Lucky Enough to Know Tim Murphy

Today, I stood on Candy Cane Lane and watched Mr. Tim Murphy go through one last time.  It was humbling standing in the middle of his creation and legacy.  It was humbling to realize, like everyone else has, his impact on the community of West Frankfort and the surrounding region.  As the line of cars drove through, I saw the faces of so many that had a close friendship with him and have shared so many of their fond memories with me.  If you were lucky enough, you got to spend time with Murph and have your own memories.

I am one of the lucky ones.  Tim was teaching art at both the junior high and high school when I was hired.  He was also the volleyball coach at both buildings.  That means I got to share some laughs and frustrations with him.  Sure you knew him as the Candy Cane Lane man, but I got to be his co-worker.  Even after he retired, he never stayed a stranger.  He helped judge contests for us.  He helped build stage pieces for graduation.  He would come by just to say hi.

I was lucky enough to know how much he loved the Beach Boys.  He knew everything about them and had seen them live 93 times at our last count.  My finest moment with Tim Murphy was the time I bested him at Beach Boys knowledge.  The movie Love and Mercy came out about Beach Boys front man, Brian Wilson in 2014.  I asked him if he saw it and what he thought about it.  He had no clue and I was starting to celebrate.  I finally knew something that he didn't about the Beach Boys.  This is the joy of knowing Tim Murphy.  With all the awesome things he has done for West Frankfort, you can get tangled up with him about the Beach Boys.  In my last conversation with him, we were working on the stage for graduation last June.  We spent a good part of our time working talking about how good the whitewall tires looked on his yellow truck.  I am lucky enough to have known Tim Murphy.

When he retired, we lost art for a short time due to budget cuts.  His void was definitely felt and the loss of art was felt.  We tried in every way we could to keep art alive even if he could not teach it.  I know that the community will keep his spirit alive through Candy Cane Lane.  For those who are lucky enough, we can keep his spirit alive by telling his stories and letting him live through those stories.

Rest in peace Timbo.

First Round Draft Pick

My son is a huge NBA fan.  He keeps up with players, stats and trades.  It's like he is aspiring general manager and who knows maybe he will be.  It has become a thing at our house to watch the draft each year.  While he is critiquing every pick no matter who takes who, I'm rerunning the Key and Peele sketch in the back of may head.  What if we treated teachers like pro athletes?

I enjoy watching the draft with him.  There is one thing about it that I get and that he doesn't yet at twelve years old.  When those kids in the upper picks start crying when their name is called, I know what that represents. Sure it will means millions of dollars for them, but it also is the reward for a lifetime of work and sacrifice.  Many of these kids are moving so far out of poverty and struggle that it is overwhelming to know you have made it.

Though I did not become a millionaire overnight, I can relate to this rush of relief after poverty.  I remember being drafted by Mt. Vernon Township High School back in 2002.  Lets keep this parallel going.  Based on the number of teaching interviews I had, I was a fourth round pick for the Rams.  They needed someone with a Sociology endorsement and I fit the bill.  This went on to a five year stay and me accumulating a load of good experience and opportunities.  I was then drafted in the 9th round as an administrator by Elverado in 2007.  In 2011, I was drafted by Frankfort CUSD #168 in the first round to be the Principal at Central Junior High School.  Note: This was the only place I had applied that year so "first round" may be misleading. 😊 

While becoming a teacher changed my whole world, there is no reason it can't have the same effect for anyone else wanting to be "drafted" into their desired profession.  Be a first round draft pick.  Work hard without exception or apology.  Know that you are filling a need for the organization.  Recognize and appreciate the opportunities that come your way.  Be the person that wants the organization to win regardless of the role you get to play.  This is what top round players do.  So what are you doing to be the first round draft pick in your desired field?

Balance Does Not Show Up on a Ballot

To be cliché about it, these are difficult times.  These days you have to wade through strong polarized views on how things should be.  We have to tolerate polarized elected leadership and sometimes tolerate regular polarized people.  These things do have an effect on our mental health and relationships.  A recent study found that 1 in 5 people are sleepless or have lost a friend over our political climate.  This is not good.

With the election over (not to mention the ads) the voting pressure is starting to fade, I want to encourage us to move towards balance.  No matter what your political persuasion is, open yourself up to find the merit in each position and find the balance in between them.  When we ponder the right answers for the American public, you can find them in the most balanced proposals and not the most one sided.

Let's take the Illinois budget trouble as an example.  We have a budget deficit of around $4.5 billion and the solution is hung up in a war between sides.  One side says we have to raise more revenue to fix the budget.  The other side says our reckless spending is the problem.  Guess what?  Both sides are right.  Together they have the total solution and apart they have nothing.  Just words.  If Illinois wants to do better, we have to have balance.  We have to increase revenue AND decrease spending.  We can't expect candidates to fix problems and find balance simply because they survived an election.

I get it.  Balance does not show up on a ballot.  If we want our desired candidate to be in office, we have to pick a side and vote for them.  If they don't campaign on the general issues of their party, we don't know what we are electing.  We vote for political ideologies, but not necessarily for the person that represents those views.  We often dismiss the "who" in favor of the "what" when it comes to the ballot.  The Pew Research Center offers some evidence for this.  Ahead of this most recent election, 78% of voters polled said they would vote a straight ticket when it came to the President and their House member.  In other words, they will cast a vote for each candidate on the ballot running from a single party.  Only 4% of potential Biden voters said they would vote for a Republican House candidate. 

If we want to find balance in our cultural and political landscapes, we have to change the way we vote.  I am a registered Democrat, but I have only voted a straight ticket a couple of times in my 26 year voting career.  Sure the Democratic political platform holds a certain weight with me, but there have been times that I knew the Republican candidate was a better fit when it came to bringing balance to an office and its unique struggles.  If voting is our civic duty, then we must also show responsibility for bringing the most good to the most people by voting for balance.  We need to worry about the people being the winners of an election and not the candidates.  Then maybe, just maybe we can all have balance.

Good Tired

John Lewis used to say that you have to get into "good trouble" if you are trying to make a difference.  He often used this phrase when talking about being arrested during the civil rights movement.  I have used a parallel phrase lately that in no way compares to the gravity of the civil rights movement, but heroes like him have inspired me to be relentless given the current pandemic condition of schools.  

I often say you have to be a "good tired" when it comes to these difficult times for our school families.  Work too hard and care too much.  This is how you can be a good tired.  Like a carpenter that ends the day scanning his work with pride and wondering how to make it better, we have to embrace working hard for our kids and teachers.  I know many that have written this school year off as a bust and in a lot of ways, I can't disagree.  We have run into our share of roadblocks.  But instead of being beat down about what you can't do, be beat down by how much you are doing.  I don't mean work yourself to death. We have to take care of ourselves, but work that you feel good about like a great visit to the gym.

My school has went in and out of remote learning more than once this year.  It is hard on everyone, but is necessary due to the conditions we are in.  Yes this is frustrating and yes it can be depressing.  Like it or not, your school family is looking to you as a leader to minimize the negative impact that the pandemic has had.  We do not have the luxury of sitting back and throwing our hands up.

If I could speak to other admins that might be lost or struggling, I would say don't stop even if in-person learning does.  We have to be models of persistence and resiliency with our students.  Probably most importantly, we have to remind our community that we are still the guiding institution that they need us to be.  We have lots of annual events that we may have to do virtually, but we won't skip them.  When we do, it feels less like school and more like a pandemic.

I won't lie.  I do feel like I am working way to hard.  I'm often wiped out when I get home and I didn't even do a 15 hour day with a ballgame in it.  I'm tired, but I am satisfied with my effort for kids teachers and families.  That's a good tired.  There is a lot of good tired going around.  I love scrolling through Twitter to see all the ways leaders are keeping everyone connected when it is so difficult to do so.  Finding ways to help kids know that their school cares about them is a lot of work so thank you for doing it.  Leaders and teachers, be proud to be a good tired.

You Are More Than Enough

I basically haven't left my school building in six months.  I got pretty used to missing the little things about being an in empty building pretty quick.  Now that we have returned to school first in an all remote format and then to a hybrid model, I have been able to gradually reconnect with my students and teachers.  We attend half days four days a week and then all students are remote on Fridays.  Students have the option to do a full remote model and about 20% of our kids do so.  We are not back to "normal", but we are happy to experience school again and get to do meaningful work.  

As we have come back and progressed on, we are facing a lot of realities that subconsciously we knew would be here.  Like most schools we have trouble keeping up with students who are not attending.  We have a large number of low-income and IEP students that are choosing to be full remote and failing multiple classes.  We have met many challenges and rose to face new ones.  Connectivity and device access was a challenge met.  Preparing a building for the safe return of students and staff was a challenge met.  Learning how to teach remotely and the skills that accompany that is a challenge that was met.  What we weren't ready for was the heartache of not being able to reach and teach all of our students.

In casual discussion with my teachers and others from neighboring towns, I see a pattern.  Teachers are over wearing masks, hand sanitizer and social distancing.  That was the easy part.  Great teachers are worried about helping every child.  Right now we have many students struggling.  Students are failing classes, reaching out for counselors, and in some cases in charge of caring for their younger siblings so their parents can work.  Some students are completely unreachable without outside help.  Because students are hurting, our teachers are also hurting.

I have talked to more than one teacher that feels that they are not enough right now.  They feel that they are failing kids in a situation beyond their control.  They are spending longer than usual hours to reach out only to spin their wheels.  Teachers, I have news for you.  You are enough.

In fact, you are more than enough.  You may not get to see your students everyday for full days.  But the interactions you get to have are huge to those kids.  You may not think they are listening to your instruction in science or reading, but they are happy you are there to give it.  You are so incredibly important to them.

March on teachers and for today, put aside all those measurements that make you feel icky.  I don't care what AimsWeb or iReady says about the performance of your kids.  Those kids have you and you are more than enough.  Hamish told us to be relentless.  Rita told us that every kid needs a champion. Keep being those things and hold your head high.  One day this will be over and we will see this experiences as something that made us stronger.  Your kids will see you as someone that gave them back a sense of normal when nothing else was.  You are more than enough.

Know Justice Know Peace

There's no doubt you have seen posters that say "No Justice No Peace" on them during recent protests over instances of police brutality and social injustice.  The statement is true not only now, but througout history.  When the powers that be stop serving the people or stop being fair, the people rise up.  This has been proven over time across the globe including in this country.

Source: Associated Press

The latest chapter of racial injustice is the conclusion of the heartbreaking story of Breonna Taylor.  This tradegy caught my eye and interest more than the others.  We had the opportuntiy to watch George Floyd's murder on television and the court of public opinion was in full effect.  The evidence was before our eyes.  We knew what justice would or should look like for that situation.  In the case of Breonna Taylor, we didn't get to see it unfold.  We only heard the story through the eyes of the police department after a no knock warrant went wrong.

I'm an educated man, but this is the first time I had heard of a no knock warrant.  I immediately applied my 4th amendment skills and condemned the practice.  Then I decided to learn more about them and why they are used.  I still condemn the practice, but I did do the work.  No knock warrants are used when police need to enter a premisies unannounced to prevent the destruction of or tampering with of evidence.  These are primarily used in cases of drug crimes.  They became common when we ramped up the war on drugs in the 80's.  They have generally been supported by case law, but with reservations.

So a no knock warrant led to the unfortunate events that took the life of Breonna Taylor.  The warrant was issued because detectives convinced a judge that this residence was trafficking drugs.  This is based on USPS packages leaving the apartment and being delivered to a known drug house two months earlier.  I have a lot of problems with this.  The speculation that drugs were being mailed to this apartment was old by the time a warrant was obtained.  Instead of intercepting packages and trying to search those either by warrant or probable cause, we employed a tactic that is dangerous to both the residents and the police officers.  Kenneth Walker shot one time at officers fearing that the home had been broken into.  This is an expected fight or flight response.  Then, officers fired into the home killing Breonna Taylor as she laid in her bed.  No drugs were found.

The mayor and city council quickly banned no knock warrants in Louisville calling it "Breonna's Law".  This came a month after her mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city.  That suit was settled for $12 million and week later we learned that no charges would be filed against the officers in connection with her death.  It reminded me of the OJ trial.  He didn't kill those people, but he would be responsible for their deaths in civil court.  The same backward logic applied here aserting that the city acknowledged wrong doing by settling the suit, but refuses to hold the officers accountable for actually killing her.

In this case, the no knock warrant denied Kenneth Walker and Breonna Taylor of basic justice.  In it's simplist terms, justice means fairness.  When investigators could not crack the case, they sought a sketchy warrant that not only endangered the lives of the residents, but the lives of the officers as well.  The result is heartache and a reminder that our war on drugs disproportionately affects poor people and people of color.  Show me a white collar crime suspect that has been served a no knock warrant.  There are very few, because white collar crime warrants are highly scrutinized by the courts, where in drug cases they are handed out quite easily.  If you need more on how dangerous they are, Houston banned them last year after two were killed and officers were injured serving a no knock warrant.  The evidence was there before Breonna Taylor.  The New York Times did an investigative piece that found that 81 people and 13 officers had died during these kinds of raids between 2010 and 2016.

So the statement is true.  When there is no justice, there will be no peace.  I chose to change this from an ultimatum to what should be a statement of American values.  When you know justice, you will know peace.  If we continue to target groups disproportionately with unfair practice, we do not know justice and we will not realize peace.  Yes we need to catch and punish the evil doers.  But we have to do that within the bounds of fair practice and when we percieve our governments to be oppresive, we will rise up.  Those are not my words, but the words of Thomas Jefferson in 1776.  Know justice so we can know peace.

A Patriotic Education

Recently, President Trump announced that he would fund a commission to promote patriotic education in schools.  I thought we were already doing that, but what do I know.  I've also been told we don't say "under God" in the pledge anymore but we totally do.  I closer look past the headline reveals something more troubling about the speech he gave to announce this.  He considers the teaching of history around race to be 'toxic propaganda' and was critical of the 1619 Project.  This award winning initiative teaches the consequences of slavery and the about the contributions of black Americans.  When it came to confederate monument removal, president Trump told Fox News “We should learn from the history, And if you don’t understand your history, you will go back to it again.”  I think we can see that those that accuse others of erasing history are really just wanting you to learn about the parts they like.

It wasn't long ago that I took a stab at commentary about what our kids should be taught.  Now, I think it is worth breaking down the concept of a patriotic education.  Oxford dictionary's definition of patriotic is "having or expressing devotion to and vigorous support for one's country."  That doesn't sound so bad.  The definition of education is very broad depending on who is speaking on the subject.  Is it a science or an art?  Or both?  Is it about the systematic delivery of knowledge or the opening of a mind?  This doesn't murky the water, it shows how beautiful the concept of teaching is and why I think it is the best profession in the world.

I recently made a visit to a social studies class.  Their question of the day was "Should you be able to fly a confederate flag?  Why or why not?"  I might get different reactions to this.  One might be that you should not be talking politics in your classroom.  Those people might be missing the point.  When the teacher walked them through this discussion, the emphasis was not on whether or not it was right or wrong to fly a confederate flag or what political affiliation they leaned towards.  They are junior high kids and probably only subscribe to what their parents are talking about at home.  The emphasis was on the "Why or why not?"  Folks, this is patriotic education.

To answer the second part of the question is to show that you have some prerequisite knowledge of our laws, values and customs.  That you can make an informed decision based what you have learned.  This is the essence of patriotism.  If you love and are devoted to our country, you will learn about all of it.  Even the good, bad and ugly.  This this the only way we can improve our democracy.  So let me fix what President Trump was trying to say, Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.  All history is worth learning.

Some day, Ruth Bader Ginsberg will be just a multiple choice question on a test and the answer most likely will be that she was just a Supreme Court justice.  We are doing a disservice to her and our country when this happens.  Tell her story long after she is gone.  She was a champion for gender equality and the perfect example of a life spent serving others for a greater good.  This is also a patriotic education.  To make more people like her.

The long and short of it is that we can't improve our nation if we don't know who we are.  We are a nation of immigrants.  Human slavery existed here.  Not all people had the right to vote at some point in time.  Things are different now.  Not because we chose to omit pieces of history or to re-frame it in a way we like, but because we accepted our mistakes and refused to repeat them.  That is the true goal of a patriotic education.  I hope the 1776 Commission created by president Trump finds educators who feel the same way.

Service to Others

Its easy to find the bad stuff.  We know it is true.  You don't have to scroll or look far to find conflict, struggle and negativity.  It's actually a little bit of work to find something that I believe to be essential to life.  Service to others is essential.  In the midst of all that is frustrating, I was recently given a few reminders of what that looks like in its best forms.

My first reminder was on the golf course in Anna.  My daughter plays for West Frankfort and one of the girls in the group she played with seemed familiar.  She was very polite and my daughter had a connection with her.  It soon dawned on me that it was Marlee Smith.  I hope you remember her story.  She strived to continue her athletic career despite battling Leukemia.  At that time last year she was in the thick of her struggle.  Not only did she compete, she had the best spirit about her.  I was happy my daughter met a special person.  Not long after that she was noticed for her work to provide Christmas gifts to children with cancer.  Fast forward to this trip to the golf course at Anna and she was still competing.  She still had a great attitude and she was so physically healthy, that I did not recognize her at first.  Like I said, I was happy my kid met a special person and got to play with a heck of a golfer.

I've known Mike Tyson for a long time.  Not the boxer by the way.  I would say that we have talked quite a few hours about softball over the years, but I was taken by surprise to learn his story recently.  To kick of National Recovery Month he shared his personal story of struggle and his road to helping others.  He has started a non-profit called Take Action Today to help others struggling with recovery from their destructive vices.  I am proud to know this man.  He is a great example of how purpose can be found from pain.  I can't wait to see what is down the road for him in this journey. 

While scanning through Disney Plus looking for something new, I stumbled across a show called Marvel's Hero Project.  I watched the episode about Jahkil.  An eleven year old boy that felt moved to help the homeless in Chicago.  He started out making "Blessing Bags" to hand out full of essential items like socks and toiletries.  His initial goal was small by comparison to where he ended up.  Last year he handed out 12,000 Blessing Bags.  His non-profit, Project I Am, has made him a local hero.  This did not go unnoticed and soon he was being Tweeted by Barack Obama and court side at NBA games.  The premise of the show to find these special kids and honor them with their very own comic book drawn and written by Marvel artists.  A very cool acknowledgement for any kid.

It's okay to be inspired by stories of service.  We should all surround ourselves with people that are servants.  If you can't find one, be one.  Service to others is the rent we pay for our place on Earth (Ali's words, not mine).  It is the best remedy for all the bad stuff thrown at us and you just might be motivated to find a way to serve on your own.

Failing Our Most Important Standardized Test

In the education world we are subject to determining our school’s worth based on standardized tests.  If you do poorly on these assessments, you are often designated as a poorly performing school and mandated to improve.  When you do well, we often complain that the school had an unfair advantage.  Maybe they are funded better or the families in the district are better educated.  Either way, we are all expected to teach the standards and pass the tests.

While looking for a working example of our country's response to the current challenges of our nation, I realize that our country is approaching failing the most important test yet.  I'm not talking about our world rankings, which leave much to be desired.  I am talking about what is taught that is not being demonstrated as we face some of the most difficult days in my lifetime.

There was a time that social studies was actually on the state tests.  They are not now.  We have de-emphasized social studies, the arts and vocational subjects in favor of math, reading, and science.  Us social studies teachers felt a little slighted.  If you get bored and want to see what courses and topics are mandated in Illinois, you find out they are almost all related to social studies.  So this old dog decided to explore my learning standards and see what it is that our people have not learned based on public tension during the pandemic.

Not to insult, but I am a junior high principal so I am looking at middle school civics standards.  These are the least complex in the strand to show you how elementary our basic knowledge of being a good citizen is.  Some of our notable failures are bulleted underneath each standard.

SS.CV.1.6-8.LC:  Identify roles played by citizens (examples: voters, jurors, taxpayers, military, protesters and office holders)

• We cannot distinguish between protesters and looters.
• We do not know or realize that protesting is free speech.

SS.CV.4.6-8.LC:  Explain the connection between interests and perspectives, civic virtues, and democratic principles when addressing issues in government and society.

• We cannot value mail in voting and in person voting equally as a democratic necessity.
• We dismiss the connection between race and many instances of police brutality.

SS.CV.6.6-8.LC:  Determine whether specific rules and laws (both actual and proposed) resolve the problems they were meant to address. 

• Refusal to wear masks and follow COVID-19 safety protocols.
• We see safety restrictions as an infringement upon our freedoms and not a solution to a problem.

Lets be fair.  We are not all failing at this.  This is what happens to schools with standardized tests.  You may have many that do well, but you are all in the same boat at the end of the day.  The whole school gets the label whether it is good or bad.  So how do we improve upon this if we have de-emphasized social studies and civics on our fancy state tests?

The social studies standards in Illinois have made a change for the better in recent years.  They place a priority on participatory citizenship within the content.  I was impressed by this when I first read them, but disappointed in how many of my social studies colleagues had not seen them.  In many cases, they were not noticed until a teacher had to write a formal lesson plan for an evaluation.

If we want to prevent failing the most important standardized test, which is democracy, we have to promote and actively embrace civics as a core piece of the school curriculum.  We have done so with legislation, but in practice we still cling to boosting math and reading scores as a way off of those ugly lists connected to standardized tests.  Another way to do this is to partner with organizations like Generation Citizen to provide an action civics education.  Better yet, get your high school involved with YMCA Youth and Government to practice democracy at the state level.  Either way, you need to teach civics by doing.  

If the past six months have taught us anything, it is that we need to produce citizens that can critically think and independently make decisions regarding our current situation and whatever challenges they face in the future.  Once again schools are tasked with making things right.  Embrace the task folks.

Rita Told Us to be a Champion for Kids

If you are a school administrator right now, you know we are up against a lot. Schools are facing a huge challenge re-opening and to make things tougher, the target seems to always be moving.  The state mandates one thing, our families want something else and we know we don't have the spaces or resources to do everything by the book.  This is a stressful time to be in this business.  It hurts my heart when I hear so many colleagues feeling lost amid the chaos of the situation.

My fellow admins, we are the best possible people to handle this. With just over a month before school is set to start, now is not the time to get frustrated or complain. Get it out of your system quickly because our kids, staff and families need us.

Remember, Rita told us to be a champion for kids.  It is a heavy load to carry, but we all believe this to be our role in our student's lives.  Otherwise, we would be doing something less impactful.

The Greatest told us what a champion is. Now is the time to dig deep and draw on those special qualities that make you a leader of kids and communities.  The state and other outside factors may set up roadblocks, but stick to the vision you possess for your students and schools.  These struggles will define you as leaders so it is time to take control.

We have to be champions if we want to have a successful re-opening. Don’t spin your wheels on the things you can't control. Do the best you can with what you have to keep your school families safe.  They need your leadership, your talent, your resourcefulness, and your calm.  Control the narrative for your school and show your families that you have the steering wheel.

As for me, I know I am communicating.  I am learning.  I am researching.  I am guiding my team by urging them to only use the language of solutions and not the language of defeat.  We will do our best to create structures, procedures and an environment that keep our kids safe and follow the guidelines to the fullest extent possible.  We will be champions for our kids and not victims of a tough situation.

Information Cannot be an Impulse Buy

It's now a thing that people care about how reliable their news is.  I remember being a kid and not thinking anything of watching Ted Koppel deliver the news.  It was the news.  It was what was going on and you basically didn't question what was delivered to you.  The term "fake news" has entered our vernacular and while I will not debate that there is such a thing, my fear is that people actually can't tell the difference. If you need a couple of examples of how we are being fed fake news follow these links about Pizzagate and Twitter bots.

I don't watch television news the way I used to, but I do it differently that I used to.  Because of the bias of some news organizations, I dig a little deeper into my intellect to find my take-aways from a story.  I have to confess that I also really enjoy watching Jake Tapper's face during interviews.

We use our bias to frequent networks or sites and support their coverage and in turn they have to keep their customers by continuing the types of coverage their viewers want to see.  This leaves us with a new task that has blossomed into a civic duty.  As American citizens we have to be media literate.  How we receive and digest information is critical to our participation in this democracy.  It is frightening to know that there are people in this country that construct their own truth based on biased news, fake news or propaganda and then go to the polls to vote.

Sorry to add more to your plate, but your participation is going to require another layer of competency.  I'm not saying you should stop watching your favorite news channels.  I'm saying you need to use a fair and balanced lens.  I know what I'm getting if I turn on CNN or Fox News.  I do my best to sort out the skew and listen for the facts.  I can construct my own opinion based on what is absolute.  I can filter out someone else's truth.  I do not find any validation if they confirm something I believe so therefore I feel no allegiance to that source.

I stumbled across the chart below when I was preparing to speak to some student journalists about newspapers in schools. It is complicated to look at, but worth the effort in your search for facts.  I've learned to consider where publications are in this graphic before I read a story.  Look at it this way.  Before you buy something, we might look at ratings and feedback form other buyers.  If we are shopping like we are supposed to, we avoid impulse buys and the eventual disappointment if something is wrong with the product.  Why do we "impulse buy" news stories fed to us on television and online?  Not all news media is bad and with the scrutiny placed on them, they are right to be in defense mode.  Support good media by not impulse buying bad media.



The current issue that frustrated me to the point of writing this is the face mask debate.  You see one news story that gives you the facts and benefits pointed out by a medical professional.  In another, you have people screaming about their constitutional rights.  For those impulse media buyers out there, there is plenty of evidence that suggests masks can help us stop the spread of COVID-19 and zero evidence in the constitution or case law that says you have the legal right to refuse to wear one.  Remember, your rights end where the next man's nose begins.  If you heard that from any source that you see in the bottom right hand side of the above info-graphic, change your news habits.  Information cannot be an impulse buy.

Gestures of Progress

Amid all the racial tension we have been witnessing, our president signed an executive order protecting statues of military war heroes.  This comes after a flurry of activity about what to do with old statues that may symbolize racism.  This is yet another reminder of how hard it it is to be an American.  We seem to find ourselves in the most paradoxical situations and this one is no different.  Should we remove these public symbols of the Confederacy and racism?

Some things to consider.  First, we have to acknowledge that these figures may represent dark places of our history, but are still part of our history. The fact is that some of these statues represent beloved founding fathers that were slave owners and the truth is that slavery is over.  There are pieces of the American story that we are not proud of.  We can't erase those parts of history, but we can choose to move on from them.

Second, our history is rich with change and innovation.  Why do we not celebrate this as we go?  What if our monuments reflected how far we have come, instead of where we used to be?  Construction started on Mount Rushmore in 1927.  Did they really think that these four men were the best we were going to get?  I really never understood the back lash of putting Harriet Tubman on the 20 dollar bill.  This would be a symbol of progress in America.  Moving something out doesn't mean we have to forget about it.  It just means that we know where we are going and what it means to have come this far.

Third, these choices represent our values.  So what does this situation say about current American values?  Right now it means that we can still be polarized about an issue of decorum.  We have one side that says you can't erase history by removing statues.  We have another side that says these statues represent and symbolize institutionalized racism.  Picking a side seems to be our most prominent American value these days.  I'm not sure a sculptor could make a statue of that. 

I am not suggesting we destroy all these statues and monuments, but we have to move on from old stories.  If people in Kentucky can move on by removing a statue, then the nation can.  NASA will be renaming their headquarters after Mary Jackson, their first African American female engineer.  These are gestures of progress, not erasing history.  Those gestures have been going on for years.  Newsweek reported two years ago that over a hundred confederate statues had been removed across the US.  I don't recall any national outrage.  My point is, our old stories belong in museums.  The new stories of our country should be displayed.  You can celebrate our progress and still not forget our history.

A statue of Robert E. Lee being removed in Dallas back in 2017. (Newsweek)

A New War on Poverty

It is time for a new war on poverty.  Looking around and connecting so many of our country's toughest issues to poverty and economic opportunity is not a difficult task.  Our first war on poverty began in 1964 in conjunction with the Civil Rights Act.  While many could argue it's success and failures, there was a foundation laid for future efforts.  The reality is that the overall poverty rate since the war on poverty began has largely remained unchanged.  Sure there was some immediate relief, but it is obvious we have done little to protect and uplift the poor in a meaningful way since then.

Let's take one example of how not addressing poverty hurts us.  Poverty has an effect on crime rates.  Not addressing poverty helps the continuation of incarceration of poor people and makes social mobility nearly impossible.  This post is a great look at many societal factors affected by poverty.  We have to break these cycles and lift people out of poverty if we want to see thriving communities and better relationships.  Lack of economic opportunity has always led to tension and discrimination.  It is time to wage a new war on poverty and do better for our nation.

What should a new war on poverty look like?

• Paid Career training and assistance for in-demand fields.  Medical professions, trades and teaching all have candidate shortages and they are jobs that can provide upward mobility.
• True enforcement of current laws that protect the poor and minorities.  For example, housing discrimination still takes place despite 50 year old laws to combat the practice.
• Medicare for all is a must.  The biggest reason for someone to file bankruptcy is medical bills.  This is a barrier to social mobility.  Let's not forget to mention that a healthy workforce is a strong one.
• Restructure the federal student loan program to ensure that first generation college students do not end up in a debtor's prison.  

I'm sure an economist could devise a better list with better ideas.  I'm a rare example of a guy that moved from generational poverty to the middle class and I strive to help others do the same.  We have to build upon what was started in 1964.  Times have changed but the poverty rate has not.  If that is not a signal to do better, I don't know what one is.  As things seem to crumble around us, we cannot feel helpless to the point of inaction or bowing to political positioning.  We have to demand what is best for us as a nation.  That includes lifting up others.

Vote by Mail is a Pitch in the Dirt

Vote by mail had turned into a point of discussion weeks ago due to safety concerns during the pandemic.  Now the issue is renewed in Illinois after JB Pritzker signed new legislation into effect that will send vote by mail applications to 5 million Illinoisans ahead of the November elections.  As you would guess, I have no problem with voting by mail.  Not everyone sees it that way so I would like to challenge everyone to instead examine the real voting issues that keep people from voting and keeps career politicians in office.

How do Democrat’s and republicans differ on the vote by mail issue?  Democrats want to increase participation and allow many who are afraid to vote during the pandemic to do so safely.  Republicans worry about voter fraud.  It became  a heated partisan issue when  Republicans claimed  that it impacts them directly.  Research shows that it has no benefit to either party.  If you want a deeper dive into election fraud, The Heritage Foundation created a good interactive map to see what issues each state has had.  They report 1285 instances of voter fraud over an extended period of time.  That number compared to all voters does not seem like a very high percentage of fraud taking place.  Only four documented cases of voter fraud took place in the 2016 election.

Do not be distracted from the real problems.  The two real issues to focus on here are election day administration and gerrymandering.  Take a look at what happened in Atlanta recently on their primary election day.  Many voters waited hours in line just to be shuffled around and given alternative ballots because machines could not be operated.  As a technologically advanced country, why does this happen?  I won't point the finger just yet and say it is on purpose to keep people from voting (oops I just did), but we clearly do not value the practice of voting.  Voting is the easiest way to have your voice heard in our democracy.  If we are the great nation we say we are, the administration of the process on election day, would have more resources devoted to it.  If you looked at the Heritage Foundation site, you would see many of the fraud cases  come from registration and double voting.  A boost in effort and resources could prevent these things from happening.  We have to say that it is important enough that we will spend extra time and resources for a smooth election day.  Otherwise, we are accepting the status quo that produces consistently low voter turnout and less than desirable results.

Gerrymandering.  I'm sure you remember that funny word from high school government class.  If you need a review, it is simply drawing districts where your base voters are.  Look at this congressional map of Ohio.  The current map on the left should have some red flags.  Look how jagged and strategically manufactured those districts are.  Especially the district that Cleveland is in.  This practice benefits the party in power because they get to draw the map.  If redrawn in either other configuration, the popular vote would have more say over the outcome.  In fact, in the 2018 election, Democrats won 2035 seats in the House with a 6.7% popular vote margin.  Republicans could have won 235 seats with just a 1.1% margin. (Please click on the link for the methodology.)





I can't image anyone seeing this as fair.  We all complain about career politicians and I support term limits fully.  Completely ending gerrymandering would not only make things better for voters, it would put politicians on notice that they are there to serve and if not it may be a short stay.

The vote by mail issue is a pitch in the dirt.  Don't chase it.  There are other election problems to tackle that would create the results we want.  If we want to strengthen our democracy, we have to take control of the issues and not let those who benefit tell us what to think about.  Demand reform in the areas that will  impact democracy the most.

The Time I used Public Enemy as a Teaching Tool

It seems like educators are called to fix every social ill and the current state of affairs is no different. As our country is again being reminded of racism and discrimination that take place everyday, there are calls for schools to step up and fill the need to help end this societal disease.  California's State Superintendent spoke words that rang out to me.  He said,

“Today we should be in a classroom helping students process all that is happening around us,” he said in a statement. “Schools must be part of the solution because a great education is the most important part of the path out of poverty. But opportunity gaps for black students have persisted for more than a generation. The war on poverty declared more than 50 years ago seems to have been lost.” 

I cannot imagine that any educator could disagree with this statement.  For those that often complain that we are asked to bear too many burdens, let me offer a different perspective.

I used to teach geography to sophomores.  One day we were mindlessly going through he motions of our textbook when one of my students asked about a tiny graphic in the corner of a page.  It was a diagram of the slave trade routes.  His interest turned into classroom interest.  Two thirds of my class was African American and the level of curiosity on the topic told me that I was not doing enough to meet their educational needs.  From that point on, we jumped out of the textbook and I created a unit on the slave trade that even included an exercise in breaking down the lyrics of the Public Enemy song, Can't Truss It.  I remember that day like it was yesterday.  Imagine a classroom of students marking and writing on their lyric sheets while they bobbed their heads to the music.  It was great. This didn't make me a hero to my African American students.  I proved to them that I would go out of my way to meet their needs and help them develop their own perspective.  They knew I was there to educate them.

As a white man, I think I exceeded their expectations and many barriers were broken down that might have only been perceived.  If my students and I relied simply on our implicit biases it may have played out differently.  I likely would have dismissed the new adventure as someone that was not credible to them because of my skin color.  They could have dismissed me as only telling the story in a way that was convenient to a white person.  There are a ton of ways that this activity could have become disingenuous to both student and teacher.  What happened was that I gave all of my effort to meet the needs of my students that were hungry for knowledge and social perspective.  Educators, this is our super power.

We are agents of change for so many social problems like bullying, poverty and racism. We should see this as a badge of honor and really take this distinction seriously. The next time someone complains that the schools should be doing more to fix a problem, know that the complaint you heard was a huge compliment.  Right now it is time to put on your capes and be ready to teach beyond what is expected of us when we come back.  They will need us now more than ever with the challenges that our country is facing.  They need our calm and our super powers.  Meaningful change takes place one person at a time and it can start in our classrooms.  As you plan for next school year, let's find ways to meet these challenges and be proud that society expects us to do it.

Where the Next Man's Nose Begins

By now I’m sure we have all seen this image. Protesters in Michigan demanding that their state reopen made national headlines along with other such protests. This picture to many represents the anger the protesters are feeling. Maybe you see poor behavior on the part of the protesters. I look at this a little differently. To me it is a study of rights and responsibilities.

One of the great joys of my professional life was teaching civics and government. “Your rights end where the next man’s nose begins” I would always say.  I heard that in college and despite not knowing it's exact origins, I rehashed it anyway.  The point is you have the freedom to do whatever you want as long as you don't hurt others in the process.

It is our right to protest. It was one of the first ideas the framers had when writing the Bill of Rights.  The first amendment encompasses many of the freedoms that we embrace the most.  You have the right to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.  I am a strong believer in these rights and I recognize everyone's freedom to exercise them.  Protest whatever you want and despite my opposition, I will acknowledge your right to protest.  Even though the protester below makes my blood boil, I will respect their rights to display this incredibly insensitive poster.  Just like when my blood boils to see an American flag being burned.

It is our responsibility to not harm others while exercising those rights.  This is where the next man's nose begins.  While I'm happy to celebrate the free speech rights of all our people, I'm a little more critical of how people exercise their responsibilities.  The visual of armed protesters is definitely off putting.  Until you do your homework and find out that it is not new.  These pictures were taken about 50 years apart.  Michigan protesters on the left wanting to re-open their state and Black Panthers on the right protesting a gun control bill in the Washington State Legislature.  Both are menacing photos of conveying a message in an extreme way.

  

American citizenship is challenging.  I think it was meant to be by the framers of the Constitution.  They laid out what our given rights were, but not the responsibilities of the citizenry to exercise them.  They left that to us.  Not being aware of our responsibility to each other or disregarding it takes us to a dark place.  Our present day protesters have a legitimate message.  They have the right be heard, but showing up in mass during a pandemic and openly brandishing firearms is not responsible.  Instead of activism, the intimidation and aggressive behaviors used border on terrorism.  I hate to use such a strong word, but we have to face the facts.

As I sit and type this, I am exercising my right to free speech.  In no way shape or form will I defame anyone or commit libel or slander in the process.  That is my responsibility.  I know exactly where the next man's nose begins.  If we all can do this, maybe protest turns into dialog and maybe division can turn into consensus.  We are stronger together than we are apart.  History has been a great teacher in that regard.  Pushing us into extremes will not allow any progress.  Protest all you want, but be responsible in being heard.  You never know who may be hurt in the process.

Teacher Appreciation Ramble

I almost picked up an LSAT application in college.  Late in my teacher education program, I seriously considered becoming an attorney.  I had inspiring instructors to blame for that.  I was a social studies education major and my schedule filled up with courses in law and government.  I enjoyed the logic and back and forth of the legal argument.  I loved going to class to hear about and read about cases where the little guy took their troubles all the way to the Supreme Court to set precedence that defined the rights of an entire country.  How can you not be inspired by that?  I was convinced that to elevate the little guy, I had to become an attorney.

Once I started student teaching I realized that this was not true.  This is not a knock on attorneys.  This is was an adjustment of my professional logic.  Those inspiring college instructors influenced me to inspire my students with the same stories.  I learned really quickly that as my students became as invested and as curious as I was, I was creating informed citizens.  It is much more rewarding thinking that I am preventing the existence of the little guy.  The notion that you can build empowered people with your daily work should inspire anyone to become a teacher.

Fast forward to the present.  I can see this turning into a ramble.  The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a whole new respect for teachers.  I have to admit that I love seeing the admiration for the work of a teacher on social media.  I feel like people have gotten a little taste of what teachers do.  Just a little taste.  These classrooms have two to three students in them.  These teachers can let school out early when the day gets tough.  These teachers don't have to worry about their students' safety and well being over a weekend.  Don't get me wrong, parents at my school have done a great job helping our kids with their work.  It still cannot substitute for a person giving their professional lives to countless kids that don't belong to them.  I hope that this feeling of admiration for teachers during the pandemic is genuine and permanent.

I hope you take time to reflect on the teachers that have impacted you.  I wrote about my turnaround teacher in a blog post a few years ago.  I think we all have a teacher that we will never forget.  I can't say that about any attorney (sorry guys).  When I tell my students that I wanted to be an attorney at one point, they always ask why I didn't.  The consensus is that being a lawyer is a way cooler job.  They don't get what us teacher types understand and that is okay.  I only hope that my teachers and I help them find their purpose and chase their personal missions.  We have the opportunities and unique skill sets for this that parent-teachers do not have.

I know I'm rambling, but think about the scene in Saving Private Ryan when he reveals to his men that he was a school teacher?  That was a huge turning point in the movie because all of those soldiers can relate to a teacher.  They put two and two together and saw his leadership skills and it all made sense.  Teachers are special people even in the movies.

I could do this all day.  Let's reduce the ramble into a bullet-ed list.

• Teaching is not a job, it is a life.
• Teacher's work is never done, only improved.
• Teachers make more decisions in a day than just about any other profession.
• Teachers have to deal with the constant moving target set by policy makers.
• Teachers get bashed online, but can't bash back.
• Teachers are being asked more and more to be familiar with psychology and prescription meds.
• Teachers are learning survival practices in the event of a shooting.
• Teachers are in very short supply.

Honestly, I could go on and on.  It's easy to ramble on and on about something that means so much.  Teachers, you mean a lot to a lot of people.  Please know your worth and know that you are appreciated.  Danielson may think you are "Proficient" but I think you are all rock stars.  Ramble over.

Mission Never Accomplished

While I am hating all the setbacks that have come with this pandemic, it has provided me time to do all the things that I say I have no time to do.  While cleaning out the garage, we sat and sorted through some boxes and totes that were a mystery when it came to their contents.  We got to take a great trip down memory lane with old pictures that turned into stories to tell the kids.  One box turned up a couple old newspaper articles that were written when I started my tenure at Central Junior High School.

I remember that interview like it was yesterday.  I remember calling each teacher and just talking to them.  I remember the massive ring of keys that were left for me.  I remember pouring over old files in the office learning everything I could about my new school.  Then I realized that that article hit the paper almost ten years ago.  I will be entering my tenth year as the Principal of CJHS on July 1st.

I read the article.  A few lines stuck out for reflection.  Bob Ellis of the Daily American wrote that I exuded confidence and I had a keen attitude for getting the job done.  After a short bio and a couple accomplishments at Elverado I found this quote from me, "Student success comes first.  That not only means that we should be on the cutting edge of how to educate students but we must be willing to raise the bar for them so that they may exceed their own expectations."  I really enjoyed reading this for one really big reason.

I feel like this is something I would have said last week.  I have had a lot of one of a kind experiences at CJHS.  I have the honor of awards and the agony of working though troubled waters.  Over this time I am most proud of the idea that I feel like I am on the same mission from where I started.  Many things have changed around me, but I have stayed on mission.  I looked through he faces of this picture.  After having a couple mental laughs, I realized that these kids got the same me that my students will get in August.

Principals these days do not last this long in their schools.  One report has the average stay of a middle school Principal as 4.48 years.  Another report says that only 11% of principals stay ten years or more at one school.  My current contract will take me through year twelve.  If you find yourself in this rare air, I hope you are still on mission like you were on day one.  Because this mission is never accomplished.  There is no finish line.  The mission is the pursuit of serving students in the best way possible.  The job of the Principal is a tough one and we have to settle for it never being done.

Supporting our COVID-19 Troops

I will admit that when the COVID-19 pandemic was starting, I was a skeptic.  Yes, I was one of those that said things like "It's only the flu" and "people only care because rich folks are getting it."  That was back in January though.  A lot has changed since then and my thinking has changed also.  Sure, my family is undergoing changes and sacrifices like everyone else.  Sure, I am frustrated that the school year is over for my children and my students.  The whole thing is very sad, but we stand determined.

I finally broke down and began watching the images from the news.  I was struck by two contrasting themes currently taking place in our country.  First, I watched a great piece on Nightline about the front lines of the crisis in the hospitals of New York City.  As I watched the struggle of the medical professionals being profiled and the conditions in which they were working in, it reminded me of seeing footage of war.  In my lifetime, war has never been fought in our country.  We have to watch the conflict play out on the news from countries that most people cannot locate on a map.  My heart was tugged on when I realized that these people are fighting this fight here.  These are our people trying to save our people.  Not a war that many don't understand in a far away place.

The other side of the narrative is the protesting going on in various parts of the country to re-open their states amid this pandemic.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I understand the hurt that people would like to end.  My wife and her sister own a small business and they are seeing the burdens of the shutdown firsthand.  We have a legitimate concern to keep our economy running and I will not try to dispute that.  I see this as just another way we have become polarized as a country.  We are once again forced to take one side or the other.  You are either for re-opening the country or for saving as many lives as possible.



What an unfair position the American people find themselves in.  If we use my clumsy comparison of this pandemic being a war fought on our soil, sacrifices have to be made.  During World War II, the U.S. government began to ration food through a system of ration books.  This was a radical move, but necessary for the war effort.  At no time have we ever questioned the idea of supporting our troops during conflict or war.  But, war has not affected us this way in my lifetime because war has never been this close to home.

If, for the sake of this comparison, our medical professionals and scientists are the troops in the trenches of this war then we have to sacrifice a little longer for them.  They are fighting to save lives and to find a vaccine.  They fight today to protect us from this virus in the future.  I know it's hard make the best out of this difficult situation and even those war ration books were not perfect for the situation.  We have to give them a fighting chance.  Even the president considers us at war with an "invisible enemy" so maybe we need to support our troops a little bit longer.  We will get through this, but we can't do that without a united front to make the needed sacrifices.

Maslow before Bloom’s

The first time I heard this term was on Scott England’s podcast. I was so struck by the concept that I added some slides to my Poverty Practitioner workshop presentation. What a powerful way to think.  We need to meet their greatest personal needs before we meet their educational needs. This is definitely a useful mindset for those hoping to make an impact on their low-income students.

This concept became our reality when the COVID-19 shutdown took place and we found ourselves without our students. It is a proud moment when I see news stories and posts about the work of school staff providing the basics like food and social service support. Sometimes the best way to adopt a new mindset is to be pushed into it by things out of your control. The education community and risen to the occasion and brought life to the concept and in many places has been taken to a new level.  This proves we have always been “essential” employees because we serve our state’s most essential resource.

This also applies to us. We feel the void emotionally when our most vulnerable students’ progress and  health is no longer in our hands.  I have said before that heartbreak is a trait of a great teacher. This has certainly been tested with recent events. It is hard to hear one of your teachers express their worry and concern for kids they know need them. It’s hard for me to get emails from kids asking when we get to come back and if I can help them get medication if they run out. If you are feeling stressed out, you are not alone. This is not time to sit out. Our kids need you to be just as dependable as you have before.

The challenge now is can we continue the idea of Maslow before Bloom’s after this crisis is over?  Have we experienced enough to make this a permanent mindset?  I say don’t stop what we have started. Don’t stop feeding them physically and emotionally. Don’t stop making them feel wanted and included.  These thangs carry far more value than any learning packet. We also know that the brain will respond better when their emotional needs are met and those learning packets won’t be so bad. But hey, look who I’m preaching to. The best people on Earth.

Lastly, I need to give a special thanks to the Illinois PTA. They recently named me the Administrator of the Year and I am very appreciative and humbled by the honor.  Since my very first year as a building principal, I have understood the partnership between myself and the families that I serve. I take that connection very seriously and I have been blessed with great parent group members. A couple years ago we affiliated with the PTA and that relationship has proven to be a huge benefit to our parents and families. On behalf of Central Junior High School, I would like to thank the Illinois PTA for what they do for our schools and families.

Keeping Up With Kevin

On Monday morning I was told that Kevin Conaughty had passed away.  Kevin was our maintenance director for Frankfort #168.  If I had a project, he worked with me to get it done.  If something broke down, he made sure it was repaired.  If I had questions about food service, he knew the answer.  He was excellent at his job.  That description does not tell his story.  Anyone that knew him or had the privilege to work with him knew he was more than a Mr. Fix-it.  If you knew him, you could only hope to keep up with him.

If you wanted to know what Kevin was actually up to, you could attend any school board meeting and listen to his report.  He had a long list of things that were fixed, a long list of things that were broke and a long list of plans to take care of all of it.  We would often smile the longer he went on.  We always knew he was the hardest working man in the district because his report was usually longer than any one else's.

"Good morning Charles.  How's you day going?"  He said this to me with a smile everyday he saw me as he was leaving the kitchen in my building.  Sometimes he called me "Sir Charles" and I kinda liked it.  I always gave him a generic answer like, "It's still early Kevin" or "Not too shabby" even if my day was already going to the dogs.  He was such a soldier for his work and the district that I never wanted him to really know that I was having a bad day or early struggles.  I knew what his work load was and he never showed me anything other than optimism so that is what I gave back to him.

Kevin was not all business all the time.  There was always moments to share stories and tell jokes to share a laugh.  What separates Kevin from many is that the laughs were had after the work was done.  He was never one to be off task or be unproductive with goofing off and silliness.  It's easy for me to do that sometimes and he was always a shining example of getting a job done.  We can have fun later.

He may be gone, but I will not stop trying to keep up with him.  Kevin was in constant pursuit of doing the job right for the kids and staff of our district.  He is a prime example of how there is no finish line when it comes to the special work of schools.  He was truly one of the best of us and the best we can do for him is to follow his example and chase what is best for kids.  I may never catch him, but I will try to keep up.

Rest in peace my friend.

You are What You Celebrate - Second Edition

If you are an educator of any kind, you have to be very proud of the effort you have made for your kids in recent weeks.  A while back I wrote about our BETA Club and how proud we were of them.  I celebrated the way we were celebrating the right things together.  I wrote, "You are what you celebrate. If you celebrate mediocrity, that's what you will get.  If you celebrate reaching a low level goal repeatedly, there will be no motivation to go further."  My basic message was that if we celebrate the great things we have in our buildings, we will always seek out greatness.

There has been no shortage of this during the COVID-19 shutdown.  All across our state, teachers and admins are stepping up to show how special their students are to them.  I was slow to this work mostly because like many, I was paralyzed by the situation and spent to much time over analyzing how to help.  Here is what I think I have and all of us have come to understand. Schools are like good churches. A good church is not confined to its own walls. The church is everywhere it needs to be.  Schools are no different. When school buildings have no students in them, the school goes to them and they serve them in any way they know how.

Need to see this in action?  Search #ilschoolsstepup on Twitter.  You will see countless tales of how school families are always in tact even if the school is empty.  Watch a student get a happy birthday celebration at his house by his classmates.  How about a kindergartner doing a science experiment from her kitchen table.  What about donating PPE items to local health professionals?  I think we are all finding creative ways to deliver meals to students and those meals mean more than just a full belly.  Just ask the kitchen staff in my district when they got thank you notes from students returned to them.

In short, teachers miss their students.  Sharing this activity is not showing off.  It is an act of perpetuating excellence. These stories must be told to remind us of how special our work is.  We are what we celebrate. Don't stop showing people how much we care, how much we do for them and how ready we are for them to come back.  These are the bricks that build a great school climate and school family. Keep celebrating through these tough and uncertain times and tell your stories of excellence. They will not be forgotten.

Our staff made a quick video for our parents and kids with more on the way.

  

Us Crazy Softball Parents

If you were recently scrolling through Facebook around our parts, you probably saw a softball picture challenge floating around.  With the closure of schools and the suspension of the current baseball/softball season, players and parents are longing for a season to start or praying that we will have some kind of season to play.  The picture challenge is a place to share some softball memories as we mourn for our sport.

I have a daughter that plays high school softball and before you start to call us crazy softball parents, this is why we miss softball so much right now.

A softball team was very likely our daughter's first team of any kind.  That's a big deal.  My kid was just four when she started playing and it was the first exposure she had to being part of a team.  Team sports teaches critical social skills.  They learn very quickly what it is like to play together and win together by doing your job and encouraging others.  The earlier the better I say and she is still a good teammate to this day.

That first team experience led to other teams and experiences.  Our kids were willing to take on other challenges because of their commitment to some softball team early in their lives.  My daughter has become a multi-sport athlete since that first softball team.  She even spent a year in competitive cheer.  There are plenty of benefits of being a multi-sport athlete. Without softball, who knows if she would have seen these benefits.

The parents benefit too by having a growing network of like minded parents. You never loose track of  the people you meet, play with or against.  You see them again every year whether it is in school ball or travel ball.  I was lucky enough to coach for a minute.  My network grew tremendously and I met some of the best people I know in softball.

I know us softball parents get a bad rap.  We are too competitive and we must have money to burn.  But when you share so much of your kid's life with them for so long, you have trouble pulling away.  We know that so many opportunities for our daughters sprang from a dirt field.  Every game we attend is happening in that moment, but we are very aware of what building blocks were laid each year that put them into that game.  When we long for games to start, we know that building of our daughters will continue.  Stay strong players and parents, we will play again.