Hello June, 2021 !

 Well, I’m taking a big leap of faith! 

I’m relocating to Florida & focusing on teaching in higher education, college. 

This is my last week of giving final exams, well I’m ending with presentation points! 

My own child’s High School graduation is this upcoming weekend.

I’m feeling all kinds of things, happiness, a little sad but mostly accomplished! 

Accomplished in supporting my child in this milestone! 

Accomplished in leaving my classroom to a new person, we are all replaceable & I hope they enjoy teaching there as much as I did! 

Accomplished that I’m able to stay afloat toward my new journey. 

Will I find my place there? 

Will I lose my path? 

Will I get distracted?

My fears are at ease because of my faith. 

I’ve been praying for these plans/dreams for years. 

As a divorce survivor, I have learned to make the best of what you get and how to redefine what you thought your life was, or what it would be. 

I’m no stranger to sacrificing. 

As a mother & a teacher, I’ve learned to listen & then pick my battles. All in an effort, to support others in their goals & dreams. 

I don’t know why when my own goals/dreams start to come to fruition, that I start to feel like I’m being too selfish? 

Will the rug be pulled out from under me? 

I have to take a moment, breathe, just breathe & soak up each day! 

Gotta remind myself that every thing happens for a reason & that I got this !

Mrs. Mc.'s Columbus City School Board of Educaiton, Public Participation Presentation Speech 5-5-21

Presented 5-5-21 approximately 5:40 pm

"Good Evening, 

President Adair,  Vice president Reye,  Treasurer Bahorek, Internal Auditor Smith, Members of the Board and Superintendent Dr. Dixon, 

Hi, I am Rebecca McGrath, a proud Alumnus of East High School and Fort Hays Career Center. Currently in my 22nd year at CCS, I teach at Columbus Downtown High School.

 In the Fall of 2019, at the FCCLA, Family Community and Career Leaders of America Fall Leadership Conference, my students were challenged to survey the community as part of Families Acting For Traffic Safety, FACTS.

Around that same time, a CCS middle school student was walking to her bus stop, was struck by two vehicles and passed away from her injuries. 

My students filled out the FCCLA FACTS survey and we passed out 50 more.

In December 2019, my CDHS-ECE advisory committee members completed the survey too. 

We got approximately 35 returned surveys by January 2020. 

Please watch our video at this time, created by our results and thoughts;

https://youtube.com/shorts/zhtqYJgVuAI?feature=share

In the video I cite, Sandra R. William’s, Ohio Senator who in Fall of 2019 proposed Ohio bill 218 prohibit public schools from beginning the school day earlier than 8:30 AM. My High School students really agreed with her!

In November 2020, after Covid pandemic at home schooling ended for some and my CCS career tech returned, my students and I created the paper FACTS survey into a Google form.

 As of April 2021, we have gotten similar results.

At the March 3, 2020 CCS BOE meeting at 16 minutes in, Parent Jasmine Penny well explains issues of 25 minute late bus and unsafe neighborhood conditions at her child’s bus stop.

She asked about a bus stop watch sign up for parents.

Years of similar stories with, same problems.

I’m suggesting a committee;

One who previews routes for bussers and walkers at the time CCS children will be using them. Two assign safety and security to certain locations.

Building relationships starts before they even get to a classroom. 

Thank you and I hope you hear the seriousness of our CCS walkers and bussers. 

The dangers our children can face are real, before they even get to a classroom and we need real solutions and change. 

Thank you." -By Mrs. Rebecca McGrath, aka Mrs. Mc.

Board member Ragland mentioned for the Treasurer  to look into cost of eliminating the 2 mile radius and reducing it to a 1 mile for bussers and walkers.

Also, I heard one board member mention something about the Cultural Community Committee being a part and are looking into this as well.

I need everyone to help monitor that they are looking into and following up!

We need to keep them accountable. -Mrs. Rebecca McGrath, aka Mrs. Mc.

Ohio Senate Bill 218; Starting School after 8:30am

Senate Bill 218 “prohibit public schools from beginning the school day earlier than 8:30am,” by Sandra R. Williams and I’m in full support of this!

I’m a high school career center Teacher, in Columbus, from District 16; Stephanie Kunze whom I’m contacting along with, Steve Stivers, Rob Portman, Sherrod Brown & Governor Mike Dewine. 

First, this year I was challenged by Ohio FCCLA, Family Community & Career Leaders of America, to use the FCCLA project FACTS (Families Acting for Community Traffic Safety) survey. Sadly, in the fall a Columbus middle school student lost their life after being struck by two vehicles near her bus stop.

We discussed issues of no sidewalks, no street lights and other incidents of danger to their morning pick ups; however, my students main concern was why school starts so early especially when it’s still so dark outside? 

Just after this meeting, Nana Watson, NAACP Columbus, presented similar thoughts to myself & the other Board of Governors members of the Columbus Education Association (CEA).

I’m not sure how we can support Senate Bill 218, but I want to endorse it & find ways to include my students in this effort. Looking forward to hearing from you. 

Sincerely,

Mrs. Rebecca McGrath Hinkle 

I am at a crossroads. I am exhausted. I want to throw in the towel. I want to walk away and quit.

It is not the teaching, when I get to teach, I love it.

Just the other day I held review sessions with my students discussing professionalism and scenario's. Their answers amazed me and gave me hope, they got it! They are doing it at their internship locations. A few students mentioned that they feel like doing the professional thing is being a snitch. We discussed that you should try to work it out with the co-worker first discussing your concern, modeling for them and asking how you can help them, before just going to a supervisor.

As, I am giving advice, I am going through my own professional dilemma. Months of frustration, keeping anecdotal and running records on 1 student. Months of waiting for a coworker to do what they said they were going to do. Sending weekly updates and waiting for action. Meanwhile, what was said is not happening. Then, sitting in a meeting and being asked to continue. Months of me waiting came to it's boiling point. I thought I might be having panic attacks, to in this moment, realizing I am having a full blown attack of panic. I was in disbelief at what my coworkers were suggesting. All I could mutter is no I can't continue thirty more days. I have asked for help. I am trying to be a successful teacher for this student... I have to get out of here, did someone ask me if I need to leave.

I got up a walked out. I could not catch my breath, holding back tears, my heart racing, my chest tightening and I am panting. I make it to my classroom. A teacher and students are in mid discussion, I mutter, "I'm sorry to step out, I need to sit in the office for a few minutes." I close the door behind me and tears flow. I am sipping water and trying to catch my breath. What just happened? What is happening? I call a teaching friend in my union. I'm trying to get through what I remember. I can't go on 30 more days, I already have a year worth of observation, data collection and meetings in regards to this. I can't physically or mentally continue.

In teaching, you sometimes have a child you can't reach so you seek out to find a connection, some way to at least to teach them the content. Then you have a scenario where a child, who no longer wants to learn your elective subject, elective meaning a choice, has to stay in the class. How are we, the student or teacher, to survive this?

The Ohio Department of Education states; “Secondary transition is: "designed to be within a results oriented process, that is focused on improving the academic and functional achievement of the child with a disability to facilitate the child's movement from school to post-school activities, including post-secondary education, vocational education, integrated employment (including supported employment), continuing and adult education, adult services, independent living, or community participation; is based on the individual child's needs, taking into account the child's strengths, preferences, and interests; and includes instruction, related services, community experiences, the development of employment and other post-school adult living objectives, and if appropriate, acquisition of daily living skills and functional vocational evaluation." [34 CFR 300.320(b)] [20 U.S.C. 1414(d)(1)(a)(i)(VIII)(aa)-(bb)]”

Emphasizing "child's interest" to me means that when a student changes their mind, then we need to offer them options. Options that don't mean they struggle and receive a failing grade or that the teacher gets dinged by the state for student not completing. This is what is happening. How am I just suppose to accept this? How is this acceptable with my commitment to my student's being successful in life? Am I just to ignore them, just teach the ones who want to know? Like this doesn't cause major distractions? I ask for guidance. I recruit differently, yet it still happens and their is no solution.

What is the definition of insanity, trying new things and regardless getting the same, over and over and over and over. At some point, you start to look for a way out.

Ohio's Children, Overtested!

#overtestedOH #RedforEd

My child, your child and my students in Ohio are all being over tested. I have to ask why and you should too!

When I read material like, "Standardized tests produce data that we can look at and identify achievement gaps. Then if we don't see the scores of low performing racial groups increase... teachers, schools, and students are held accountable to punishments of funding cuts, charter school conversion, withholding diplomas among other consequences. The idea is that these threats will lead to higher test scores for students from low income families and students of color." (Wayne Au) 

This makes me beyond frustrated. I dedicate my days trying to teach to this system and give hope. Hope to my students that they can do it. They can earn a high school diploma, employment, college and more. 

It is getting harder and harder to stay motivated. As a Career Tech Teacher, I see first hand how my students can demonstrate their career skills in hands-on real world lab, internship settings, projects and industry credential portfolio entries. Then I have to schedule time for them to do practice test for Ohio Webxams for Career Tech, The national industry credential test and then Ohio added the Workkeys test. Ohio has a website, Ohiomeansjobs, often used by those on unemployment benefits, but should we be thankful to Ohio for offering free practice test for Workkeys,  owned by ACT, or the website having practice test for ACT, ASVAB, or the Accuplacer used by Columbus State Community College. I think not because these test are to much. 

I lost 3 weeks of teaching time, to administer & teach practice workkeys test to students; students who are overwhelmed and feeling hopeless because they are already struggling to pass the Ohio end of course exams called AIR test. These same students will miss another 6 days of classes retaking the AIR assessments. This means I have less time to teach and help them complete portfolio entries and practice for the industry credential test, that will help them keep employment and earn college credit for this work. 

I'm asking for elected officials to think about education in Ohio and the barriers we are putting on children and especially children of poverty and race minority's; the social group who gets stuck in this retake cycle at higher percentage rates. I see it first hand, the children who are retaking retaking retaking. I watch how they feel defeated, how they give up and how can I blame them? How can I show them a way out a way to pass? 

Ohio, is 1 of 9 states that are continuing this ineffective model. I ask you what is the purpose of schooling, I thought is was to make productive members of society? I know that if my students could focus on an industry credential of their choice they would be productive employeed citizens instead of defeated young people who decide to repeat the pattern of poverty & give up!

We must stop pushing this pass the test culture. I am not defined by my ACT score are you? What are we doing to our children. Please support this to end #overtestedOH !!!

Sincerely, 

Mrs. Rebecca McGrath H.

What can we say to our government officials? This is what I emailed

I just don't even know what can be done, however, the government shut down needs to end and the amount of $ being asked for this fence along Mexico border to stop drugs on our streets is a falsehood. We have a drug use and community crisis. I am a public high school teacher and I speak with students regularly who think that it might be easier to just work on the streets, deal drugs and then I have the students with mental illness issues who are students that often turn to using such illegal drugs. Too many young adults are losing their lives to these generational poverty issues. The drugs and illegal activities are here and have been for a long time, we continue as a nation to spend less on mental health, actual career mentoring or help for our most vulnerable, young adults who are trying to make it. I have watched and read reports about fentanyl being ordered and shipped on planes to people's mailbox from Japan. This chaos needs to end and we need to start seeing some real action.

Public Student Loan Forgiveness; a Reality or Scam?

PSLF was signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2007 under the "College Cost Reduction and Access Act." By definition I should qualify; however, I am continuously being asked to apply for it, then I go from being accepted and then they say they have no record of my applications, that of course I have copies of. I resend them and then begins the story of well, your start date is 2015 because that is when you consolidated your loans.

I had 2 student loans because according to my College FAFSA, I was eligible for half of my cost to be subsidized which meant I only had to pay interest on the other half as long as I kept the 2 loans. Thus, when I consolidated my loans, being advised that I would qualify for PSLF, so the interest being applied to my new single loan wouldn't matter because my balance would go away.

I have 20 years experience working for the same urban low poverty public school system, I have to apply for Income Based Repayment (IBR) due to my low salary and then my lender reminds me about PSLF. I always say, "think I am in the PSLF program," however, with all the rules of such program, hardly any of my years qualified. Then they begin to look into my account. I earned my Master's Degree while working in the public school district, adding teaching licenses that opened doors to many great teaching opportunities.

I have had economic hardships and had to apply for periods of deferment, usually only for a few months when I have no money to send them, so who knows what any of that means to my actual PSLF status. Another teacher in building said he was told that our school didn't qualify because our students actually graduate from their Home High Schools; so far I have not been told this. My low salary with a rise in all of my other bills, the fact that I am a single mom & homeowner has caused me to request a new monthly due date so that I can try to make a monthly on time payment and not go into deferment.

Since, 2015 I send payments to my consolidated student loan and the balance stays the same. I am frustrated with this broken system that says they are for you, but in all actuality the opposite is happening. In October of 2018, I applied for the new, "Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness" (TEPSLF) to have my PSLF application investigated, at this time they do not think I am eligible at all. I have to call them next week to look into my account. At this time, I will bring up all of my copies of my previous applications, so who knows what will be determined this year. Regardless, I continue to look for employment that can pay me more so that I can afford to pay off my student loans.

I am tiring of all of these systems and empty promises. I will keep figuring out my income, as I always do. I have no regrets of my work experiences or the college degrees that I have earned.
This is my PSLF story. I was a non traditional college student, who worked and continues to work 2 jobs. I'm just living the dream, with a trail of debt that follows me.