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
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?”
“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
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
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
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?”
“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
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
Priceless – Lt. Governor Dan Forest’s Mercurial Moral Compass
“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’” – Matthew 25:45 When the NCAA made its decision to pull seven championship game/matches out of North Carolina in response to the discriminatory nature of HB2, Kami Meuller, the spokesperson … Continue reading Priceless – Lt. Governor Dan Forest’s Mercurial Moral Compass
Stuart Egan: Open Letter to a Young Ex-TFA Running for State Superintendent of Schools in North Carolina
Stuart Egan, an NBCT high school teacher in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, wrote an open letter to the Republican candidate for State Superintendent, Mark Johnson. Johnson is 32 years old. He worked for two years as a Teach for America teacher. He was elected to the Winston-Salem school board and is only halfway through his first term.
Egan writes:
Dear Mr. Johnson,
I read with great interest your essay posted on EdNC.org entitled “Our American Dream” on September 7th. Because you are a member of the school board from my own district and the republican nominee for State Superintendent, I was eager to read/see/hear what might distinguish you from Dr. Atkinson.
I agree that there is a lot to be done to help cure what ails our public education system, and I agree that we should not be reliant on so many tests in order that teachers can do what they…
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caffeinated rage 