Why don't schools teach children about taxes and bills and things that they will definitely need to know as adults to get by in life?
Departments of education and school districts always have to make decisions about what to include in their curriculum. There are a lot of life skills that people need that aren't taught in school. The question is should those skills be taught in schools?I teach high school, so I'll talk about that. The typical high school curriculum is supposed to give students a broad-based education that prepares them to be citizens in a democracy and to be able to think critically. For a democracy to work, we need educated, discerning citizens with the ability to make good decisions based on evidence and objective thought. In theory, people who are well informed about history, culture, science, mathematics, etc., and are capable of critical, unbiased thinking, will have the tools to participate in a democracy and make good decisions for themselves and for society at large. In addition to that, they should be learning how to be learners, how to do effective, basic research, and collaborate with other people. If that happens, figuring out how to do procedural tasks in real life should not prmuch of a challenge. We can't possibly teach every necessary life skill people need, but we can help students become better at knowing how to acquire the skills they need. Should we teach them how to change a tire when they can easily consult a book or search the internet to find step by step instructions for that? Should we teach them how to balance a check book or teach them how to think mathematically and make sense of problems so that the simple task of balancing a check book (which requires simple arithmetic and the ability to enter numbers and words in columns and rows in obvious ways) is easy for them to figure out. If we teach them to be good at critical thinking and have some problem solving skills they will be able to apply those overarching skills to all sorts of every day tasks that shouldn't be difficult for someone with decent cognitive ability to figure out. It's analogous to asking why a culinary school didn't teach its students the steps and ingredients to a specific recipe. The school taught them about more general food preparation and food science skills so that they can figure out how to make a lot of specific recipes without much trouble. They're also able to create their own recipes.So, do we want citizens with very specific skill sets that they need to get through day to day life or do we want citizens with critical thinking, problem solving, and other overarching cognitive skills that will allow them to easily acquire ANY simple, procedural skill they may come to need at any point in their lives?
How would I go about seeking disciplinary action for medical-related issues I'm having in the Army?
You may need to rewrite your question, as it is unclear what you mean.So you are having medical issues.You also apparently want to be disciplined by the Army?Well, normally, disciplinary and legal issues will be adjudicated before medical issues, so you might be court-martialled or put before Article 15 hearing, or some other administrative hearing leading to your demotion, or even discharge with less than honorable characterization?Are you asking if you if you have the right to demand trial by court-martial?If you have medical issues that are more likely than not to prevent you from fulfilling the duties of your office, job, MOS, or skills, that prevent you from deploying or safely training in the full range of skills necessary…then you are a good candidate for the Disability Evaluation System (DES), the DoD’s way to identify and prdue process for servicemembers with medical conditions unlikely to rapidly heal.You may need to specifically ask for a “Medical Evaluation Board,” the first step in the DES. Your military Primary Care Provider/Manager is the start of that process.Neither you, nor your military commander, can initiate the MEB process, it must come from your military medical doctor — specifically the military medical hospital or clinic you are assigned to for medical care.While you cannot initiate the MEB process, nor can you stop it once it’s engaged, you certainly have a role to play throughout the entire DES process, starting with the initial decision to submit your medical case before the MEB, and then whether the MEB refers your case to the Physical Evaluation Board (PEB), and whether the PEB decides to return the case for more development, or orders “watchful waiting” status, or makes a finding that either you are “fit for duty,” and are thus so ordered back to full duty, or you are “unfit for duty” and are thus ordered to be retired for disability (i.e., a “medical retirement”) if your “unfitting conditions” are rated at a combined 30% or greater, or a separation from all service for disability (i.e., a “medical discharge”), if your “unfitting conditions” are rated at a combined level of 20% or less.Medical discharges warrant — usually — a separations payment, based on the regulations and pay rates in effect at that time, and then the servicemember is separated from all military status and has no further military obligations.Medical retirements are of two sorts: Temporary and Permanent.If the PEB determines that you are — as of right now and in the foreseeable near future — unfit to perform your full duties, but you have 30%+ ratings from the DES process (which is a combined DoD and VA process that rates every medical condition put forth before the PEB for rating, and all ratings are provided by the VA but the decisions on whether to retain or retire or separate are based on DoD determinations…the VA just provides the ratings…the DoD makes the decisions about everything else at that point), AND there is a strong likelihood that your unfitting conditions might improve sufficiently for your to resume full duty, AND you have less than 20 total years creditable toward retirement, you MAY be placed (at the PEB’s recommendation, as approved by the Services) on the Temporary Disability Retired List (TDRL). TDRL retirement is medical retirement, and retired pay begins immediately, along with all other full retirement benefits. Retired pay for TDRL is usually 50% of base pay, or the higher of their combined VA rating for their “unfitting conditions,” if that exceeds 50% disability rating. Generally, the TDRL is reserved for fairly low rated disabilities (nonetheless, the combined rating is 30% or higher…), that are unstable, and the individual isn’t otherwise eligible for either active duty or reserve retirement, so it is possible that the combined VA rating of unfitting conditions will exceed 50%, and thus the TDRL retired pay will be based on the disability ratings, it is more common for TDRL retired pay to be 50%, as that is the minimum.Not less than every 18 months, a TDRL retiree must be reexamined to determine if their medical conditions have improved, remained stable, or worsened. At these examinations, if their unfitting conditions have improved to the point where they are no longer “unfitting,” the TDRL retiree will be ordered back to full duty, or into full retirement if that is an option for some.If the unfitting conditions are found to be stable, but remain unfitting, the TDRL retiree will remain in the TDRL status until 5 years, at which time they will either be returned to full duty (if their conditions warrant), or fully retired, as nobody can remain in a TDRL status for more than 5 years.If the unfitting conditions worsen while in the TDRL, the examination may result in Permanent medical retirement forthwith…If the PEB orders Permanent retirement for disability, the servicemember will be retired and placed on their Service’s Permanent Disability Retired List (PDRL). Retired pay on the PDRL is the higher of their combined VA rating for the “unfitting conditions,” or whatever they WOULD have been paid if they had retired at that point for “longevity,” i.e., a normal retirement based on the years and months of service creditable toward either active or reserve retirement. Regardless of which percentage is higher, retired pay on the PDRL begins immediately, along with full medical retirement benefits for the rest of the retiree’s life. There is no “reexamination” as there is for the TDRL. Once on the PDRL, it is for life.If you are having problems with either military chain of command, or your military medical doctors, you should use your chain of command to make your problems known up the chain, I believe the Army calls this the “Open Door Policy.” The Navy and Marine Corps call it “Request Mast.”As a last resort, if you truly have exhausted all other avenues to address your grievances, you may research Article 138 in the UCMJ: “redress of grievances…”EDIT 25 May 2021. here is a rather outdated version of the Army Regulations that most specifically address Article 138 complaints…you should search for a more recent copy, but the basics probably haven’t changed at all…you may find some other useful info in here too about your situation, as this Regulation is sort of a “legal user’s guide” for Army legal specialists and administrators and commanders: http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Milita...This is the most formal method available to any servicemember to have their case heard…but submitting an Art. 138 grievance is like throwing a grenade into your command’s HQ…while you are there.Your grievance will be reviewed by general/flag officers, investigating officers will be appointed, JAG attorneys will be involved, you will be interviewed (and most likely investigated either overtly or covertly), and the formal answer will be provided to you — and “for the record.”Art. 138 grievances are severely disruptive for commanders, and that will undoubtedly trickle down to — YOU. While you cannot be disciplined or hazed as a result of using your rights and due process, SOMETHING will happen. You just don’t know what, because your grievances may turn out to be sour grapes and you failed to make lemonade from lemons. Or your CO (or other officers) may be relieved for cause and replaced by someone either better or worse. Or the investigation may turn up rampant crimes unrelated to your grievance, and all sorts of arrests are made…perhaps including you for something completely unrelated to your original grievance, but a crime against the UCMJ or federal or state law nonetheless.Do not mess with Art. 138 unless you have truly — TRULY — exhausted all other means of addressing your grievances, because Art. 138 investigations have a tendency to start off innocent and helpful and then call for fire — from all supporting arms with “fire for effect” — which often includes friendly fire casualties as well as hitting the real targets.Good luck, WB
What disciplinary action have you had to take just to be successful in whatever you are doing?
I had to learn to be thick-skinned and tolerant (which does not mean accepting) of other people’s opinions of me. My approach is based on the “count to ten” model, but supersized.There are dozens—maybe an infinite number—of reasons why someone will question your ability, your output, your product, your choices, your likes and dislikes, etc. Those people are judging you against a false narrative of who they expect you to be based on their own abilities, prejudices, insecurities, life’s choices, failures or successes. They may be judging you against the canvas of someone else’s opinions of you, someone they look to for direction—moral or ethical.Once I learned to be comfortable with my own decisions, my own products, my own outlook toward life and those whom I respect, I began to see that those who were judging me, criticizing me, blaming me, putting me down, or talking me down behind my back (office crap, etc.), were not necessary to my happiness and career. I built a thicker skin against those false narrators, and I’ve disciplined myself to take a deep breath around them, and just move forward even in their self-serving winds.�v�0�
