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Oklahoma's governor compared teachers to bratty teens. We should stand with them.

While every school district is different, most of us have at least heard about the many schools in our public education system that are just not doing well.

Materials are out of date, there aren't enough resources for every student, and teachers, who are already overworked — no, they don't really get summers off — aren't getting paid enough. In fact, as the National Education Association points out, teachers can actually earn less pay each year as the requirements for their job become more and more daunting. That's why so many of them have second jobs.

That's not all: Teachers often have to pay out of pocket for required ongoing training and dip into their own bank accounts (or turn to GoFundMe or Donors Choose) to source crucial classroom supplies. On top of all that, they are often expected to be not just instructors but counselors, de facto parents, and confidantes for many of their students.


A protester at the state capitol in Oklahoma. Photo by J Pat Carter/AFP/Getty Images.

All that and no living wage? It'd be enough to make most people walk out of their job.

That's why the teachers strike in Oklahoma is so important. But the teachers aren't just striking for themselves. Although Gov. Mary Fallin signed a measure that would give teachers an annual pay raise of around $6,100 (they had asked for $10,000, and $5,000 for support staff), educators abandoned their classrooms this week to fight for those who couldn't fight for themselves: the students.

According to CNN, Oklahoma has seen school funding drop by 28% over the past decade, leading to unthinkable class sizes (one special education classroom, a teacher said, had reached 40 students), textbooks that are embarrassingly out of date, and harsh limits on even the smallest items — with some schools being limited to making only 30 paper copies per week. And that's at the heart of what educators are fighting for: More funding for their schools — aka a brighter future for students.  

What does Gov. Fallin think of all this? She compared the instructors to "bratty teens."

Speaking to CBS on April 3, Fallin basically compared the educators' protest to something you might see on an old episode of that show about spoiled teens, "My Super Sweet 16." You know, where a kid has a meltdown because their parents gave them their Lexus too early.

"Teachers want more," Fallin said, "but it's like kind of having a teenage kid that wants a better car."

Yes, except for the fact that a "better car" is something one wants, while a strong educational foundation is something that children absolutely need.

A student at the state capitol during the teachers' walkout in Oklahoma. ​Photo by Scott Heins/Getty Images​.

And it's even less of a pertinent talking point when you realize that before Fallin approved this raise, Oklahoma teachers hadn't had one for 10 years.   Or when you consider that Oklahoma ranks at 49 in the nation when it comes to teacher salaries, even though median wages in other professions in the state aren't so far behind.

One teacher did the math on her wages and found that her salary broke down to just about $12 an hour. As the BBC video below shows, one teacher has only 29 books for more than 80 students. There are no art classes. No nurses. In some districts, children only go to school four days a week.

The reality for teachers in Oklahoma is grim.

"Our students don't have BOOKS, guys," educator Beth Wallis wrote in a now-viral Facebook post. "Our classrooms are sitting 30 deep and my district has it MADE compared to any of the major public schools in the state (40-50 students per class). We had over 1,800 emergency certifications this last year in the state. You think your kids are being taught by the most qualified, experienced teachers? They're gone. The few of us who've stayed behind do it ONLY for the kids."

That's why we need to stand with both the teachers and students in Oklahoma.

First of all, these teachers aren't being bratty when they demand more support for their students and for themselves. And Fallin's dig at teens doesn't reflect reality either. After all, America's teens are currently at the forefront of a national conversation on gun control.

The bottom line is this: Teachers deserve better than they're getting. And so do the students.

They deserve up to date books, engaging learning materials, and instructors who are fairly paid, if still overworked (it's unlikely that will ever change). When the next generation is better educated than the last, we all win.

Until we move closer to that solution, though, we shouldn't malign teachers as bratty teens for leaving their classrooms empty. We should champion for the changes they're working so hard to create.

Pop Culture

Here’s a paycheck for a McDonald’s worker. And here's my jaw dropping to the floor.

So we've all heard the numbers, but what does that mean in reality? Here's one year's wages — yes, *full-time* wages. Woo.

Making a little over 10,000 for a yearly salary.


I've written tons of things about minimum wage, backed up by fact-checkers and economists and scholarly studies. All of them point to raising the minimum wage as a solution to lifting people out of poverty and getting folks off of public assistance. It's slowly happening, and there's much more to be done.

But when it comes right down to it, where the rubber meets the road is what it means for everyday workers who have to live with those wages. I honestly don't know how they do it.

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Joy

5-star Scottish resort offers whimsical afternoon tea experience with 'naughty sheep'

Cameron House's Woolly Wellness retreat includes tea in the garden with adorably rude guests.

Cameron House/Naughty Sheep

Cameron House's Woolly Wellness retreat includes a unique sheep encounter.

Remember when "goat yoga" was all the rage? And then "cow cuddling" and "turkey cuddling" made everyone's bucket lists?

Now we can add "nuzzling with naughty sheep" to the mix, but with a fancy Scottish twist.

Less than an hour from Glasgow, Scotland, the Cameron House resort sits on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, looking as if it were plucked straight out of a fairy tale. Sprawling green grounds, gorgeous lake views and a four-story castled mansion greet guests as their "home away from home" (only better), and a perusal of the reviews show guests raving about the 5-star resort's elegance, beauty and exceptional service.

I mean, just look at this place:

drone view of cameron house grounds and lakeCameron House sit on Lake Lochmond in Scotland.Cameron House


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A pitbull stares at the window, looking for the mailman.


Dogs are naturally driven by a sense of purpose and a need for belonging, which are all part of their instinctual pack behavior. When a dog has a job to do, it taps into its needs for structure, purpose, and the feeling of contributing to its pack, which in a domestic setting translates to its human family.

But let’s be honest: In a traditional domestic setting, dogs have fewer chores they can do as they would on a farm or as part of a rescue unit. A doggy mom in Vancouver Island, Canada had fun with her dog’s purposeful uselessness by sharing the 5 “chores” her pitbull-Lab mix does around the house.

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@caitlin.the.realtor/TikTok, used with permission

Wait, so 90's fashion is in, but 90's hair is out?

Every era has its own version of what’s attractive. And very rarely does that aesthetic hold power with the following generation. In fact, it often becomes the opposite of cool.

Just think of Elvis. He might have been a universal sex symbol for a time, but it also wasn’t long before his pompadour became passé. Same goes for Paul Newman’s rugged manliness, David Cassidy’s babyface, Tom Selleck’s mustache. Indeed, for everything a season.

Which brings us to the 90s. The age of beach blonde surfer boys (real surfing skills not required, but a plus). Of flannel, lots of flannel, and super chiseled bodies. Let’s not forget this was the dawning of the term “metrosexual,” and also the time period that brought us that Calvin Klein ad with Mark Wahlburg.

How exactly would these guys measure up with the Gen Z kids today?

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popular

A wild Eurasian crow befriended a toddler and won't leave his side

Crows are so much smarter than we think.

A Eurasian crow.

A family from Denmark has created a touching video montage documenting their unique friendship with a wild Eurasian crow. This crow, affectionately named Russell, has become an honorary member of their household, forming special bonds with each family member, including the pets.

However, the crow's relationship with their son, 2-year-old Otto, is truly extraordinary. “They could spend hours just playing,” Otto’s mother, Laerke Luna, says in a video shared by The Dodo. "When Otto is outside, he will never leave Otto’s side.”

Russell, the free-spirited crow, ventures away from the family's home from time to time, but never for too long. He always comes back and announces his return by tapping on the door, swooping in to lounge on the sofa, or awaiting Otto's return from school atop their roof.

“When we are inside, he will sit inside the window because he wants Otto to go outside with him,” Laerke said.

The family’s relationship with Russell didn’t come out of nowhere. When Russell was a young bird, he had health problems so the family took him and nursed the bird back to health. Eventually, they witnessed his first attempts to fly.

Recently, Russell became friends with another family member, their second child, Hedwig. Although he does get a little annoyed with the bird’s frequent attempts to nab his pacifier.

Even though it’s rare for humans to strike up such a close bond with a crow, according to research, it’s not that surprising. Audubon says that crows are “some of the smartest animals in the world” with an intelligence “on par with chimpanzees.” They are also very social and family-oriented, so no wonder Russell loves Otto and his family.

Crow Named Russell Waits For His Favorite Kid To Get Home From School | The Dodo


Learning

Why you shouldn't throw your dishwasher pod into the bottom of your dishwasher

Dishwashers actually use the dirty water to know how to wash your dishes.

Photos by cottonbro studio and PhotoMIX Ltd. via Canva

Why your detergent shouldn't go in the bottom of the dishwasher

There always seem to be something going on with the pods and powders you're supposed to use in the dishwasher to clean your dishes. Either the pods don't dissolve completely or the powder gets all goopy and hard, never really fully dispensing into the dishwasher.

The inconsistency in product dispensing can leave you wondering if the dishes are even getting cleaned, causing some to toss the detergent pod into the bottom of the dishwasher. It would seem that placing the detergent at the bottom would allow for it to actually reach your dirty dishes. But Melissa Pateras, a domestic expert, explains that doing it that way isn't doing what you think it's doing.

Pateras actually breaks down exactly how dishwashers work to clean your dishes while explaining why putting the detergent on the bottom is ineffective.

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