Now, I’m not a school teacher and I know that those of you that are teachers definitely know a lot more about the ins and outs of “No Child Left Behind” than I do and by making this post, I’m certainly not claiming that I am expert on the act. I do know that there seem to be many problems with it. I love being involved in a denomination that takes an interest in social, political, and justice issues as well as discipleship, spiritual, moral, and ethical matters.

That is why I read this article from the PCUSA site with great interest. I went looking for the article in the wake of the State of the Union address last night.

Here is a link to the “Ten Moral Concerns of No Child Left Behind.”

As Presbyterians, we believe that “an education of high quality for all children is an obligation of society and indispensable to the political and economic health of our democracy,” and that “we are called to respond in every possible way with measures that seek to evidence love and justice in the education of children and youth.”

— A Call to Church Involvement in the Renewal of Public Education (199th General Assembly, 1987)

One of our church members sent me this story:

A nurse on the pediatric ward, before listening to the little ones chests, would plug the stethoscope into their ears and let them listen to their own hearts. Their eyes would always light up with awe, but she never got a response equal to four-year old David’s comment.

Gently she tucked the stethoscope into his ears and placed the disk over his heart. “Listen”, she
said………..”What do you suppose that is?”

He drew his eyebrows together in a puzzled line and looked up as if lost in the mystery of the strange tap – tap – tapping deep in his chest. Then his face broke out in a wondrous grin and he asked, “Is that Jesus knocking?”

Okay, so here’s what happened to me yesterday:

One of my little Brownies, Lexi, gave me a little pink hair clip during our meeting yesterday. I put it in my hair and showed it off.

As I was driving home later that night, I reached up to brush my hair back and my hand hit the little pink hair clip. I proceeded to first be shocked and then laugh hysterically the whole way home. You see, after the meeting, I went to the grocery store. While there, I chatted with several people that I knew. All the while, I had a little pink hair clip randomly placed in my hair.

So, don’t be surprised when little pink hair clips are the new trend! You’ll know where it started.

Something else that’s making me laugh this week:

Here’s a converation I had with Austin on Monday. Austin is in Kindergarten.

Him: Hi. Can I call you Ms. Beck?
Me: I guess so.
Him: Great. Thanks, Ms. Beck! You wanna hear a joke, Ms. Beck?
Me: Sure
Him: Where do cows go?
Me: Where?
Him: To the mooooovies in Cow-afornia! (laughs hysterically)
Me: That’s really funny!
Him: Here’s another one. Knock knock!
Me: Who’s there?
Him: Orange
Me: orange who?
Him: Orange Banana
Me: (pause) Oh, that’s funny, too!