Good News And A Maybe.

       I just read, in the New York Times, that educators have introduced the Next Generation Science Standards which includes a section on climate change and requires students learn about evolution. Twenty six states have already approved these standards. I'm thrilled at such a display of support for science and the way it's taught.
       The article mentions several of the states that have already approved it including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Iowa, Kansas and New York. It did not list Pennsylvania or the other 43 states. Remember 26 have already adopted the guidelines. So I went to the website for the Pa. Dept of Education. After a lengthy argument with my computer and the website, I called the Pa. DOE. I got the usual recording which told me the usual, that I should listen to the recording in its entirety since the menu had changed. Do you think the menus change all that often?
       Finally, at the end of the recording it told me to press '0' to reach the receptionist. I shouldda known. So I pushed '0'. Another recording came on. "The receptionist is busy assisting other customers and will answer your call in the order it was received." Now here's where it really gets special. "The recording then told me that the approximate wait time would be nineteen minutes.
       Did you ever sit nineteen minutes waiting, while holding the phone to your ear expectantly, for a receptionist to answer your call? Not the person you ultimately hope to speak to, but the receptionist? I figured that if I would have to wait that long just to speak to the receptionist, how long would I have to wait for the secretary and then the actual person you want to ask the simple question: Do we subscribe to these new guidelines or not?
       I guess I'll never know. Unless something gets mentioned in the local paper some day. What're the chances of that? Or that I'll notice? I guess the point is that austerity hits us all. Even the number of receptionists at the Pennsylvania Department of Education.