Thank God for PBS

Today I arrived home after an extremely long day. I left the house at 6:30 a.m. to go to drive to a neighboring school division where a colleague and I are heading up the rewriting of the Local Plan for Gifted Education. This is a monumental task particularly where we are the proverbial messengers to be shot as we explain new state requirements. Ah, well, I have a tough hide. Actually, the work is going well, but it is brain draining. My colleague and I left at 3:00 just in time to race back to the university where we were scheduled to meet with the architect who is designing the new building that will house the College of Education and the College of Business. My grandmother always told me to ask because while I might get a "No" in response, I might, at times, get a "Yes" at times. I dream big and so if my opinion is asked I'm ready to give it. Here is what I proposed. [Note: This is in conjunction with my two colleagues who are part of the ECU Gifted Education Team.]

Goal: To become the National Southeast Regional Center for Gifted Education

The East Carolina Gifted Education Program is growing at an exceptionally fast pace. At present there are 90 teachers and graduate students on a waiting list to take the four-course gifted sequence. We anticipate this growth to continue and to increase dramatically over the next five years.

Specific Building Needs:

1. 10 Classrooms with flexible dividers so that they can become five double-sized classrooms; each of the ten rooms needs videoconferencing capability.

Rationale:

-Gifted middle and high school students will be attending programs on campus throughout the academic year.

-Summer AIG Camp serves gifted fourth and fifth graders. Program expansion will result in our serving approximately 100 gifted students in grades 4-5 and later 60+ in grades 6-12.

-Annual gifted conference will need a minimum of ten breakout session rooms.

-Face-to-face graduate classes held during the Summer AIG Camp, which is a graduate student practicum requirement.

2. Bathrooms located near the ten classrooms to meet the needs of the public school students who participate in our programs.

3. Graduate student workroom large enough for six graduate student workstations, storage, and equipment such as photocopiers.

4. Auditorium that seats up to 150 persons.

5. Large workroom for professors with ample storage for AIG program materials and equipment.

6. 6 offices for ECU professors to use during the AIG Camp and during the academic year when hosting middle and high school gifted students. Visiting professors and other professionals in the field also will use these offices.

7. Computer lab and secure storage for technology. AIG students, K-12 and ECU AIG Program faculty will use this lab.

8. Kitchen with cabinets and large amount of counter space, ice machine, and sink.

9. Exterior tables and benches for outside lab work, K-12 gifted students.

10. Designated parking for high school students and parents.

11. Easy access for drop-off and pick-up of children that is large enough for school buses.

12. Secure library.

Okay. I was ready to meet with the architect knowing that he would probably faint or laugh out loud at our requests. My colleague and I arrived with a few minutes to spare and we met in the appointed room a bit early. No architect was there which was puzzling because there were to be back-to-back 30-minute meetings between 3:00 and 5:00. We raced around trying to find out if the room had been rescheduled, but never did find out. Finally, in frustration, we left. ARGH!

I arrived home about 5:40 with a lengthy to-do list (what's new, eh?), poured myself a class of herbal iced tea and sat down in front of my computer. I decided to have a little background noise, so I flipped on CNN and turned the volume down low. As I did this I glanced at the screen and it said, "Anna Nicole Smith 1967-2007". Puzzled, I turned up the sound and learned that Anna Nicole had died today. What happened next highlights what I believe is probably the biggest problem the USA faces today. Every single news channel had gone into "all-Anna-Nicole-all-the-time" mode. As a celebrity, Anna Nicole's death probably did need to be reported, and any death is sad. Think of the 650,00 Iraquis we have helped kill. However, there are far bigger issues facing the USA today--war in Iraq, children in poverty, affordable health care/health insurance, just to name a few. Here is what puzzles me: Why are Americans more interested in the death of a celebrity than they are in issues that are of much greater importance to their lives and well being? When 6:00 arrived, I was convinced that the channels would immediately switch to national and international news. Not a chance!! It remained Anna Nicole, Anna Nicole, Anna Nicole. I did what I usually do at 6:00 and switched over to the Lehrer report on PBS. It is now 6:29 and NOT ONE WORD has been mentioned about Anna Nicole Smith. What would we do without PBS? It is the most in-depth and reliable news source that we have. Fair and balanced--unlike Fox that claims to be--PBS consistently looks at all sides of an issue and provides more than a quick sound bite about important topics.

I am glad that my taxes pay for PBS. 'Nuff said.