This Is a Hard Conversation to Have

Good Day!

It is another heavy one today as we dive into a particular issue that has blanketed everything our eyeballs touch whether it be on cable news or our preferred choice of social media.

So we’ll jump right into it.

Cheers to your morning ☕

Students walk out in support of Palestinian lives

Writing about this without antagonizing one side or the other is complicated. Let’s start off with this: What Hamas did on October 7 was horrific. The 1200+ Israelis that were murdered is sickening to think about. Any human who has a heart should not hesitate to condemn the killing of innocent lives. We condemn it. We condemn Hamas. We condemn any terrorist acts against innocent civilians.

What cannot be overlooked is the retaliation that Israel has taken on the Gaza Strip. Since the Israeli Defense Force launched their attack on the Gaza Strip, there have been at least 34,183 people have been killed and 77,084 injured, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Out of those killed, 72% have been women and children. These numbers are more than likely undercounted because only bodies that have been found are factored into the total.

Many Americans are starting to see this. Spend any time on any social media platform, and you will come across stories about what is happening in the Gaza Strip. Columbia University is in the limelight right now as pro-Palestine protestors continue to camp on school grounds, demanding that the university divest any investment from Israel. As a result of this, wealthy alumni have said they will no longer give money to the school until necessary action is taken against these protestors.

Protests continue around college campuses and high school campuses in the United States. Students in Washington around the Puget Sound region walked out of class in support of Palestinians and demanding that America stop sending money and weapons to Israel because, in doing so, America is continuing to fund the genocide of people who cannot protect themselves. The younger generation sees this, and they want their voice to be heard.

It is good to do our best to understand nuance; being pro-Palestinian lives does not equate to being pro-Hamas or being anti-Jewish. Most of those who are rallying in support of Palestine condemn violence on both sides.

As an educator, it is important to teach kids about their rights as Americans and that it is okay to express their beliefs as long as it does not cross into that realm of hate (of which hate speech is protected, but we should never instill this feeling in our students) or the calling to commit an act of violence toward someone (which is not protected speech).

Yet, this is easier said than done, especially with strong feelings coming from all directions on this issue. For those of us old enough to remember, think back to the invasion of Iraq. Those who spoke out against it were condemned, and, in today’s jargon, they were canceled. The Dixie Chicks were shunned by their fans for speaking out against the imminent invasion and denouncing George Bush. They were later redeemed years later when they won all five of their Grammy nominations.

There was also Vietnam. They might have been called hippies, but we know now they were on the right side of history.

The past is not necessarily indicative of the future, but given the current state of things and what we are seeing, it can be easy to discern how this moment in history will be remembered.

This should not be controversial, but the students will be on the right side of history here.

Healthier school lunches?

First, we want to say no child should ever go hungry at home and especially in school where they spend a good chunk of their waking hours. It is good some states are taking the initiative to provide free meals to all kids, as it should be. Yet, for the nearly 30 million kids in public school, the cost of eating can be too much for parents. Here is the average cost for breakfast and lunch at each grade level band - elementary, middle school, and high school:

For some looking at this, it might not seem like a lot. When you zoom out, you can see how this can impact a low socioeconomic household. Let’s take the cost of feeding an elementary child:

Consider a family of four living near or at the federal poverty line which is $31,200. A significant portion, about a third, is dedicated to rent or mortgage amounting to $10,296. Add to this the expenses for car payments, medical bills, groceries, and other necessities, and it becomes clear that school meals can pose a significant financial burden for families barely making ends meet.

Returning to the main point, it is important that school meals are healthy and nutritious; to do that, we have to ensure all students can eat for free. This is not a question of how we get the money because, as a country, we should have no issues allocating funds to ensure our children do not go hungry while they are learning in their schools. The funding to ensure a healthier breakfast and lunch should not be strictly limited to less sugar, fat, and salt content but also to expand options for kids. Most of us understand too many of the three things listed here are bad for you, so it is good to limit those. It is just important to put in all the good things the body needs, from fresh fruits like apples and strawberries to blueberries and vegetables like kale and spinach to purple potatoes (our personal favorite).

The big goal is:

This is another good step to ensuring our kids do not develop food related diseases like obesity because we know being obese can lead to many complications in one’s life and not just their physical health but also their mental, emotional, and their social health with their peers.

Deep Fakes. Huge Consequences.

Since ChatGPT came onto the scene near the end of 2022, it has been the ire of many people, from every professional whether it is white, blue, green, or no collar jobs. Artificial intelligence existed prior to 2022, but the advent of ChatGPT has opened up so much more to the potential capabilities of AI. Not only can words be generated using AI technology, but visuals, sounds, and human voices can also be generated using AI technology.

Dazhon Darien, a teacher at Pikesville High School in Baltimore, has been recently arrested because he was allegedly found to have created a deep fake of his school principal, Eric Eiswert. In the recording, Eiswert was heard saying racist things against black students as well as spewing anti-semantic rants. The recording was sent out via social media platforms, and teachers and the community were shocked to hear what was being said. During this time, Eiswert was suspended from duties as the investigation occurred.

After an extensive investigation, Baltimore Police Chief Robert McCullough said during a press conference: 

Investigators stated that Darien created the recording because Eiswert was pursuing an investigation into Darien potentially having had mishandled funds. It is believed that Darien paid his roommate $1900 under the false pretense that his roommate was the girl’s soccer coach.

Darien was stopped at the airport on Thursday because of how his firearms were packaged. A warrant came up when officers looked up him, and he was subsequently arrested.

This case is ongoing.

In this day and age, we must stay vigilant in the information we are consuming. There is so much information out there that it can be overwhelming to try and keep up with everything, and we default to assume the worst of someone. As teachers, it is important not to assume our students' worst. Are students using Chatgpt to write their papers? Yes, of course some students are using it, but only a small percentage of those do. It is easy to default to the belief that if a few students are doing it, then that must mean all students are doing it.

We will get there, but it will take some time. Being too quick to judge someone can ruin their career or life even once the truth comes out. Let’s hope Principal Eiswert is fully redeemed and that the justice system judges the man who created this false persona of his principal, accordingly.

Closing Bell

On this day in 1967

Prizefighter Muhammad Ali arrived at his scheduled induction for the Armed Forces in Houston, Texas. His name was repeatedly called to step forward, and three times he refused to do so. He was warned that what he was doing was considered a felony. Later that day, his boxing license was suspended, and his world title was stripped. Two months later, he was found guilty of violating the Selective Service Law. Four years later in 1971, The Supreme Court overturned his conviction unanimously 8-0 (Justice Thurgood Marshall recused himself).