched two thirds of the season in a week or so to get caught up. It is an excellent family drama which seems to be the way my interest goes lately since I like few of the comedies on the air. Oh and don't forget Friday Night Lights. Watch Friday Night Lights Fridays at 9 on NBC.

SHOWS HANGING ON MY LIST - There are a few shows still on the old Season Pass list that have nearly lost my interest. In this group is Survivor, Desperate Housewives who I think just lost any sense of direction once its original mystery had been solved, and Grey's Anatomy which totally tested my patience with the Meredith character last season. She is just too ridiculous.

NOT ON MY LIST- Extreme Makeover Home Edition is not on my list but somehow I catch at least part of it every week. I watch it if its on and I'm not doing anything. I love the cool homes they build and I have to admit it gets dusty in the room sometimes when these families' tell their stories.

THINGS I SHOULD BE WATCHING- These shows won't make my list this year probably as I have to cut somethings, but I am pretty sure I would enjoy watching these programs if time allowed. 30 Rock tops this list. I figured I only had time for one SNL knock off last year so because of my love for The West Wing and the fact Chandler was my favorite Friend I chose Aaron Sorkin's Studio 60. Every indication is I made a terrible mistake. 60 is gone while 30 won Best Comedy and everyone I know who watches it likes it. I may catch up with it on DVD at some point but I don't know if it will be in time to get into Season 2. The others in this group are The Simpsons and Family Guy which make me laugh on the rare occasion I see them and Nashville a new Fox show which I think would interest me but doesn't quite make the cut.

NO THANKS- These are the shows that critics and networks are hyping that for one reason or another don't interest me at all. Chuck, Dirty Sexy Money, (terrible title) and the Bionic Woman make up this list. I loved Peter Krause in Sports Night and Six Feet Under and Donald Sutherland is always decent but I just can't find the motivation to give DSM a try.

NEW SHOWS- I will be trying these new programs at least once. Pushing Daisies has an interesting idea and I would like to see how it works. Back to You has a great cast although I must admit the second episode must be better than the first or I'm done. I give it a second week solely based on its criticism of live shots in front of closed buildings at 11 pm something I have been complaining about for years. Private Practice makes it because my wife will record it and since its going to be on there anyway I will give it a chance. Journeyman looks to be my early favorite for my potential favorite new show. I loved Quantum Leap and it appears to be a more serious version of the same premise which interests me. Also from what I understand the new twist to the time travel genre is if this guy is in the past for three days he is actually missing three days in his present life. No jumping back in where you left which may seem like a small detail but I thinks adds some interesting drama to an idea that has been done before.

REUNION AWARD- This goes to the show that I think will most appeal to me that will be cancelled before Halloween. Two years ago the deliciously campy Reunion goes off the air leaving me hanging in a mystery and last year it was joined by The Nine which sucked me in and then disappeared. I predict this year it will be Life about the cop off of death row who gets his job and his life back plus millions of dollars. I think they would have been better off making this a movie. Some ideas can not carry 22 plus hours of TV. This will probably be one of them.

FOOTBALL SUNDAY

My team is bad, my picks are worse after going 1-3 last week with a tie Bo sits at 4-5 on the season. Lets see what this week holds.

BO KNOWS The Juice has 6 players in the top 10 at their position aand The Gang's running backs can't break the top 25. It appears The Gang drafted a horrible team and that will get you an 0-3 start. The Juice will win.

BO KNOWS the 0-2 record is what I thought IPS would have on draft day but some of the most questionable picks have worked out. Cutler is top 10 at QB and how good does Randy Moss look this year? Match-ups are a problem though and The Cheese has Kitna another undervalued fantasy player and the better RBs this week. Cheese wins.

BO KNOWS H&V may love Westbrook and Ward this week but I do not. Barber and Gore are both playing well and after a disappointing tie last week Eye of the Tiger will win this week.

BO KNOWS Carson Palmer's team my have lost last week but he is the man in fantasy football so far scoring huge points last week. He won't have to do nearly that well this week because whether Burress plays or not the Bitches will defeat the Bs. (Great logo for the Bs this week though)

BO KNOWS Delhomme is a surprising fantasy scorer early in the year, but on the other side the Arizona receivers have been disappointing. With Owens in the other spot the Dullards need Boldin way morew than the griz need Fitzgerald. That will be the difference as The Griz win.

We end this week with a message for The Juice. Until next week.

WINNERS?

Let us start today with an apology to Rich Brooks. Coach I was one of the naysayers who believed you would never get it done at UK. In fact for the good of the program I love I was hoping you and your athletic director would be relieved of your duties. But today is your day so I give it to you. What a great win last night. The bottom line in sports is kept on the scoreboard and you got the job done. I thought you were too old to recruit in the SEC but you bring in better and better players with each class. I thought moving the Louisville game was a pathetic ploy, but it worked in your favor. I will now shut up and do what a fan should do, I will pull for your teams for as long as you are around. Good Luck coach.

To get off football for a moment and on to another favorite American past time. television. The Emmy awards are tonight and while as an educator I should probably be telling everyone to turn off the TV and pick up a book or something, the truth is I love television. So here are my picks for tonight's show with one rule. I will not pick anyone from a show I don't watch.

REALITY SERIES-Really do we need this category. I know it has become more and more popular and the networks love it because despite the prize money it is cheaper to produce than real TV, but do we have to reward it. Well OK I think Idol and Dancing will be dismissed by voters despite their popularity so that cuts out everything I have seen. My wife watches Top Chef marathons on the weekend so I have briefly caught pieces of it. It is not totally ridiculous so MY PICK Top Chef REAL WINNER Amazing Race

SUPPORTING ACTRESS COMEDY My wife loves Two and a Half Men, but seriously two nominees from that show. I only regularly view two of the nominees and while I love the OFFICE and Jenna Fischer is great in it Jaime Pressly is the best thing about My Name is Earl. She has come along way from The Jerry Springer Movie. MY PICK Pressly REAL WINNER Vanessa Williams I have never seen Ugly Betty but the press seems to love the show and Williams.

SUPPORTING ACTOR COMEDY Kevin Dillon is about the only thing evenly remotely entetaining about Entourage anymore but Rainn Wilson plays one of the funniest characters on TV on what I think is the funniest show on TV. MY PICK AND THE WINNER Rainn Wilson

LEAD ACTRESS COMEDY By my rules I have only one choice for my pick because Desperate Housewives is the only show on the list I have seen on a regular basis. But let me say this I totally disagree with the fact they insist during awards season this is a comedy. I think it is a strategic move to steer clear of dramatic shows they can't beat for awards. So MY PICK is Felicity Huffman who is a fine actress but I think the REAL WINNER will be Mary Louise Parker for Weeds ( I don't have Showtime so I haven's seen it but let me say I was in love with Ms. Parker when she was on The West Wing)

LEAD ACTOR COMEDY I absolutely love Steve Carrell on The Office. I think he is hilarious and he is MY PICK Carell but I think the REAL WINNER will be Baldwin for 30 Rock which is probably the one show I regret not putting on the Season Pass last season.

COMEDY SERIES MY PICK The Office may be my favorite show right now in all of television but I think I will be disgusted when the REAL WINNER Two and a Half men claims their prize.

SUPPRTING ACTRESS DRAMA Seriously what did Aida Turturro have on the last season of the Sopranos like two scenes. Why is she nominated? I always thought she was the one thing that did not work in that show. Every scene she was in annoyed me. I know Grey's Anatomy is the popular darling but three nominations is a bit much for what was their worst season by far. With that said I think it comes down to Chandra Wilson from Grey's and another actress I loved last season Rachel Griffiths from Brothers and Sisters. I believe she will have more chances in the coming years. MY PICK and THE WINNER Wilson

SUPPORTING ACTOR DRAMA I think Michael Emerson from Lost was absolutely creepy in his role as ben and then on the last episode he made me doubt whether Jack was doing the right thing by not listening to him. A good performance but MY PICK Masi Oka was the piece that made Heroes work I think. Unfortunately I predict THE REAL WINNER to be William Shatner.

LEAD ACTRESS DRAMA I love Edie Falco on the Sopranos but as a whole I think the final season wasn't her best showcase. MY PICK Sally Field returned to TV as a casting change was needed and did a great job as the tortured widow on Brothers and Sisters. For some reason I just feel the REAL WINNER will be Kyra Sedgwick for a crticaly acclaimed cable show I have never seen but seems to get more press than all of these other shows except The Sopranos. My real pick Connie Britton is not nominated for what I think was the best performance of the year on Friday Night Lights. WATCH FRIDAY LIGHT NIGHTS 9 pm FRIDAYS on NBC

LEAD ACTOR DRAMA If you want to give the Sopranos a farewell gift this is the one to give them. James Gandolfini may have ruined his career by playing the role of a lifetime and becoming Tony Soprano. Can we ever see him as someone else? MY PICK and the WINNER Gandolfini

DRAMA SERIES The Sopranos was great but this is not a lifetime achievment award. Grey's Anatomy lost its way and should not be rewarded for keeping viewers in spite of itself. Seriously was meredith dead for like two episodes while they worked to do what we all knew they had to do anyway. She is the freaking title character wake her up already and lets move on. It is not suspense when you know how it ends. I have never seen House and while I enjoy Boston Legal my DVR is so crowded it didn't even make my list. My pick iks Heroes one of only two shows I never save for another night. I have to see it on the day it airs how ever latge I must stay up. (The other is Lost) MY PICK HEROES REAL WINNER SOPRANOS

FOOTBALL SUNDAY

Bo goes 3-2 last week in a solid but unspectacular start. On to Week 2.

BO KNOWS Brady faces tougher comp this week but fantasy number wise it looks to be his best season. Jackson and Jones-Drew can't have as bad a week as they had last week so The Gang will take out the Griz who will drop to 0-2.

BO KNOWS The Giants must have looked so crappy on D last week that after seeing them live The Juice owner had to start Favre this week. That said Kitna is the most underrated fantasy QB in the league and Deuce and Marvin Harrison are seeing most of their chances go to someone else. The Cheese goes 2-0.

BO KNOWS there is no way the Vikings D puts up those numbers again but after what Manning and Wayne do to Tennessee they won't have to for the Bs to win again.

BO KNOWS the Sith swiped Ward off the waiver wire in a good move( damn you sith) but Moss, Gates, and the bears D will be the keys for the All Stars if they can continue their production all season this Cutler at QB thing might just work out. IPS WINS

BO KNOWS the key to our last game this weel is the KC-Bears game. Against KC Benson can't possibly look as terrible as he did last week and against the bears Johnson is put for a tough day. That and the fact that Palmer should shred the Browns points to a Bitches win.

We end with a message for The Griz. Have a good Week 2.

WHAT NOW?

So this week it will be six years since I stood in the front lobby of NBA City in Orlando, Florida on what was supposed to be the last morning of my honeymoon, wanting to get a picture taken in front of a blue screen where they would then place images of Shaq and Kobe, when on the TV above the gift shop counter I watched as the first World Trade Center tower collapsed to the ground. I remember the place was mostly empty. Just my wife and I and one or two employees watching that little TV and I can't remember anyone saying much of anything.

We waited and paid for my silly little picture and then went back to a bus where we found out we wouldn't be leaving that day and so we hurried back to the hotel we had checked out of to see what we were going to do. In a pointless sidenote just let me say I can not say enough good things about the way Disney handled this situation. A company that to some has become THE example of the capitalist greed Bin Laden rants against, overpricing every item in The Happiest Place on Earth and cranking out crappy straight to video sequels to their films, had hundreds if not thousands of people stranded with no way home. Instead of banking the hundreds of dollars I would have had no choice but to spend they put me up in a room for three more days, unlocked my phone so I could make unlimited long distance calls, and gave me another day of tickets to the theme parks, without charging me a dime.

On the other hand some of my fellow Americans returned to the hotel complaining loudly to the staff about the theme park being closed for the day. This event was going to ruin their vacation. People make me sick.

So six years later I am sitting on my couch having carelessly folded back a NewsWeek I was reading when my three year old says EEEWWWW! What happened to that girl? And I turn the magazine over to see a little Iraqi girl with stitches all over her face and a patch on her eye in front of the rubble that probably used to be her home. And I wish he hadn't seen the picture and I have a question of my own. Why did that happen to that girl? And I wonder how we get from this three year old who showed obvious concern for what to him was just another kid, to my 17 year olds at school, a great number of whose theory on the Middle East is "nuke them all". And I wonder do they even think about what they are saying. And do they know what a nuke does, or that there are little girls there, or are they just worried some international incident will ruin their next vacation.

Meanwhile, we continue a seemingly unending war in a country that has no connection at all to the event that started this whole mess six years ago. Are there any Americans left outside the West Wing that think being in Iraq is in any way making life safer for Americans? The Democrats won control of Congress mostly based on this issue and have made absolutely no progress in resolving it. In fact they have seemed so completely impotent with their new power that they may just allow a Republican to sneak up and take the next election, something that seemed impossible at the time of the mid terms. And they have convinced many like myself that it probably won't make a difference anyway. (Prediction: if Obama doesn't swallow his pride and take the second spot on the ticket with Hilary it could definitely end up Thompson/Another old white guy in 08) Oh and the guy that started it all is safe and sound and released a new video this week. He is apparently hiding out near a drug store where he picked up some Just for Men and combed the gray out of that scraggly beard. He wants us all to embrace Islam. And looking at how this has all gone down over the last six years only one thought comes to mind. EEEWWWWW!

BO KNOWS she is hoping for a big comeback. But my prediction is Britney Spears buries her career for good tonight at the MTV awards show. She had a good run. I hope she saved her money.

BO KNOWS it is probably a useless plea but if you haven't seen the first season of Friday Night Lights it is out on DVD and I believe at a good price of 19.99. I urge you to give it a look if only because I hope you will get hooked and somehow the show will survive through season 2, but I am not getting my hopes up. If any Nielsen families see this if you are going to go out and not watch TV on Friday nights would it be too much to ask you to leave your TV turned on to NBC. It helps scare burglars away.

BO KNOWS that the media is trying to make a big deal about this competition between Kanye and 50 Cent on Tuesday, with 50 claiming he will retire if Kanye outsells him. But is hip hop officially dead when Kenny Chesney outsells them both.

FOOTBALL SUNDAY

The season has begun and it seems a little late to critique draft day but giving it a quick glance just let me say I think Ben may have come out the best. I like that he ended up with an underrated fantasy QB late, two solid wide receivers to start and three starting running backs that probably won't share their carries.

BO KNOWS Addai got them off to a good start and The James Gang's receivers look to be the problem again this year so The Cheese will win in week one.

BO KNOWS I am not sold on Jones and Westbrook at RB but both will score more than Deuce did and I think Young will struggle against the Jags so I go to the dark side and take the Sith this week.

BO KNOWS this pick shouldn't count after Thursday but after Manning and Wayne showed up and Bush didn't I have to go with the Bs this week.

BO KNOWS Ross gets bonus points for returning to his former portliness and for that logo so I will go with the Dullards this week.

BO KNOWS unfortunately for the Bitches her best weapons go against the league's best Ds this week so I will take the Griz based on the match-ups