“How can you close school…isn’t that against the law?”
This question has been rolling around in my mind for a few days, as I come to the painful realization that we really don’t value education at all. We don’t take it seriously. We pay it lip service. Education is a long-term goal. We worship short-term gain.… [Read more]
I’m really not sure how much the non-teacher public know about the Common Core State Standards Initiative that has been brewing over the past few years and has gone into effect this school year.
The idea behind the Common Core is that instead of every state making up their own public school standards and benchmarks for grades K-12 and then giving their own state test to check on the progress of those standards, all the states will have the same…ahem…COMMON…set of standards for each grade level.… [Read more]
As a writer I love words and language. I like the force of words, how they echo in the mind long after they’ve registered. I never take for granted how powerful words can be, so when people pervert language to delude and mislead, I know stupid things can happen.
There is one long trail of stupid running behind Republican pollster Frank Luntz, aptly described as the godfather of the conservative spin machine.… [Read more]
Dear Republican men of the Michigan House of Representatives,
There are ways for civilized adults to disagree.
Banning people you don’t agree with from talking is not civilized.
This is not just your problem, I know. The House of Reps in Michigan is notorious for this childish practice — Republicans and Democrats alike.
But come on.… [Read more]
