He was a leader.
He was an innovator.
He stood up when many wouldn’t. He preached love while others practiced hate.
He took the worst of us, saw the best in them and made us ALL believe that not only should we do better, but that we all would do better.
Martin’s message meant and means many things, but it doesn’t mean that we can use race as a means to implement policy.
So, I came across a story last night and right away I reacted “More big government nanny state-ism!”
But then I stopped, after all, I can’t say that in response to EVERYthing! A lot of things yes, but not every. single. thing.
So, take a look and lemme know what you think.
Posted in Education, Politics: North Carolina
Tagged Autism, Johnston County, Leftist, North Carolina
So, Wake County Public Schools has been without a superintendent for some time now. When the new board began implementing policies that did not jive with the old boss; he resigned.
Fair enough. The super and the board should get along.
And now we have our new guy. Even though I’m disappointed the board didn’t disband the district and decide to give every child a waiver, there are things to like about the new superintendent.
I know candy and sugar and stuff is bad horrible for me. I KNOW it.
And I know that when I eat garbage like that it only does more harm than it does good.
Except, for, you know, two things:
But when the government gets involved, BOOM goes the dynamite!
Posted in Education, Liberty, Politics: National, States Behaving Badly
Tagged Abuse of Power, Barack Obama, Health, Leftist, Minnesota, Nanny State, Socialism
So, lemme get this straight.
We’re in debt. All of us. And by a TON.
So we have to make cuts. A LOT of ’em.
Tough decisions to be sure.
Or is it?
Posted in Economy, Education, Politics: North Carolina
As temperatures and humidity dropped this fall, parents in Johnston County learned about an unusual policy change in the schools.
Students can no longer bring lip balm to school without a note.
And why would the school do something like this?
Schools spokeswoman Terri Sessoms said the rule is in place to prevent the spread of germs when children share the sticks.
Now look, the schools should try to increase the health of—the schools. That is, the food they cook, the water they offer and the common areas they provide.
Saying that kids can’t bring lip balm?
Stupid.
Posted in Education, Politics: North Carolina, States Behaving Badly
Tagged North Carolina
Busts are painful.
Destruction is brutal.
Death is horrible.
However, it is out of all those things that the sprouts of future generations come. New Orleans’ is proving that this is just as true today as it’s always been:
Katrina also washed away much of New Orleans’s sorry public school district, where majorities of students consistently failed. Once again, citizens are improving on what they had. The city’s biggest education reform is that the majority of its 35,000 public school kids now attend charter schools overseen by a state-run school district. It’s too early to tell much from test-score results, but it’s clear that the success and optimism of charter school operators—from the national KIPP outfit to local nonprofits—at getting schools up and running has been a big factor in residents’ decisions to return home.
Often the way things are is simply a legacy of the way things have always been.
And if it took Katrina to save a city full of kids that haven’t had a chance in generations; well, so be it.
Posted in Education, Politics: National
Tagged Charter Schools, Corruption, Katrina, New Orleans
They do this all the time.
When budget cuts come, and they almost always do come, people make it sound like the whole frackin’ world is about to end.
As if ALL of us don’t, every single day, make budget decisions of our own in our private lives.
But jeepers, and I mean JEEPERS, why oh why do they report it like it’s a surprise?
My dad grew up on a farm. And I don’t think they had lot’s of money. But they had lot’s of hard work.
So, growing up, my lesson from dad was:
Size the job, identify the tool. Buy the one that’s one size too small. Make up for it in working harder.
As an adult, I’ve learned that his advise is bullshit.
Here is my lesson to my son:
Size the job, identify the tool. Buy the one that’s one size too big. Make up for it by
drinking beerspending time dreaming of better ways to do things. Innovate!
As proof of my lesson, the crappy “one size to small” miter saw I bought 5 years ago broke. My buddy reminded me of my own lesson and I bought a new saw today!
The larger lesson, in work in politics around the house is this:
Leverage your mind not your muscle.
I know.
I know I know I know…..
I never EVER would have thought those words would come out of my mouth either.
But I was wrong. I heard a story today that absolutely stunned me. It’s a story of innovation within the public schools: