Sleep & School Choice Follow-up

Fewer People Getting Enough Sleep

In 1998, 35 percent of people reported they slept 8 or more hours. In 2005, the number was 26 percent.

Over 40 percent of people state they sleep less than 6 hours per night, well below the hours recommended for optimal health and performance.

Finally, less than 50 percent report getting a good night’s sleep and 75 percent report symptoms of sleep problems. (National Sleep Foundation)

It’s no wonder that prescription sleep medication is advertised so heavily on TV. The ads make it so appealing: gentle drugs that allow you to drift off to sleep and sleep through the night. Leave your worries behind!

For most people the problem is that they cannot turn-off their brains and drift off to sleep naturally. People are consumed with the myriad of entertainment options or needless worries. The Internet is addicting and there’s too much going on for people to turn away. With more homes connected via high speed Internet access, video sites are popular and more entertaining than regular TV. Add to that instant messaging and gaming, you have a combination that goes on like the battery maker’s pink bunny.

People worry too much mainly because they have created too much debt. They buy starter castles that create monthly payments that used to be the bulk of a year’s salary 20 years ago. Instead of buying to meet needs, people buy out of wants. No doubt that excessive debt will keep you awake at nights.

Sleep is also affected by diet and exercise. Too much sugar and caffeine throws the body out of balance and organs are constantly working to deal with processing the excess sugar and stimulants. Smoking constricts blood vessels, again causing the body to work harder to function properly. All these self-indulgent practices are taking their toll on sleep and longevity.

The daily lack of exercise means that a person’s muscles are fully loaded and ready for action. Instead of a natural winding down that the body cycles through each day, it is still on alert waiting for physical work. Lack of exercise also means that those excess sugars are not being burned for energy and instead being converted to fat.

The lack of sleep has been shown to hurt business productivity. After all, at some point, people will dose and lose concentration possibly leading to an injury. Teachers see red eyes and lethargy among students in the classroom. It’s no wonder that reading scores are so low. It’s hard to concentrate and learn comprehension when you are sleepy.

Lack of sleep is also dangerous. Studies have shown how people “micro-sleep” to rest the brain. Unfortunately, this micro-sleep may occur while driving a car. A recent highway safety report stated that pedestrians were killed at a higher rate than in any time in recent reporting periods. There’s a good chance many of those people were killed by sleepy or sleeping drivers.

Lack of sleep is a self-induced problem. Hence, people can cure themselves without the need for sleep medication. First, reduce or eliminate the constant sipping of colas and dessert coffees. Second, switch to healthier eating such as salads and whole grain foods. Third, exercise daily (walking, bicycling) for about 30 minutes. Fourth, stop smoking if that applies to you. Fifth, set up a routine bedtime and wake-up times. It is important to be consistent. And, sixth, limit your time spent with entertainment; be sure to shut it down at least one hour before bedtime.

A final note: single working parents spend much of their week exhausted from work and trying to raise their family. They are so tired that quality sleep may elude them and the hours seem to blend together. They probably wish that playing on the Internet was their problem! If you fall into this dilemma, find a way to build downtime in your daily schedule at least one hour before bedtime. If everything didn’t get done, make sure that the necessities are complete and forget the rest. If possible, delegate some tasks to your family and have them help you find some time for yourself.

Ignoring the need for sleep will make you less productive and less capable of handling daily stress. It will cause excessive irritability and may cause you to lose your friends and annoy your loved ones. Slow down and enjoy your dreams!

School Choice Follow Up

In a story reported in USA Today (08/23/06), charter schools, based on standardized tests, are no better in math and reading scores than public schools. In fact, the data indicates charter schools are slightly behind their public school rivals.

US Education Secretary Margaret Spellings stated that charter schools are relatively new and need more time to show improvement. What? The government offers school vouchers for students stuck in under-performing public schools to attend charter schools that are under-performing public schools! This is an answer?

Why do charter schools need more time to show improvement? Don’t they follow the same curricula rigors and teacher standards as public schools? There’s a perfect illustration of government BS.

By the way, there are 3600 charter schools serving over 1 million students or about 2 percent of the total student population. Do you suspect that these schools will “run their course” and disappear by 2010? Right now there are two to three times more students being home schooled and that number is estimated to grow to more than 10 million over the next decade.

Education has become a battleground defined by passionate supporters for each cause that believe their way is the right way. The losers are the students who need an educational system that prepares them for more uncertainties than realities. They need a future not a past.

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GROWTH <> LEADERSHIP <> EXCELLENCE

© 2006 3 Minute Learning LLC

CHOICES?

Too Much is Too Much

Are “more choices” better for education? Since the advent of No Child Left Behind, school vouchers have been the center piece intended to help students “escape” poor performing schools. With federal money available ($4000 per student), other choices such as charter schools and cyber schools are now in competition for students. Add private and religious affiliated schools, you now have an abundance of choice available instead of public schools.

But, like most instances where too much choice is available, these options will confuse the parent/consumer and dilute the educational system, not support it. For example, Pennsylvania school districts are responsible to contribute 80 percent of local cyber school costs.

Even more tragic is the promise for better education, only to have barriers denying access. For example, inner city or rural students that need to commute to suburbs on a daily basis will find transportation costs that are prohibitive and restrictive (no after school activities) over the long-term.

Dilution separates students from their communities and their peers. It lowers financial resources available to schools to invest in building advanced classroom activities. Finally, dilution creates a hierarchy in the competition for new and qualified faculty, most likely leaving less qualified teachers for public schools, especially inner city schools. For example in Philadelphia, over 1500 teachers failed to meet the qualification requirements established by PA Department of Education in 2005. The result was a 6-month extension; to date no other consequences have been filed.

Access to quality education is a “right” not a privilege. A famous quote states that if you think “education is expensive, try ignorance.” The tenets of capitalism may fuel the US economy, but it is literate and educated people that make it grow.

The hierarchy that is now being formed, from elite private schools to poor inner city and rural public schools, will further divide the populations of the US. The elite school graduates will go on to elite colleges and obtain top paying jobs. The other students will be lucky to afford a community college program. And, as they are filing service industry jobs (that only require a high school diploma), generational poverty will continue and millions more will join the ranks of poverty.

The US doesn’t need all these educational options, especially those that produce isolation from the specific socio-economic populations. Public schools were intended to meet all student needs in a diverse environment and had a storied history for the past 100 years of producing some the best thinkers and leaders in history.

Schools do need to adjust to meet the needs of the new global economy and the virtual world. But these needs are “tweaks”, not overhauls. It was a poor assumption that because there are failing schools that all schools should be placed under suspicion. This is like punishing all kids in the family for the actions of one. That form of punishment does little to create responsibility and accountability when you are not at fault.

Should we be concerned about low test scores? Yes, because they do indicate that something needs to be changed. It is illogical that today’s students score lower than previous generations. The outcomes are indicative of issues that go beyond the classroom. Family engagement has changed and parents are less likely to be involved with the education of their older children. This is the most important factor that has changed test score results.

To illustrate how parents are losing touch with their kids, 50 percent of 12 to 17 year olds state that drugs, alcohol or both are available at parties. The percentage of parents who think that alcohol or marijuana is not available at parties teens attend is 80 percent. (Time, 8/28/2006)

Recently, the TV station TNT featured a made-for-TV movie about Ron Clark, an educator with a dream to change the lives of inner city youth. While his struggles were “sterilized” for family viewing, the outcomes were not. His devotion to his students by including them as “family” made them feel wanted. Knowing that they had a supportive and caring environment, they outscored all 6 graders on standardized tests that year and went on to be enrolled in some of the finest schools in New York City.

The point should be well-taken: it is not money or the variety of schools that create the desire to learn, it is teachers. And not just qualified teachers but qualified teachers who understand about unconditional love and citizenship and teach values in their classroom.

Catch The Ron Clark Story during reruns or look for it at your local movie rental place. You can also visit his website at www.ronclarkacademy.com.

You may also want to check out the TV movie, The Knights of the South Bronx, another inspirational movie about an inner city school teacher who uses chess to help kids reach new levels of learning and success. So much more can be accomplished in education if our efforts are supportive and not confrontational.

Less choice is more American because it provides for all people, a basic rule of democracy and civilized society.

Visit www.3MinuteLearning.com

GROWTH <> LEADERSHIP <> EXCELLENCE

© 2006 3 Minute Learning LLC

ACT, ART AND HEAT

Only 1 in 5 Ready for Challenge of Academics

The American College Testing (ACT) reports that only 21 percent of students taking the ACT meet all four benchmark scores. Those benchmarks are English composition, social science, algebra and biology. Over 40 percent pf all graduating seniors (1.2 million students) took the test.

The College Board (SAT) is expecting a decline in average scores as well. If true, this outcome will be particularly hard to accept as the SAT has been “centered” since 1995, meaning that it takes less right answers to get a high score.

For conclusions we have: (1) testing is meaningless if we believe students do well in college even with poor test results or (2) too many students are going to college with no chance for educational success. In the first instance, many colleges and universities are no longer requiring ACT or SAT as part of the admissions process. This serves both sides well as colleges no longer worry about “lowering standards” and students can save the time and effort of taking tests.

In the second instance, testing is thought to predict how prepared students are for college. Those who perform poorly are not necessarily excluded but required to take an extra level of freshman classes to catch up with their higher scoring peers.

The answer may be in holding colleges more accountable for the outcomes of student graduation and preparedness for the work world. Admissions people see a plethora of high school students and their families and can predict who might be successful. Coupled with high school coursework/transcripts and admissions requirements such as essays and teacher recommendations, predicting success by these experts will be more accurate than testing. But, since quotas are necessary, it is unlikely that these screeners will accurately deny admissions to all those who should be kept out.

As long as parents believe the myth that higher education means higher pay, students will be forced into college. By 2010, the US Census will be reporting that 60 percent or more of high school students fail to finish more than 3 years and that the average wage for professionals is lower than the average in the 2000 census.

Art: Rich Kids' Activity

The higher the annual income of parents, the more likely it is for children K-8 to be involved with art. Nearly 30 percent of children in households that earn over $75K per year participate in art activities after school (at least once a month (2005)). If the income was $15K or less, the rate of participation was less than 6 percent. Even at $50K per year, less than 14 percent participate.

So, if you want your child to be like the rich kids, provide the opportunity for art. (Source: Department of Education)

Grad School Expensive

If you believe graduate school is the answer for higher wages and opportunities, it won’t come cheap! Over 60 percent of all grad students have at least $37K in debt. As you would expect, medical students have the steepest debt at $114K (95 percent of all med students have significant debt). For a PhD, expect to have about $37K in debt. (Source; FinAid.com)

July Hot But Not a Record

The national average temperature in July 2006 was 77.2 degrees. That was hot but not the record for July; that was set in 1936 at 77.5 degrees. (The monthly national average for July is 74.3 degrees.)

The 10 hottest months on record all occurred in July. And, even though there has been much recent discussion about global warming, the top 10 records for July occurred over the last 125 years: 1936, 2006, 1934, 1901, 2002, 1980, 1931, 1954, 1998 and 2003.

It would seem that people living from 1930 to 1936 would have been concerned about global warming is such a theory mattered in that era. In fact, the earth has been warming slowly for the past 300 years.

Still, there should be growing concern about the Earth’s accelerated heating as the warmest 7 months ever recorded (since 1895) has been the stretch from January to July 2006. Also, heat stroke kills more people every year than hurricanes or tornadoes. Especially vulnerable are the elderly and the very young. Considering the graying of America, stories about heat related deaths will increase rapidly over the next few years. Certainly, that alone is worth the effort to conserve and reduce greenhouse gases.

Visit www.3MinuteLearning.com

GROWTH <> LEADERSHIP <> EXCELLENCE

© 2006 3 Minute Learning LLC

I AM NOT A CHEATER!

Fair Play Lost When Stakes Are High

“You think not getting caught in a lie is the same as telling the truth.”

--- Comment found in several movies directed by Sydney Pollack

Several events over the past few weeks should have people shaking their heads about cheating and lying. From bicycle racing to politics, individuals who cheat and lie and think the American public will be empathetic and forgiving. Hopefully, people are recognizing the negative effects of these actions on the social fabric of America and begin ignoring these people.

First example: Joe Lieberman

Lieberman lied to his supporters claiming that he was a devoted and supportive member of the Democratic Party. Once he lost the Connecticut primary, he immediately renounced the Democratic Party and listed himself as an “Independent” for the fall elections.

Why is his “lie” so bad? Because Lieberman claimed he was doing what was right for America and that he should be re-elected because of his actions. When he could not convince Democratic voters to re-elect him based on those convictions, he did not support the outcomes by stepping aside as the voters wanted. Lieberman’s unspoken truth is that his concerns for America are overshadowed by his desires for Lieberman.

Politics is one of the few jobs remaining in the US that can be considered a lifetime job. Less than 3 percent of legislators lose their jobs because of elections. The majority of vacancies are created because of retirement. For Lieberman to lose the primary was a monumental and rare event. It would have been a great demonstration of courage for him to concede defeat, “retire” and state that he will support the Democratic nominee.

Second example: Floyd Landis

Professional cycling is a grueling and not often appreciated sport. Lance Armstrong helped put cycling on a higher level appreciation because of his personal victories over cancer and his outstanding athletic abilities that made him a multiple event champion.

Floyd Landis looked like the improbable winner at this year’s Tour de France with just a few stages of the race remaining. Then, inexplicably, he lost a demanding stage that left him well behind the leaders. Thinking all was lost, Landis dropped his guard and went out for a night of “heavy” drinking, not something usually done by those in contention to win. After all, millions of dollars are at stake in future endorsements and contracts.

In what has been described as a Herculean effort, the next day, Landis on arguably the hardest stage of the race, easily defeated all other racers and put himself in third place less than a minute off the lead. Two days later he handily won the time-trial that left him about one minute ahead. The final day, he rode victorious into Paris and to the victory stand.

Two days later it was announced that Landis has tested positive for steroids, a test performed after his observed Herculean effort. A second sample tested a few days later confirmed the initial results. It will be the first time in the tour’s history that the champion will be stripped of his title.

Since the announcement of the test results, Landis has proclaimed his innocence and has put the blame on everything from natural high levels of testosterone to crooked lab officials to that night of heavy drinking. He made the rounds of TV and radio talk shows with his wife by his side to tell his side of the story.

During his interview, Jay Leno captured the right sentiment by stating that Landis just seems too smart not to know better. While the real story won’t be told for years, here are some possible explanations.

First, Landis believed that the race was over after losing the lead and falling to 13^th place. He used some performance enhancing drugs not expecting to win but just to recover and finish the tour. He never expected to win the next day, especially by such a large margin that put him in a position to win. After achieving the stunning victory he decided to press forward and hope that the drug would not show up during the test.

Second, might be the unexpected half-life of a designer steroid. Landis may have been using performance enhancing drugs all along expecting the chemicals to stay “hidden” until long after the end of the Tour. Instead, the half-life was miscalculated and turned up in the sample just days before the conclusion.

Third, the alcohol consumed the night before the “big” mountain stage win either unmasked the steroids or it was presumed that the alcohol would hide the presence of steroids. If Landis did not care about winning, the alcohol unmasked the steroids. If he thought he could still win, the alcohol was consumed to try and hide the steroids.

Regardless, Landis has created a scandal that hurts all Americans. Instead of being seen as an athletic warrior and role model, he will be disgraced and banned from future competition. People in other countries that already despise the US for its imperialism will now point to its athletes and claim drugs, not talent, are the reason why they won.

Unfortunately in this country Landis’ improbable come from behind victory only reinforces the idea to kids that taking drugs is a sure way to get recognition, scholarships or pro contracts. In close competitions those who take drugs do have an unfair advantage. For too many people, cheating is wrong only if you get caught; if caught, you lie to get sympathy.

Visit www.3MinuteLearning.com

GROWTH <> LEADERSHIP <> EXCELLENCE

© 2006 3 Minute Learning LLC

OBESITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE

Obese People Have Shorter, Less Healthy Lives

A study from Columbia University in New York has linked weight to longevity and quality of life. Obese men and women will decrease their life span by 3 years (quality of life is compromised for many years before death). They also found overweight and obese people have more mental and physical medical issues than normal weight people.

In the US, 136 million people are overweight or obese (there are about 300 million US residents). According to the research, an obese 30 year old has the same physical problems as someone 20 years older.

While dieting and exercise programs would help, most adults won’t commit to the time and effort these programs demand for success. The best prevention is to educate young children about healthy food choices and get them active. Like most behavioral issues, adult role modeling during the early ages will significantly impact decisions made later.

Schools may have a role to play in controlling weight and promoting fun physical activities but it is the parents and the life choices made at home that will ultimately determine the child’s well-being. Starting young is the right answer.

It is too hard for adults to change lifelong habits that are counter-productive to quality health. Even the body rebels at physical changes by controlling our metabolic set point and natural chemicals (like endorphins) that allows us to feel good about ourselves. Hence, the yo-yo effect of dieting.

Medicine will most likely figure out new ways to increase longevity. The problem is quality of life. What is gained by living a longer life in a state of health that requires constant professional care? Physical fitness has been tied to mental fitness, so the obese person won’t even be able to enjoy reading or watching TV in the years before they die. When we think of life, we think about things we enjoy doing and caring for ourselves. A definition of good health would have to include the person’s ability to say “yes or no.”

Finally, there is no question that overweight and obese people are disdained in our culture and treated with prejudice. Young children that don’t fit the profile of American youth are in for a very long school year. It doesn’t take too much bullying to completely wipe out the fibers of self-esteem.

Need Cash? Tell the US Government You Are a Farmer!

As the workplace struggles to pay employees a decent wage, the US Government is spending billions to farmers not to work. The US minimum wage pays a person just under $11,000 per year, well below the line of poverty. So as government officials work to eliminate individual welfare, government subsidies in agriculture has paid an average of $14.4 billion a year to farmers not to work. It would make more sense to allow farmers to grow crops and use the $14.4 billion to improve wages of non-farmers.

Considering that fuel alternatives such as E85 are in demand and in short supply, it seems counter-productive to pay farmers not to grow corn. But, that’s why we pay our Congressman hundreds of thousands of dollars every year to make these kinds of decisions.

Visit www.3MinuteLearning.com

GROWTH <> LEADERSHIP <> EXCELLENCE

© 2006 3 Minute Learning LLC