Does a rant letter count as creative?

Dear Shakespeare,

You were my first exposure to the theater, and i thank you for that. Taming of the shrew kindled a flame that honest can not be stomped out. The theater to me has become more than just a place of romance, creativity, and passion but has become home as well. I do credit you with original inspiration... but here recently i have had a bone to pick with you. WHY must you be so based? Yes I know Sparknotes says you have some deep internal meaning behind every word, but I beg to differ. You were an actor. So you know what that means? you wanted all of three things 1.Lots of lines to say that make you sound real nice 2.Drama drama drama, something crazy has to happen 3. To eat, and thus to make money. You wrote to make money, and I wont be convinced otherwise.
After spending 2 summers studying your works, and reading over 8 of your plays I have come to the conclusion you aren't very creative. Its always the same story, same drama, same solution. And those supposed "tragedies" such as king Lear, don't worry about a resolution, lets just kill EVERYONE! As I continue reading your works I am honestly disappointed. Hamlet was short lived, rather unmoving. King Lear was just depressing, why would I WANT to read or see that? Your comedies are nice and entertaining until you have seen a few of them and then can guess the outcome of ALL of them.
But here is the real kicker Shakespeare, did you even write these? You know there isn't a single official document saying that you were an actor or a writer. It is also hard to understand how without a decent education you wrote so eloquently...you are looking a tad bit sketchy.
All of the previous aside, you were an interesting trend setter. Words like vomit, bubble, freezing, half-blooded, and phrases such as "as good luck would have it" were all started by you, and are still going! Jk Rowling has made a killing off your word "half-blooded!"Despite how suspicious I am of your genuine authenticity of all that is theater, I do respect you. Your plays apply to all walks of life and inspire so many, including me. I was once that little girl who would beg, scream, and cry until my parents took me to Shakespeare in the park. I once saw Taming of the shrew 4 times in one season, just three years ago I saw the Merry Wives of Windsor three times. Shakespeare your plays have the ability to engage an audience of all ages, cultures, and experiences. Hats off to you!

Write you soon,
Renata D.

Waiting on Superman, is his name Mike Miles?

Recently I watched a documentary titled "Waiting on Superman." This documentary begins by addressing the major pitfalls of the public education system in hopes to suggest the changes that should be made. The film caught my attention originally due to statistics on average high school drop out rates in Washington DC. In one inner city high school over 50 percent of student drop out before graduation. A woman named Michelle Rhee, known for being a business woman, was appointed as the superintendent of the district and began enforcing serious reforms. The documentary takes us through all the positive changes and controversial strategies she used to turn her district in a positive direction. The documentary then show a failing school district in New York where children wait amongst hundreds of others to be admitted into a charter school.
I was absolutely crushed as I watched second and third grades cry over their "lack of a future" if they were not admitted. They introduce us to 6 different kids who had a hope for higher education to peruse their dreams but many were denied this. By the end of the documentary I was infuriated. How can the kids futures be based on a raffle? (this is how they are admitted to charter schools) Why is it that their public schools could not offer them the same opportunities? And are we institutionalizing poverty?
This really got me thinking and I felt it was absolutely necessary to learn more. I began reading "the Death and Life of The American School System,"at the moment I have only finished the first chapter, but I plan on continuing blogging about it. The first chapter, much like the introduction of the documentary, gives you statics and facts catching the readers immediate attention. It also addresses the fact that superintendents have a lot of power of the success of the district.
This hit home, just this year DISD has received a new superintended. This hardly goes unnoticed as policies in the class room have changed. All the doors must remain open, all the lights must be on, we must respond with thumbs up, down, or sideways, all teachers must stand outside their door... its these things that change a class room dynamic. So as a student I question, is Mike Miles pulling a Michelle Rhee? Will all of these curriculum and policy changes help the schools progress? In Booker T. maybe not, as we a fairly wealthy and successful school, but what is this doing to other DISD schools? At the moment all I see changing is the level of noise in the hallways, or maybe the number of rules we are breaking.
Personally I do believe the harder you push student, curriculum wise, the more they learn. Push me! Challenge me! But this doesn't mean treat me like a third grader, THUMBS UP! None the less as I continue reading and observing the dramatic changes in DISD I will report back to this blog and update you! until then
- Renata D.