I'm failing because my instructor cannot speak "English" - Shame on You!

AGGH – It continues and no one cares. Last week I stopped at my local veterinarians to pick up some medication for my dog. As I was waiting to pay at the counter a young vet assistant approached the counter and told the person waiting on me that she is so stressed out because after her first week of class she knows she is going to fail her Math class at college. “It’s just not fair, I can’t understand him and even when I ask for help he talks so fast he makes me feel I’m the problem and not him because he thinks he speaks perfect English.”

 I have written on this before (since 2006):

http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2006/08/quality-education-honor-roll-listing.html

http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2006/01/education-parents-must-rise-up-judge.html

http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2007/07/why-are-college-costs-to-high.html

http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2007/07/why-are-college-costs-to-high.html

I told her I would not leave his class or presence until he answered my questions. You are the customer of his and it is his duty to provide you with the answers and help you need. It’s so easy for me to make a bold statement like that because our educational system does not recognize students and parents as customers. The classroom is still run by “Absolute Power” of the teacher and administrators of the college (K-12 too in many cases).

How does anyone in a so-called position of authority/leadership (Principal, Dean, Administrator, etc…) hire an instructor to teach a class who cannot speak “English” and communicate it is beyond my comprehension? As a leader you own the system (student, parent, teacher, school, society…) by which all will be impacted because you believe someone with great credentials will bring merit and higher standards (aka – charge higher tuition) to you and your school/college. WRONG! It’s really this simple  - if you and the hiring team (At least I hope there is more than one person) cannot understand the person during the interview process how in the heck will your students understand?

Please remember - "It is not good enough to know your subject matter it is equally important to be able to communicate and have applied the subject matter for true transfer of knowledge to take place." qg

As the leader you have created a lose-lose situation for all involved in the process. You set the instructor/teacher up to fail all in effort for an end-result rating or worse yet you did not take the time up-front in the selection/hiring process to do what is right for the student (Your Customer).

I'm sure the instructor/teacher is a good person. All I'm saying is to put this person in research or another other position to best utilize his/her talents.

Team Tara - "Losing is NOT an Option"

Yesterday I ran in a race (MICHIGAN MARROW 5K WALK And FUN RUN) and was reflecting today while walking my dogs that I have run in a competitive race in the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s and now 2013. The range has been from 100 yards to a 26 mile marathon. I was not planning on running yesterday since I have not run in a race in over 10 years because of numerous wear and tear injuries (Ruptured Achilles Tendon, New ACL Construction, Meniscus Repair, Two Lower Back and Two Neck Herniated Discs, Shoulder Reconstruction, Toe Tendon Nerve Damage, Knee Nerve Damage, Calf Muscle Tears just to name a few that all are on the left side of my body except for the toe tendon damage on both feet).

However, how fortunate I am compared to the following… 

This post is about a young lady (my cousin) who just received a Bone Marrow Transfer 11 days ago who has been battling Leukemia for over 10 year and had been looking for a donor match for just as long. Because she was adopted and is Korean the search has been painstaking because of the lack of Donors from Minorities.

Please see the following link:

http://www.clickondetroit.com/lifestyle/health/metro-detroit-mom-gets-gift-of-life-waited-10-years-for-it/-/2300442/21035600/-/l8e04xz/-/index.html

How can you not try and run and support her cause and the countless others that are hoping for a Donor Match. One person who was fortunate to have a Donor Match three years ago was a gentleman who approached me asking me about the Team Tara shirt I was wearing. His name is Craig Bowman and he is an instructor at Rochester College - http://www.rc.edu/academics/faculty/craig-bowman/

Craig related his story to me and educated me on the Bone Marrow process as well as how the next 100 days are critical for Tara. He wanted me to pass on his name to Tara and offer his willingness to talk to her at any time. Oh yes, Craig won a medal in the senior division.

Tara is posting her journey at this link - http://marrowmovement.com/thoughts/

Please keep Tara and other people waiting for a Donor in your prayers.

Like the Team Tara Shirt Says... "Losing is NOT an Option"

The Demise of Alumni Donations

One of the most valuable assets of a college or university is its alumni association. One of the critical metric's that determines the strength of a school's alumni group are the percentage of alumni who give money to a school every year. Alumni wouldn't likely hand over money to a school if they felt no affinity toward the institution. However, I do believe many colleges and universities receive large donations from alumni and others are that these donations are tax deductible. 

With all that being said I firmly predict the demise of this revenue stream for one simple reason - "STUDENT DEBT." Loyalty to one's school is a big reason for giving but if one leave's that school with a large student debt that now becomes a monthly payment for the rest of one's life not giving an annual alumni donation (at the least very small amount) is going to go by the wayside.

Why should a student give back or donate to a school or an education system that is extorting (perhaps "usury" is the better term) money from individuals because too many jobs today require a degree (many advanced).

Each month I get phone calls at home from five different colleges/universities that my children and I graduated from asking for donations. I tell them once are student debt is paid I then may give back to the college. Then and only then will I feel the so-called institution of higher learning deserves my support. 

I believe others feel the same way I do and are not giving like they used too because there children and grandchildren are strangled in debt. I guess the only thing the school will do is to increase tuition and fees thus causing not only the "Demise of Alumni Donations" but the "Demise of the American Educational System" except for a few.