Posts by Angela Wright4

Thanks, I read through it.
But that logic doesn't really apply here because even if there was some kind of glitch during the wire transfer, the bailiff didn't receive the correct amount. Out of the two separate payments that hit the frozen account, the bailiff ended up getting... roughly 40% the first time and then 60% the second time?!?
That’s my point—he was sent much less than what should have actually gone through.

John Clark6, if we were talking about $167, I wouldn't have even noticed 😉
I just used small, round numbers to keep the proportions clear 🙂

Sure, they might be taking some, but are we really talking about thousands upon thousands of dollars? I mean, we're bordering on tens of thousands at this point, right? It just doesn't seem possible...

Where could the money have gone???

An account levy has started on my checking account following a court judgment.
I’ve been looking at my transaction history. My bank claims—and even provided a statement showing—that they transferred about $333 to the seizure account.
Then I check with the IRS, and they give me their own transaction report. According to their records, the amount collected via the levy was $167.

The actual amounts involved are much higher, but there is this consistent 2:1 discrepancy. What could possibly happen to the difference in funds that the IRS doesn't see, even though the bank insists they already sent it out??? Who do I contact to get this investigated? Everyone seems to be playing by their own set of rules and pointing fingers, while I'm just left here wondering where the money actually went. Seriously, who should I reach out to...

And they aren't just looking for an employee. In today’s market, you don't just hire a worker like you're picking up a head of lettuce at a grocery store.
What they’re actually searching for is a colleague. Someone they can truly collaborate with, sit next to all day, and build something meaningful through teamwork...
That’s why the interview process feels so strange sometimes, with all those odd questions. They're trying to see if you're a cultural fit. It sounds like you really made a great impression on them personally, you know? Congratulations!

Angela Wright4 said:As long as computer science remains just an elective, there isn’t much point in even having this discussion. They should be prioritizing history and geography over tech. Back in 2014... they even scheduled it during the afternoon shift at the largest high school in the city, which basically screwed over the 25% of students who rely on public transit, not to mention another 25% who couldn't show up because they had music lessons or other commitments... I think I've made my point sufficiently...

Well, that would require actual effort from the Department of Education, or maybe even the state agency, but nobody there is ever going to lift a finger to make a change like that.

Then you have my fifth grader; on Monday, he walks in and realizes he has... wait for it... eight!!! classes scheduled back-to-back... Who on earth approves a schedule like that...

We all seem to be hitting that number eight lately... Eight classes on a Monday, eight pounds of heavy textbooks in the backpack... It would be a blessing if they didn't also assign eight tests a week. But they can certainly squeeze in four. And it seems some teachers take full advantage of that, quite a few times throughout the school year...
It isn't even a matter of negligence. Yesterday, the homeroom teacher told us there wouldn't be any breaks until Christmas break. Fine. Then I get home, pull up the district's academic calendar, and—oops—it shows a scheduled break around October 10th. So, who exactly is out of the loop here? Is it the homeroom teacher, the IT coordinator, the counselor??? Or maybe the Principal who doesn't bother checking the school website??? Some people actually care about this, and they could really benefit from accurate information...

How can we even talk about educational reform when they can't manage to provide basic, accurate information through their own systems? If they can't handle that, how could they ever successfully implement real changes...

As long as computer science remains just an elective, there isn’t much point in even having this discussion. They should be prioritizing history and geography over tech. Back in 2014... they even scheduled it during the afternoon shift at the largest high school in the city, which basically screwed over the 25% of students who rely on public transit, not to mention another 25% who couldn't show up because they had music lessons or other commitments... I think I've made my point sufficiently...

Well, that would require actual effort from the Department of Education, or maybe even the state agency, but nobody there is ever going to lift a finger to make a change like that.

Then you have my fifth grader; on Monday, he walks in and realizes he has... wait for it... eight!!! classes scheduled back-to-back... Who on earth approves a schedule like that...

They’re offering these kids factory tours, trying to make everything look all exciting and high-tech. We have over a thousand eighth graders enrolled.
Only three groups signed up, totaling maybe twenty students??? Good grief, everyone is going to be a doctor, I guess—why would they bother looking at blue-collar jobs...

I heard Russia has the highest percentage of highly educated people... I should probably do a little digging online to verify that.

On another note, I’m actually wondering about something else: who am I supposed to complain to about my fifth grader having to lug around 8kg of gear to school tomorrow? And get this, there was even a presentation on it today.
Seriously though, which damn department at the Department of Education should I write to? I am absolutely livid that my child has to haul all this weight. 8 kg??? In fifth grade???????? We’ve completely lost our minds here!

Regarding math and the rest of the elementary curriculum... we actually underwent a four-year teaching program, and on top of that, we had to pass seven different exams from the College of Arts and Sciences, taught by professors from the College of Arts and Sciences, all following their specific curriculum.

In my opinion, even that was overkill, considering how much math is actually covered in grades 5 through 8. But honestly... why would you need five years of heavy mathematics from the College of Arts and Sciences just to teach basic concepts to kids in middle school? We have incredibly bright students graduating from those programs; they should be doing something more lucrative, more useful, or—let's face it—more intellectually stimulating than explaining fractions to teenagers during puberty.

I’d go as far as to say that those of us with the specialized teaching degree might actually be better at conveying this material to elementary students because, perhaps, our methodology is superior? I mean, maybe. My students, who study math from 5th to 8th grade and are trained in general classroom instruction, aren't any less capable than the pure mathematicians from the College of Arts and Sciences. In fact, my students often achieve even better results than the children taught by the other group.

It would be fascinating to run a side-by-side comparison of student success rates—specifically in math—between those taught by College of Arts and Sciences graduates and those taught by teachers with an enhanced math background. Actually, the national testing center holds that data, but they keep those results strictly confidential.......... shhh, we wouldn't want anyone finding out who is actually performing well. Or rather: who isn't.

I have to admit, the literature you’re discussing isn't really my cup of tea.
Back in high school, I completely skipped the required reading because, honestly, it just couldn't hold my attention at that age; I’d start a quote, and it felt like nothing would ever actually happen...
It wasn't until much later that I picked some of it up again, mostly just to stay cultured, you know, but even then, it never quite clicked for me.
I did pick up *The Naked Truth 2*, though—mostly because I ran out of things to read while on vacation and it had just been released, so I figured, why not see what the fuss was about? I wasn't expecting a life lesson, but I will say it definitely gave me a good laugh.

But, if I may pivot to something that’s been weighing on my mind: I recently started reading *The Forest*. It's one of those mandatory books they assign in elementary school. Most of us probably agree that there’s plenty of value to be found in the story, and perhaps even some lessons worth discussing...
The real catch, though—and excuse my language here—is that without a modern translation, kids today simply cannot grasp it. Having to quote the text only to find yourself searching for a definition for every third line is incredibly frustrating for a child.
And that's just one example of how outdated school reading lists can be. That's why students struggle with reading; that's why they struggle to express themselves. It might not be the only reason, but it certainly plays a massive part...

urbantinker8 said:And is that really all they’re supposed to pick up after eight years of schooling?😕
If that were actually the case, it would be pretty tragic, I guess.
My three-and-a-half-year-old son already knows how to pronounce words properly, explain things coherently, and state his own mind.
So, am I just supposed to drop him off for first grade and assume learning how to spell is enough for the whole journey?

I always did love a good generalization.
Like, "every teacher is useless" or "all children are perfect."🙄

Besides, one should probably realize that it's the Department of Education, not the teachers or principals, who forbids disrupting classes.
There are specific requirements for weekly, monthly, and annual instructional hours that have to be met.
No matter how important, engaging, or useful your presentations might be, they simply have to take place when school isn't in session.😉
At my school, presentations and workshops are held exclusively in the evenings, on Saturdays, or during non-instructional days, like holidays.

And I really can't wrap my head around which districts have schools so dark and seemingly untouchable that they become easy targets for intruders.

Security check-ins at the door are mandatory; if that isn't happening somewhere, someone should probably have a word with the principal.

If a topic is already officially part of the curriculum, I would assume there’s enough flexibility to schedule it whenever the instructor is actually available. Most parents can't make it in the afternoon because the transit options just aren't there... even our parent-teacher conferences are held during the morning shift to accommodate everyone.

After ten years in the classroom, I’ve learned that there are almost always extra hours left over at the end of the school year. Because of that, missing just one hour during my entire teaching tenure—especially when working in a group setting—doesn't feel like a major disruption to the curriculum. Besides, these adjustments are often baked right into the state-mandated syllabus and the overall academic curriculum anyway...

Kids... they're mostly just wonderful...
Parents... what can I even say? I find myself thinking, more often than I should probably admit, "poor kids"...
School staff... honestly, I’d be more inclined to give them a minus than a plus most days. If you ever step foot in one of those rural district schools, you’ll see exactly what I mean—they’re practically lounging around in sweatpants. It’s especially jarring when they start discussing curriculum or instructional matters while looking like they’re headed to the gym... Then you have the specialists who only bother showing up once the morning rush of dropping kids off at daycare or preschool is over, usually strolling in around 9:00 AM. And the principal? They just seem perfectly fine with it. Even when the principal heads home to whip up lunch and then wanders back to the office, it’s all supposedly "on the clock." Please, don't think for a second that I'm exaggerating or trying to make things sound more dramatic than they actually are. At the end of the day, I am just a mother watching my wonderful boy navigate the same educational system that his peers across all of America deal with. This isn't even his specific school, and the staff there aren't necessarily better or worse than anyone else's... it just hits closer to home for me because I know exactly how the gears turn behind the scenes. I even worked at that very school for a while...

Maybe I’m not expressing myself quite right—I know I tend to repeat myself, using terms like "constantly" or "frequently"—but when you spend year after year working with hundreds, actually thousands of people, those heavy negatives just seem to follow you everywhere. They are impossible to miss, and there truly are so many of them. Meanwhile, the genuinely good people in our school systems don't really stand out; they don't make much noise. I know they're out there, of course, but it's the "bad" ones who always grab the headlines... that’s just how I see things...

Just because your child—and mine—is being raised with a decent sense of values and solid role models doesn't mean everyone else is getting that same treatment. I’m telling you this as someone who works in education: you only see what's happening within the walls of your own school district. In my line of work, I interact with over a thousand elementary schoolers, both individually and in groups, and honestly... the overall impression I get is nothing short of terrifying. From basic literacy to a total lack of fundamental life knowledge, it's a mess. And please don't ask me for specific examples. It's the general lack of common sense—like kids thinking they don't even need to get out of bed if something is less than four inches away from them, or their complete inability to navigate a simple directory... things like that...
People generally struggle much more with expressing themselves clearly in writing than they do when speaking...

People really ought to master the basics of everyday language—being able to express themselves clearly and articulate an actual opinion without stumbling over their words.

I am honestly terrified by the sheer negligence and apathy shown by certain teachers and staff members. They seem to operate under this delusion that they are untouchable, acting as if their specific subject matter is just as vital as every single comma and period in their textbooks... It’s almost laughable when they send me these formal notices insisting that I absolutely must schedule a presentation at their school (as if it were a mandate), yet they claim they can't accommodate me during regular class hours because those shouldn't be "disturbed" this year, while simultaneously stressing how much they desperately need me to show up...

It’s a strange feeling. You look out the window, maybe see some gray clouds rolling in over the suburbs, and then you walk into the building only to find the lights dimmed and the main entrance completely deserted. I know the layouts of most of these districts by now, so I know where I'm headed, but in the early days, I used to wander aimlessly through the hallways, checking door signs one by one just to figure out who was located where... searching for an office just to ask for someone's room number. You can't even catch a janitor in the halls, let alone anyone else.
I find it deeply unsettling.

And as for the security protocols... I don't know. If having a check-in process is standard, fine, but then it should be implemented across the board. Right now, it’s only happening in about two out of the fifty schools I work with. This means that in most schools in my county, someone could essentially wander the halls unnoticed. It's only in a handful of locations that you actually find a staff member stationed at the entrance.

The only thing that truly matters here is the children.

urbantinker8 said:Since we’re already talking about "rote memorization," I think it would be helpful if you could clarify exactly what you mean by that.☕

Are we talking about multiplication tables?
Grammar rules and case endings?
Key dates from history class?
The chronological order of art movements?
Memorizing symbols from the periodic table?
Or maybe just learning vocabulary and verb conjugations in a foreign language?

🤷

It feels like everything just gets lumped into one big pile, and honestly, people tend to exaggerate whenever the topic of the American education system comes up.

I’m not saying textbooks aren't full of useless filler sometimes, but I feel like there's a massive overstatement regarding this idea of "cramming irrelevant facts," and it seems like a lot of people are just making assumptions without actually looking at how things work in a real classroom.
I suppose some things that many might dismiss as mere rote memorization are actually fundamental parts of a general culture.☕

Honestly, it feels completely pointless to me. Why are we teaching kids these things when they’re just going to end up spending their entire lives painting walls or working on a factory assembly line once they hit seventeen...

And I’m lucky enough to work with kids (no, I’m not a plumber)... 🙂 I work with people at every single level, even those who have already finished their formal schooling—they come to me for one-on-one sessions, group workshops, or whatever else they might need... 🙂 I've been following them for years... and I'm not just talking for clout; this is my actual profession... 🙂
I also work in parallel with their instructors, specialists, and principals. In other words, I actually know them personally, and we have regular conversations...
And then I find myself sitting there, just watching and comparing everything. It’s honestly terrifying to witness... and deeply, deeply saddening.

What bothers me most is walking into a school building and having that intrusive thought creep in: if I were actually unhinged, I could just... plant a bomb, and nobody would ever suspect a thing. Do you know what I mean? Just total isolation. There’s absolutely no one around. Honestly, the people who constantly try to save on electricity drive me crazy—I walk into a classroom and it’s pitch black. Well, more like semi-darkness. It feels more like shadow than light... and then you have the kids just babbling away right before the bell rings... good grief...

And then it happens all over again—I walk into these schools, and they immediately hit me with, "May I see some ID, please?" Honestly, it’s such a hassle... though, I suppose I'd rather deal with that than walk into a school building and find absolutely nobody stationed at the entrance...

Angela Wright4 said:I am incredibly frustrated with the state of education here in America. Working with all levels—elementary, middle, and high school—it honestly makes me feel sick to my stomach when I see the sheer scale of the issues we're facing. 🙂

If you asked for my opinion, I’d actually advocate for streaming students into different tracks after elementary school. It would prevent kids who are likely going to struggle with traditional academics their whole lives from being forced to grind through useless trivia in every single subject. It feels so pointless to make them memorize obscure grammar rules or facts about Mesopotamia. Honestly, just give me a break... It would be far more valuable if they learned how to actually use language correctly through real conversation and writing, rather than just rote memorization of textbook definitions.

As for the students who have the drive and the ability to go further, let them dive deep into everything. But even then, instead of just cramming facts that might be obsolete by next year, they should be taught how to research, how to analyze, and how to reach their own conclusions. We need to teach them how to think, not just what to remember.

The truth is, our schools are largely failing. There are exceptions, of course, but they are rare.

sorry, in my county alone, there are about 50 schools

I am incredibly frustrated with the state of education here in America. Working with all levels—elementary, middle, and high school—it honestly makes me feel sick to my stomach when I see the sheer scale of the issues we're facing. 🙂

If you asked for my opinion, I’d actually advocate for streaming students into different tracks after elementary school. It would prevent kids who are likely going to struggle with traditional academics their whole lives from being forced to grind through useless trivia in every single subject. It feels so pointless to make them memorize obscure grammar rules or facts about Mesopotamia. Honestly, just give me a break... It would be far more valuable if they learned how to actually use language correctly through real conversation and writing, rather than just rote memorization of textbook definitions.

As for the students who have the drive and the ability to go further, let them dive deep into everything. But even then, instead of just cramming facts that might be obsolete by next year, they should be taught how to research, how to analyze, and how to reach their own conclusions. We need to teach them how to think, not just what to remember.

The truth is, our schools are largely failing. There are exceptions, of course, but they are rare.

Just a quick thought based on my own experience for anyone currently sitting on the fence....

I went through a rhinoplasty first to fix a small bump on my profile and a wide tip.
After the first one, I was clearly unhappy with the results, so I went back to the same surgeon for a revision.
And even after the second surgery—well, I was still miserable. I remember coming onto this very forum to vent about how everything was wrong, how there was no difference, how much it hurt, blah blah blah...

But I have to admit, looking back from where I am now... five months post-op from the revision, I’m actually really happy with it. When I look at old photos, I can hardly believe the massive difference, especially considering what I looked like before that first procedure.
And let’s be honest—my nose tip is naturally quite wide, and it’s never going to look like... I don't know, someone else's. We have to be realistic. Just look at someone like Cameron Diaz or Blake Lively; they have all the money and resources in the world, and even they don't have those tiny, narrow tips.

So, we need to stay grounded and not go into this thinking everyone can achieve an ultra-slim tip. Of course, a doctor can mess up, but if they do, there's usually a way to fix it.
I just wanted to offer a little comfort. After two rounds of being totally dissatisfied, I am finally at peace with my look.

Is everyone actually performing audits at all?

I didn't even have a mold, let alone a tampon, for at least 24 hours...

I was trying to edit my post, but it won't let me: I'm experiencing some pain, specifically when I wipe my nose. Even when I'm being extremely gentle after washing up, it still hurts... and heaven forbid I have to wipe myself elsewhere...

Does anyone else experience pain in the area behind the ear following surgery? It doesn't really feel swollen anymore...

I’ve been struggling quite a bit over the last few days, and honestly, I’m almost afraid to even breathe deeply at home. It feels like I might actually need to see my doctor... though maybe I’m just being dramatic. I was wondering if anyone else here has had nasal surgery, specifically focusing on the tip of the nose?

About a year ago, I underwent my first rhinoplasty. It was done under general anesthesia, required about two or three days in the hospital, and was purely cosmetic. The result? It narrowed my nostrils and smoothed out a small bump on my profile. But the tip—the tip remained completely untouched. It still looks wide and thick... which was actually my biggest complaint to begin with.

So, nearly a year later, I went back to the doctor and told them that this really bothers me (besides, I paid for a result, and I want one). We agreed on a second procedure, this time performed under local anesthesia... The result? The tip is still exactly the same. Now, a month after this second operation, I can't even let anyone touch it—God forbid my husband or child tries to give me a kiss, because the pain is absolutely blinding. And if I lift my head even slightly, you can see that the septum isn't straight; there's a visible notch where it was cut, with the lower part shifting to one side before the upper part continues diagonally toward the tip. It’s just senseless.

I feel like I've wasted my money and gone through all this misery, all while feeling like I have to keep it quiet because people already laughed at me for wanting to fix my nose in the first place...

Does it hurt when you touch it? I mean specifically the tip of the nose? I can't quite remember, but after my first surgery, I don't think I felt any pain at all, if I recall correctly?
One morning I went out for a walk, and it was quite cold outside. Well, the tip of my nose started hurting like crazy, right from the inside?!? What could that be? Has anyone else experienced something similar? I’m torn on whether I should wait a little longer or just go see the doctor immediately...