I’m a high school teacher. On Thursday we had a scheduled lock-down drill. After this shooting, I took it upon myself to explain to my kids how very real and necessary the lock-down drills are to keeping them safe. I had to coach them on the safest places in the classroom to hide so they wouldn’t be seen from the…

Very much agree. I’m also a HS teacher, and my seniors have been so frustrated this year that they can’t vote yet and couldn’t vote last year (we live in a red patch of CA). I figure 16 is when you’re a junior and are taking US history, perfect timing to learn the voting process abd teach how important it is. Hell if…

What they were thinking when they chose it, I have no clue. I know so many books that are better at the anti-bullying message and dealing with MI.

The main reason for my decision was that I felt the book did a really poor job at depicting resources for mental health. It painted a picture that the main character had no options and that no one wanted to help her (spoiler: she walks out on her counselor without saying anying but blames him for not stopping her). I…

Seems very possible. My fellow 9th grade ELA teachers teach 13 Reasons. After reading half, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. It just had issues for me that came off as misrepresenting mental illness that I couldn’t get over having seceral MI diagnoses myself and having attempted suicide.

Exactly. There’s better ways to ask this question. My usual response to that question is “I was born in East LA”, then the go into the “and your parents?”. I don’t hide my immigrant roots, but I also don’t like being treated like I’m not American enough because I’m not white. Once people hear my name though, the first…

I’ve had too many racist idiots tell me that one. I’m bilingual. English was my second language. I find it depressing that I’m more proficient in 2 languages than these “English-only” idiots will ever be in one.

How many times do we have to re-hash the fact that the US has no official language?

I’ll pass on him too...

You just brought the horrifying idea to my mind that he might try to sing Prince...

Dude thanks for assuming a bunch of shit about me just because I told the truth. Might blow your mind that I’m from a similar background and look like a lot of the kids I taught.

Worst part is that the abortion is probably the whole reason she fled her home country. In Central America, abortion is 100% illegal in most countries and carries a life sentence. It is severely restricted in Mexico as well. Abortion is still legal in this country and I am LIVID these fucks at ORR and in this clown…

When the law was amended through ballot measure in 2012, it was added that current 3-strikes concicts could petition to have their sentences reduced because strikes must be classified as serious or violent crimes. I’m guessing this will expand on the number of people eligible for this petition.

Considering they’re home to Oaksterdam, not surprised. I lived and taught in Oakland. It’s wonderful but insanely dangerous. Trying to undo the negative effects of the war on drugs there will go a long way to helping bring up the community. I had too many kids in my classes who had family and friends in jail for…

I agree. The state is too huge and too diverse to be one identifiable culture. I’m not sure people from smaller states get that. Do we expect NY down through to the Florida border to be a monoculture?

It didn’t, but the mainstream stopped playing it. There’s tons of great new bands and new stuff by older bands, but it’s stuck on paid satellite rock stations. My local rock FM station was killed and replaced with the classic rock station. I love classic rock, but there are literally no contemporary rock stations…

The special edition blu-ray (cause I’m a nerd) has a great mini-doc on the making of the music and all of the collaboration that went into it, not to mention Opetaia’s role in keeping it all authentic to the cultures they were showcasing. It’s disappointing to see him get overlooked (Lin is amazingly talented, but he…

In this case sugar, coffee, beef, and banana companies are to blame. Bannana Republic ain’t just a store.

Yes. There’s nearly 200k citizen children in limbo right know who will go into the foster system, stay with friends/citizen family, or go live in a violent country they’ve never been to.

Often when one member of the immediate family resolves their status, the rest of the family can adjust their status. Depending on your state’s courts, you might be able to get them residency when his green card comes through. My mom could have done this when my dad got his green card 5 years ago, but she didn’t have…