• ameancow@lemmy.worldEnglish
      14·
      15 hours ago

      Our country never grew out of slavery and has always held a secret “clan” of people desperate to return to those times.

      One reason is we never properly followed-up after the civil war. We gave the landowners and organizers of the confederacy clemency and let them keep owning land and let them keep their wealth and in many cases, nothing really changed in the south other than the absence of a lot of young men who died.

      In a more reasonable world, we would have hung them all and started a massive re-education campaign across the southern states. I don’t even believe in capital punishment, but I know in the context of history, certain horrors have to be embraced if you don’t want to keep fighting the same war over and over and over.

  • andros_rex@lemmy.world
    91·
    1 day ago

    I was a trans teacher (stealth, students and teachers didn’t know), and I did have a few students tell me that they were trans.

    I asked them if they wanted me to call them by a different name or use different pronouns, and told them I would support them if were mistreated by other staff or administration and wanted my help. Truly evil indoctrination.

    Like, what matters to me is that that homework has a name I recognize and give a grade for. Teachers are way too fucking busy to be indoctrinating your kids, especially the ones in hell hole red states (feeder middle school had 100+ kids in some classrooms - I remember being at a PD when someone asked how to adopt the activity for a stranding room only classsroom….)

      • andros_rex@lemmy.world
        22·
        18 hours ago

        That middle school also had actual riots where multiple teachers were injured. They were very good at limiting news coverage - this was part of a stupid program of consolidating schools that was a horrific disaster. (No consideration about gang territory or bus lines.)

        I also knew a guy who was hired without a background check as an adjunct/emergency certification - and they gave him a cafeteria for a classroom. (Requirements a few years ago relaxed to just require a college degree in anything, now even that’s optional. The nicer districts brag about all of their teachers having college degrees.)

        I have been trying to blow so many whistles for so long, but absolutely no one gives a shit. The Supe is too busy spending Ed money on Trump Bibles.

        • Brave Little Hitachi Wand@lemmy.worldEnglish
          6·
          16 hours ago

          Have you considered talking to the news? This is all profoundly abnormal. I know journalism is mainly dead, but it’s the kind of story John Oliver might pick up anyway.

          • andros_rex@lemmy.world
            10·
            14 hours ago

            Trust me - I have tried. I’ve left hundreds of voicemails with elected officials and local news media. Both about education and child abuse in mental health care.

            Oklahoma has been a failed state under Project 2025 style policies for the past ten years.

            • frostysauce@lemmy.world
              4·
              14 hours ago

              Hey, it takes some work to be 49th in the country in education. I believe if we try just a little harder we can make it to the bottom!

              • andros_rex@lemmy.world
                7·
                14 hours ago

                Epic is the largest school district in the state.

                Epic counts students logging into their computer and answering 5 questions as a day of “attendance.” As long as you do this at least once every two weeks your child remains enrolled. Teachers are supposed to meet with students for at least an hour in person once a week, but individuals make exceptions and play games with rules - often, thirty minutes over zoom are sufficient.

                Epic teachers teach all subjects and grades. In the same day, I could help a high schooler with geometry and a severely disabled kindergartener with letter recognition. This is something I am qualified to do, but I don’t think I think my skill sets are common. The same teachers are grading student assignments - how effective feedback can an elementary Ed certified teacher give on an assignment over the quadratic formula or an essay over the causes of the French Revolution? (I tend to be popular with other teachers because I will sit with a physical science teacher and teach them atomic theory, or how to factor polynomials, while admin hates me because I call out stupid bullshit.)

                There is an epidemic in Oklahoma of illiterate and innumerate children and young adults.

            • Brave Little Hitachi Wand@lemmy.worldEnglish
              3·
              14 hours ago

              I should have assumed you had, I know you’ve been through a lot. You’re not wrong, but… Thanks for trying. It really burns me to know kids are going through this.

              • andros_rex@lemmy.world
                3·
                13 hours ago

                “Burns” is the correct verb. It keeps me awake at night, cost me my marriage, and has lead to multiple mental health breakdowns.

                November made me suicidal, because I knew that they were going to gut DOE, and the feds were the only ones with any power to do anything. (DOJ managed to get their report out on time about how OK uses cops and jails instead of providing mental health care to people; the findings from the investigation into Owasso Public Schools prompted by Nex’s murder is also something that needs to be read and discussed more)

                I’m exhausted. All I really want to do is talk about physics, math, history, how to make arguments - to teach. I fucking love it. I should be in a classroom in Tulsa or OKC right now running a lab - I know there’s a classroom right now with a long term sub that needs a crazy mad scientist to throw things or light things on fire or show off radioactive rocks. But I can’t work a job where I’m dehumanized, not recognized as a trained and knowledgeable professional, or where the fact what I have a uterus and a beard means I must be some sort of deviant who wants to be around kids to hurt them - and then also be paid so little that I have to have a second job to survive.

                • Brave Little Hitachi Wand@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  2·
                  13 hours ago

                  I wish you could find a way to pursue this somewhere more aligned with your values. There’s a brain drain happening right now for a reason, I would heartily recommend joining it.

            • Zink@programming.dev
              1·
              14 hours ago

              Thanks for what you do. The struggle could be worth it if you make a meaningful difference is just one young life, and I bet you have already done more than that.

  • hope@lemmy.world
    91·
    1 day ago

    I was sent to school in a red state (Indiana) and still ended up like the top picture, who’s laughing now?

    • coolfission@lemm.ee
      3·
      15 hours ago

      You can’t judge the school by the state. You also got to look at the city and ranking. I went to school in a red state but in a liberal suburb.

  • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
    721·
    1 day ago

    If that were true, there would be no trans kids born in red states. The lack of logic is astounding. No wonder they move away from you all.

    • stebo@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      10·
      1 day ago

      they probably believe that is the case too, since trans kids in red states clearly have a harder time coming out

    • dustyData@lemmy.world
      2·
      15 hours ago

      Someone fact check me, but I remember reading that in death by firearms of minors, school shootings are second only to home accidents. Poorly secured arms and children without supervision is a bad combination.