Busy Weekend Ahead

I’m going to be a busy bee this weekend.  Part preparing for school, part vehicle maintenance, part helping out a friend.

My hitch and bike rack were delivered yesterday and I need them to be on the car by Monday, when my classes start.  My bike lock should be delivered today, if FedEx doesn’t mess it up.

I need to replace the front brakes on our car, the rotors are warped – a common problem on Chevrolet HHR’s with factory brakes.

I’m also replacing the brakes on a friends mini-van.  I have another friend who wants me to do the brakes on his car as well.  Do you see a trend here?  Yes, I’m known for being a brake guy.  It’s one of the few tasks (along with changing your own oil) that you can do to maintain your vehicle that will save you thousands of dollars in your lifetime.  Most of the time it just requires a jack (which all automobiles come with) and a few simple hand tools.

After that I’ll have everything I need prepared for this new journey, education at Indiana University.  The only question I have remaining is if my mind is ready for this new endeavor.  I’m hopeful it will be a seamless transition, but I’m worried the content will be more academic than I’m used to.  I have a tendency to worry too much about these things though.  Everyone tells me that I’ll do well, but that little voice inside my head always tells me otherwise.

Making The Switch

Due to the economy and cutbacks in state funding to Indiana University, Technology Center Consulting has decided to strictly enforce a policy that hasn’t been enforced before.  Effective this fall, they will no longer employ persons who aren’t students at the university.

This has posed some hard and serious questions about what I want to do with my education, and my life.  My nerves got the best of me and I “fell off the wagon” and bought a pack of cigarettes.

While I enjoy many aspects of Ivy Tech, such as a laid back atmosphere, very cheap tuition and it’s proximity to my home, I don’t want to be out of work.  I have spent almost 4 years trying to find a full time position that suits me, and I have yet to find it.

So this fall I will be enrolling in the continuing studies program at Indiana University.  I will still be pursuing an Associate’s degree, but in General Studies instead of Computer Information Systems.  Luckily most of my credits will transfer, so I will still be able to graduate in the same time frame.  I had thought about transferring to a Bachelor’s, but 7 more years of school is just too much for me right now.

My application is complete on my end as of now.  It’s in IU and Ivy Tech’s hands now.  IU’s website states the application process takes 10 to 12 weeks, so I hope I am admitted early enough to enroll in classes I want to take unlike my father who always waits until the last minute and almost had to take Yiddish Studies last semester.

Part of me is glad to leave Ivy Tech, as it’s become a place of non-learning as of late.  It seems as if most of the student body enrolls to get student loans or grants for some quick cash and leaves as soon as they can.  It’s very hard for someone like myself to be in the same space as these people.  I’ve learned that many of the classes I’m taking at Ivy Tech are “dumbed down.”  That very well could be the reason why I don’t feel pushed there.  I’ve had a long drawn out battle with education, and I’m finally enjoying education like I should have the first time.

I hope that IU leads me to more fulfilling educational opportunities and enlightens me.  While doing this, I can sleep at ease knowing that I also have a job.

Save Our Children’s Future

With the “Great Recession” the economic outlook in Indiana has been downright bleak.  It’s so bleak that the state has been forced to cut funding to K-12 schools and all publicly funded post secondary schools.  This is primarily due to the cuts in property taxes passed several years ago, which is where our public schools get their money.  A decade ago, I didn’t really care, as my time in school was horrible at best.  I have a daughter in 4th grade now, and another who will be in school before I know it.  It’s important to me that they have the same opportunities to enrich their lives that I had.

While the post secondary schools can handle these cuts by many different means, our public (K-12) schools have very limited means to deal with the lack of funding.

Many are closing or consolidating schools, requiring payment to ride a bus, adding fees for extra-curricular activities.  This is almost all options our public schools have, and it really ticks me off.

While I’ve been hearing about school systems around Indianapolis having meetings and public forums to discuss how they are going to handle these shortfalls, it didn’t hit home until our local school system, MCCSC (Monroe County Community School Corporation) brought up the subject.  They are proposing to eliminate many of the programs and services that make our school system diverse and great.

There has been talk of a referendum that if passed, would help eliminate that shortfall.  I’m all for it, but I don’t know how much support it really has.  My property taxes are so low, that it wouldn’t bother me at all to pay a little extra to help my childrens education.  Property tax caps are the reason for this mess in the first place.  Thank you Mitch Daniels, you’ve done a wonderful job ruining the surplus our state had.

Here’s a list of the proposed cuts:

• Increase class-size ratio, generating approximately 45 certified staff (teaching) cuts.

• Eliminate elementary and middle school media specialists.

• Eliminate middle school foreign language.

• Eliminate middle school Family and Consumer Science.

• Eliminate one assistant, part-time athletic director at each high school.

• Reduce high school assistant coaches (no specific numbers or areas revealed)

• Possibly reduce extracurricular activities (brain game, spell bowl, etc.) at high schools and middle schools.

• Eliminate six elementary assistant principal positions for 2011-12.

• Eliminate the unfilled assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction job and the secretarial job for that post.

• Eliminate the healthy school coordinator position.

• Freeze all administrative salaries.

• Reduce school board salaries.

• Consolidate Aurora Alternative High School into an existing high school with some reduction to staff.

• Close the Teen Learning Center.

• Close Alternative to Suspension.

• Close Youth Outreach.

• Eliminate the Bradford Woods.

• Eliminate Honey Creek School.

• Eliminate elementary strings program.

• Drain the high school pools out of season.

• Eliminate Batchelor Middle School pool and fill it in.

• Eliminate substitutes for building secretaries.

• Eliminate summer school.

While some of these cuts make sense to me both financially and logically others do not.  Here is a list of the programs/services that should be saved in my opinion.

  • Elementary and middle school media specialists (librarians).  This is a bad move, really bad.  As a child I loved books, and I believe librarians are the reason why.  Without librarians, our children won’t receive the proper knowledge, appreciation and enthusiasm about books.  This seems like a gateway to eliminate libraries altogether.
  • Reducing some extra-curricular activities.  Some kids aren’t athletic, some kids like to expand their minds through some of these activities.  Why punish those kids while leaving the ones who enjoy athletics alone?  Why some and not all?
  • Consolidation of Aurora.  I’m a little on the fence about this issue.  My generation was the first to  use this invaluable resource.  Some kids don’t learn well in normal learning environments.  Aurora allows these kids to learn on their terms.  In many cases these kids would simply drop out.  While consolidation may help the bottom line, it’s not beneficial if it hurts the education of it’s students.
  • Alternative to Suspension.  Is this “In-school suspension?”  That’s what the alternative was when I went.  It should be saved so those students don’t fall farther behind, this is essentially turning your back on the students who need help the most.
  • Eliminating Bradford Woods.  When I went, it was a week long event.  It’s now only a day or two I believe.  While I understand it’s not completely necessary it is a nice treat to get away and learn about nature and your surroundings.
  • Eliminating Honey Creek School.  This astounds me.  This school is a two room schoolhouse that is used as a learning lab for elementary students.  They get the opportunity to act as if they are living in the 19th century.  If you don’t appreciate your past, you’ll never appreciate what the future brings.
  • Eliminating the Elementary Strings Program.  This program is dear to my heart, as I was in this program in 4th and 5th grade.  Without this the only interaction children have with instruments is the recorder in 4th grade.  It’s really an eye opener to the world of music.  Without this program, I don’t think I would have played the violin in the school systems’ orchestra from 7th grade until I left high school.  I can’t wait for the day I can get my hands on another violin and start playing again.  Music is essential to creativity, something that doesn’t transmit on paper.
  • Eliminating Summer School.  Hello?  Seriously?  I don’t even think I need to explain this one.

I hope the community will rally behind our children.  They are our future!  If you want to voice your opinion, the MCCSC has a web page you can visit and let them know.  I’ll be sending them a link to this posting.  Do the same!  As Spock always said, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”

A Different Summer

This summer is going to have a big change of pace for me.

My wife is expecting our first child, and I am remodeling our basement & a nursery.  I am also going to school to finally get an education that I’ve been working on for a decade.

We’ve decided that I shouldn’t work this summer.  This is easy due to my academic year positions.  Instead I am going to focus on my education and try to cram as many summer courses as possible.

Even though I have been working on this degree for a decade, I’ve only achieved 3 credit hours towards my degree.  This may sound astounding, but my educational history has been filled with disappointment.

I’m going to take 5 classes, with one of them being online.  I’m very nervous about this online course, as I took one several years ago and failed it.  It was the same math class that I am doing very well in right now.  The class in particular is Introduction to Microcomputers, something I could sleep through.  I will be nervous about this until I get a few assignments in.

Here are the classes:

  • CINS-101 – Introduction to Microcomputers
  • ECON-101 – Economics Fundamentals
  • COMM-101 – Fundamentals of Public Speaking
  • IVYT-107 – Professional Presence
  • HIST-101 – Survey of American History I

It’s a total of 13 credit hours, a big load for someone who hasn’t went to school full time since 1997.  All of these classes are in my general education requirements for a CINT (Computer Information Technology) degree.  After completion of these courses, I will only have 2 other gen ed classes left.

I’m excited and scared as hell at the same time.  I wasn’t lucky enough to have a “real” college experience.  I think this will give me a piece of it.  I don’t think I will have the availability to do this again, with the impending arrival of my second child.

Must Find Happy Place

Nothing seems to be going right lately.  The things that normally bring joy to my life have disappeared or are disappearing.  It’s hard to wake up in the morning when you don’t have a lot to look forward to.  The only thing I have currently that brings some potential light at the end of the tunnel are my classes.

Education is sought after more than skills at this point.  At least in my experience.  I learned this the hard way and it’s really doing a number on me.  There was an opening at my job in Technology Services at the Kelley School of Business.  It’s almost exactly what I do, with a few other added responsibilities.  I’ve been here just one month shy of a year now and I thought I would be a good fit.  The only caveat, they wanted someone with at least an associates degree which I do not have.

They must have thought I was a good fit as well, because I almost immediately was asked for an interview.  It went extremely well.  I thought it was only a matter of time before the job would be offered to me.  Then my boss’s boss wanted to speak with me, it was regarding the position.  They offered it to someone who had “more rounded experience.”  They said she “can give a different perspective that nobody else in the department can.”  While I understand they have to do what’s best for the department and not myself, it didn’t hit me until today – the day she started.

There is really nothing I can do to make myself happy but continue my education and hope to find something someday.  The only real issue bugging me is that I know that day won’t come soon enough.

This on top of all of the other issues I’m facing.  I need a new computer & printer, I am on a deadline for remodeling the basement and old “office.”  I need to start planning a summer job or load up on classes for the summer semester and get a large student loan to cover the lack of income.

I feel like I haven’t moved forward at all, but just taken a few dozen steps back since I started on my own back in 1999.

My only solace at this point is my love affair with ROX and computers in general.  The computer doesn’t care about how much money I make or any of the other human conditions.

If only life were this simple.

No Matter What

I will achieve a degree.

Starting school again has become a mini-series of drama in itself.  My past has finally caught up with me to make it hard to go to school.

I started going to Ivy Tech State College in the fall of 1999.  Here it is the beginning of the spring 2009 semester and I have only attained 3 credits towards a degree.

The reasons why are various and run the gamut.  The main reason why is because of opportunity.  Whether it be a job, or just a reason to leave.  I was sure to find it, and find it quick.

This is the 4th and last time I am enrolling in a particular math course, MAT050 – Basic Algebra.  If memory serves me correctly, this course wasn’t hard – but engaging the last time I took it.  This time, it’s almost an insult to my intelligence.  Our first homework assignment – adding negative numbers.  This course is so easy that you have to want to fail, just to fail.

School was never a good time for me, but the good time that I did have was while in high school.  I took my math courses at IU, the county school systems did not offer calculus or finite yet.  But since I never used those tools, they have been lost just like an angel’s share of whiskey.

This is where the drama comes in.  Since I have enrolled and withdrawn as many times as I have, I am on what’s called Financial Aid Termination.  Meaning I cannot receive financial aid, and since our household income is above some imaginary number that only changes when you ask for help, the state will not help either.

So this time, it has to come out of our pockets directly.  But there are specifics, I must take at least 6 credit hours (2 classes) and get a grade of C or better in both courses.  If not, I will still be on “termination.”  If I achieve this I will be switched to Financial Aid Probation because I have shown the college that I am trying.

I am also appealing this decision regarding financial aid.  This process includes counseling with an academic advisor, a letter to the college explaining all withdrawals and F grades.  Also giving reasons as to why this should be appealed.

Even after through all of this, I still want to go.

No matter what I will attain a degree, and the sooner the better.