It was a long day at work, so I’m pretty beat. I’m just going to free-write tonight.
It’s been a long year that opened up new thoughts and actions I could never in a million years see myself doing. Writing a special education blog, going to meetings, new friends, talking to legislators, going to a task force, trying to dismantle the whole common core-smarter balanced thing, submitting FOIA requests to the DOE, and so on. So what else do I do?
I don’t get into my personal life on here aside from being a special needs parent. Once in a while you might see me writing about my son, but not too much. My son and wife are well aware of my blog, and think I spend too much time on it. They are probably right, but it beats getting drunk every night! Not that I did that before, but there are worse things I could be doing!
Hey, here’s a blind item! What former head of school at a charter school was once president of a school district and threw a chair at a parent? Some of you may know the answer. I just found out in the past month, and it justified my opinion of the person. I wasn’t the only person to experience the rage!
I want to do follow-ups on previous articles, but there is so much I could do. So I will leave it my readers. What would you like to see more info on? A few have advised my to get more info on PCG. I do have a follow-up on that in the wings. I’m just waiting on some additional info. I have another VERY big story, but I have to see how some things play out first. Like Wednesday night, hint hint! Actually I have several big stories coming up.
It’s hard to say where all this common core curriculum is going. People are hating it more every day, but I see no signs in Delaware it is going to go away. I know the Republican delegates at the annual GOP convention wrote a statement saying legislation needs to be passed to repeal it. But unfortunately there are too many minds that think the opposite in our state legislature.
The IEP taskforce is coming up again next week. I wonder if the new Governor’s designee is going to show up. I’m sure he will. Maybe House Representative Miro will show up as well. I feel certain Secretary of Education Mark Murphy won’t be there. Dude can’t even show up at a meeting with the two superintendents of the two biggest school districts in the state! The Delaware Board of Education has their meeting on Thursday at 1pm. I have to go for a little bit just to see what crazy, whacked out plan they have next. And the Moyer school goes under official formal review. Another charter bites the dust! Not like there aren’t six more waiting in the wings. It’s like a virus that continues to multiply.
Well, this guy is getting to bed! Good night Delaware!
The Season Of Myths 
Actually the jury is still out on Common Core in the legislature. Most Democrats elected to the Senate and House, actually HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT COMMON CORE IS. Most are incumbents and voted on it sight unseen, on the advice of all experts and if committed to it at all, it is by their past vote and not by any ideology. Most can be changed.
In Delaware, Common Core is being driven by Markell. He helped it go nationally as chairman of the National Governors Conference (it’s his baby) so he alone has personal stake in making sure it succeeds here. Imagine the mud on his face if after getting the whole nation to accept Common Core, it blew up in his face here?
There is considerable internal pressure on him. For the rest of the legislators, their reality is that if they want to get something of theirs passed and signed, they need to make sure they do not anger the governor, who with a phone call to Pete or Valerie or Patty, can make sure that piece of legislation withers… Likewise if you do go on record and support Common Core, you can get your bills fast-tracked through the power of the same phone calls.
Their love for Common Core is only skin deep as long as their is expediency in its support.
The way to make changes is twofold… A). By telling the truth… (think cancer and tobacco) and B). by slowly accumulating numbers to your side… Common Core will be voted out by our legislature only and only when enough legislators themselves become convinced that they will be voted out for being tagged as part of its support..
Meeting with and telling legislators your concerns is a minor part of the game; they listen but of course will do what they want… But, creating a reality on the ground that forces legislators have to tell the other side “no”, is strictly how you win…. And our currency required to achieve that ground game, is “votes” (or the threat of “votes”). Against which our corporate opponents can only throw cash…. It’s a round robin like rock-paper-scissors, Votes trump cash which trumps “marketing” which in turn can trump “votes”….
Bottom line: what you are currently doing is the best option you have; the best option we all have.
That said, it is not worth impinging upon your family. Remember, there are many fighters for education. Many. There is only one Jacob’s dad. Only you can fill that position, and if you are not there, that vacuum never gets filled. Real men recognize that quirk of fate, and understand that it is their utmost responsibility…. Your responsibility in other arenas, including this adventure, should only be attended after you have fulfilled your major ones first.
My advice. Don’t write when your family is around. Save it for when you are alone. And don’t think you have to write to fill space. Only write when it burns from inside and the words come our of your finger tips on their own. I have found a good rule is to read, and if something sticks you with the thought that only you have a unique take on that problem and it must be said, then respond… If it is not original, and is already on the internet, just point to it. If you are going to write, make it original…
I have seen a lot of blogs come and go. They always ended with a post that they needed to spend time with job and family. The marathoners are those who employ discipline and have kept their blogs as low as the fourth, fifth, or sixth priorities in their lives.
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I was just having a very similar conversation with someone about that! Strange world. I don’t write in front of them, way too distracting.
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