Dear Mr. Zielinski...

"COL WARREN L. ANDERSON  USAF 4-26-66 NVN  MI"

That's what's written on the MIA bracelet I got from you while you taught a class of rowdy eight graders at Pattengill Middle School about the Vietnam War. Whenever I see it, or put it on, I always give my first thought to Col. Anderson and the circumstances of his disappearance; but invariably, the next thought I have is of the history teacher who gave me the bracelet.

This morning my three year old daughter found it. After I got the bracelet from little Karyn, I promised to teach her what it meant to me when she was old enough to understand. Then, as usual I thought of the colonel, next I thought of you.

To identify myself, at the time my name was Hart; Christine Hart. I'm happily married and have changed my name to Hancock. I was one of those rowdy eight graders you taught in the school year 1995-1996, and to be honest I don't think is was the brightest of them; however I remember you and think about those months in your class frequently.

Mr. Zielinski, you stood out to me from among all the other teachers I had; maybe because you were recently a soldier and you taught from that perspective. I also never ever caught you in a lie. Everything you taught in history class, as far as I can remember, was verifiable by historical document, news report, or witness' testimony. I've had a number of teachers for whom the same could not be said. Another thing that stood out about you was that you taught us that history and wars are not just bland facts confined solely to dusty, poorly written texts; but that our history was real and the wars had not just dull political ramifications, but also human consequences. I think was Mr. Vance you had come give a lecture on what it was like to fight and lose friends in the Vietnam War; then of course was that infamous prank you pulled with the hollowed out grenade (Ahh, the days before zero tolerance policies) That object lesson still makes me smile and laugh, but I also remember the point, that any moment could be my last.

I know you also taught math. While it's not the thing I remember you best for, I am thankful to you for enlightening me as to how to add and subtract with fractions. Your lectures cleared some things up that I had been struggling with for a couple years, and made algebra in high school much less painful than it otherwise would have been.

You influenced at least one underprivileged youth for the better, and it's felt today. Thank you. I hope you are well, and that you obtained your degree, and that you are still teaching.

Best wishes,
Christine S. Hancock

Mr. Zielinski's self portrait. Yeah, the publisher missed him.

I was recovering from a mullet. I've been wearing my hair long ever since.

Teach Common Core! Says Korihor.

Inspired by Green Eggs and Ham, by Doctor Suess (which would probably be outlawed under Common Core standards for being too much fun).

"Teach Common Core!
Says Korihor"

That Korihor, that Korihor!
I do not trust that Korihor!

You must teach them Common Core!

I will not teach them, Common Core.
I will not teach that, Korihor.

You must teach them here, at school.

It will not teach it here, at school
I will not teach it. It's not cool.
I will not teach them Common Core,
I will not teach that, Korihor.

You must teach this in your home.
You must teach this as you're shown.

I will not teach that in my home.
I will not teach it as it's shown.
I will not teach it here, at school.
I will not teach it. It's not cool.
I will not teach them Common Core.
I will not teach that, Korihor.

But they must think within the box,
En-tre-pre-neur-ship is the pox!

"Within the box"?
This is a pox!
Not at home,
Not as I'm shown,
I will not teach it here, at school,
I will not teach it, It's not cool.
I will not teach them Common Core.
I will not teach that, Korihor!

They will, they must
Take this test.
Test them, test them!
S'for the best.

I will not
make them
take this test.

You must test them,
and we'll see,
We can make them
more like ME!

I would not, will not, test them, see.
This is not good! You let them be.

They must not learn "within your box".
Common Core, here, is a pox.
I will not teach this in my home.
I will not teach this as I'm shown.
I will not teach it here, at school.
I will not teach it, It's not cool.
I will not teach them Common Core.
I will not teach that, Korihor.

The Change! The Change!
The Change! The Change!
You must teach Man's Climate Change!

No Climate Change! No test, you see!
The test's no good. You let them be!

They must not learn "within the box"
Common Core, here, is a pox.
I will not that in my home.
I will not teach this as I'm shown.
I will not teach it, here at school.
I will not teach it. It's not cool.
I will not teach them Common Core.
I will not teach that, Korihor.

Hey,
It's the Law.
It's now the Law!
You must, you will, follow the Law.

It is not, can not be the Law.

You don't believe that it's the law?

You've circumvent the House and Senate,
Went around the parents' tenet
No proof it works. No peer review.
We can see what's taught ain't true!
Not in our homes! Not in our Schools!
Not as it's shown! We have some rules!
You can not break them, or you'll see,
Just how angry we can be!

You will not teach them Common Core?

I will not teach them Common Core!

You must, you will
Dumb them down.

I would not, will not
Dumb them down.

Now I know that you're a clown!

I would not, will not dumb them down.
I am a parent, not a clown.
I will not teach this, it's no law.
I will not teach this tripe at all.
Won't give the test! It's not the best!
You do not see! Now let them be!
They must not learn "within the box"
This Common Core, here, is a pox.
I will not teach this in my home.
I will not teach this as I'm shown.
I will not teach it here, at school.
I will not teach it. It's not cool!

I will not teach them Common Core!
I will not teach that, Korihor.

Will not teach it.
So you say.
Then we might take your kids away.
Teach them,
or you'll lose I say!

Say that again!

(Imagine something that would frighten a bureaucrat)

EEP!

Alright! Okay!
You may teach them your own way.
And I was wrong, you are no clown,
You do not need to dumb them down.
And if it's voted 'gainst the law
I must not bring it back at all.
So if you teach, and if you care
Common Core will not be there.

You may teach outside the box.
En-tre-pre-neur-ship is no pox
You may teach, as pleased, at home.
You don't have to teach as shown
It will not be taught here, at school.
If by laws it's not the rule.

Please go away now, Korihor.
And thanks for dropping Common Core.

Something You Can Not Learn in School

I didn’t skip class very often in high school, but when I did I made it a point to skip the liberal brainwashing class (a.k.a. “Parenting Class”). Now that I think back on it, maybe I should have skipped that one more often.

Of course during the time of day that that class ran, no busses ran into my neighborhood. The nearest route that I knew of ran two miles away if I took the shortcut from Pennsylvania Ave, across Scott Woods, through Mount Hope Cemetery to the corner of Aurelius and Forest road then down Forest for the second mile and home. It seems complicated, perhaps too complicated.

It was a cool cloudy day, about fifty degrees, with a slight drizzle. Good weather for sweaters and a brisk hike in Michigan; and I was happy enough. However; I had only taken the shortcut I was looking for once, and from the opposite direction. While walking through the woods I couldn’t quite remember if the proper trail was before the bridge to the right, of after the bridge to the left (I’ve come to the conclusion that I was not a very clear thinking teenager and I had a poor sense of direction while under tree cover). I went on the trail before the bridge to the right thinking that if I got a little lost I, wouldn’t get too lost; I could just find the creek and follow it back.

The march to the right started out well and good, the trail was mostly clear; but this was the season of spring rainstorms. Puddles were everywhere the creek was running high and fast. I wanted to stay dry and avoided the puddles across the trail even to the point of leaving the trail to go around them. Eventually I lost the trail to an exceptionally large, muddy puddle that stretched into the trees in both directions. I decided that in order to get back to the trail I was going to have to get a little wet and cross the puddle.

I was careful. Puddles can sometimes go up to the knees. I took one step and it was about two inches shallow. Encouraged, I took a more eager step forward. The puddle was about seven feet shallow with a swift current and a slight undertow. I kicked hard off the bottom and the very first thing I thought when my head broke the surface was, “I am stupid”. Fortunately, the current didn’t carry me to the center of the stream and I was able to grab a root and pull myself out.

I began the trudge back along the deceptively smooth appearing creek determined that trail or not, the stream could not be trusted and must stay in my sight no matter how many puddles I had to walk through, just in case it tried to trick me again.

As I splashed back to the main trail, thoughts of what the news headlines would read swirled through my head: “Unidentifiable Teenager Found Dead in Scott Woods of Hypothermia While Skipping Class” or “Death by Stupidity: Teenage Girl Wins Darwin Award First Class”.

After a few minutes I decided these thoughts were not helping and to just focus on moving swiftly and getting home alive. I made it home and was maybe a little wiser for the wear.