Irony makes this world go ‘round and North Carolina is providing plenty of it in the form of vouchers, or as proponents call them in North Carolina, Opportunity Grants. In truth, they should be called Missed Opportunity Grants, because the money that the North Carolina General Assembly has spent and wants to spend on vouchers … Continue reading Opportunity Grants and Missed Opportunity Refunds
Month: September 2016
You Know You Are a Middle-Aged Public School Teacher When… – A Work in Progress
You Know You Are a Middle-Aged Public School Teacher When You pull a hamstring going up the stairs right after a fire drill. You make a reference to a movie that a student claims that his parent may have seen. You fondly look back at the time when there were no cellphones in the classroom. … Continue reading You Know You Are a Middle-Aged Public School Teacher When… – A Work in Progress
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The Unwritten Expectations of Great Teachers
When you become a public school teacher there are sets of rules and dictates you must abide by. There are laws. There are procedures. There are decrees. There are edicts. There is protocol. And there are expectations. When parents, students, voters, taxpayers, government officials, post-secondary institutions, and employers all have some sort of stake in … Continue reading The Unwritten Expectations of Great Teachers
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Maximus Decimus Meridias Trump – “Are You Not Entertained?”
The first debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton at Hofstra University proved to be more than a ratings sweep for the three major networks and news channels. To be exact, I mean “semi-exact,” it was pure entertainment. And a fantastic study of body language. You can watch the debate over again and decide for … Continue reading Maximus Decimus Meridias Trump – “Are You Not Entertained?”
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“Water, Water, Everywhere!” – What The Ancient Mariner, Sid the Sloth, and Donald Trump Have in Common
“Water, water, everywhere, And all the boards did shrink; Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.” ― Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Gustave Dore These famous lines from what I consider the greatest narrative poem in the English language (and the most haunting) are a perfect example of … Continue reading “Water, Water, Everywhere!” – What The Ancient Mariner, Sid the Sloth, and Donald Trump Have in Common
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Lion Man and Battle Yak – Malcolm’s Quest to Defeat Evil in the Toy Store And Why It Is So Important
Yep. It's kind of our thing. We go to the toy store, play with the toys, and see what Malcolm likes to play with for gift ideas. You may think it is just to pass time. It's not. It is rather deliberate. His mom and I need him working with things that he can manipulate, … Continue reading Lion Man and Battle Yak – Malcolm’s Quest to Defeat Evil in the Toy Store And Why It Is So Important
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Teachers, EpiPens, and “Educational” Anaphylactic Shock
In the summer of 1988, I was at the family farm in northeast Georgia feeding calves in a shelter located behind my uncle’s veterinary clinic. I entered the doorway and immediately was greeted by a red wasp who took a small divet out of the tip of my nose while injecting its venom. I immediately … Continue reading Teachers, EpiPens, and “Educational” Anaphylactic Shock
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To The Wake County School Board – “Who do You Serve?”
When you are the parent of a child with special needs, you tend to become a tad bit more hyper-vigilant when it comes to the laws surrounding the services guarentted by law for children like mine. You also become very cognizant of what other families of children with special needs encounter and sometimes have to … Continue reading To The Wake County School Board – “Who do You Serve?”
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“So, What’s the Market Rate for an Unaccountable Degree-Holding Babysitter?” – I Assume He Meant Teachers
“So, what’s the market rate for an unaccountable degree-holding babysitter?” The above is a quote from a man named Tim Peck, a self-described “Unaffiliated Objectivist” and writer of the blog Et in Arcadia ego. He also is a prolific Twitter tweeter, who according to Rob Schofield of NC Policy Watch is “one of the most … Continue reading “So, What’s the Market Rate for an Unaccountable Degree-Holding Babysitter?” – I Assume He Meant Teachers
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Houston Says We Have a Problem In NC – Caps on IEP’s
Today a persepctive posted by EdNC highlighted an interesting policy in NC about funding IEP's. It is very much worth the read if you want to know a little about having a special needs child in public schools - https://www.ednc.org/2017/08/07/blowing-lid-off-north-carolinas-iep-cap/ What follows is the text of a post I wrote about a year ago concerning … Continue reading Houston Says We Have a Problem In NC – Caps on IEP’s
caffeinated rage 