Please forgive my lack of production
I appreciate the people who check in on my blog from time to time, and I really appreciate those who make comments. You are the people who make this fun. I always feel guilty when my production slows down, because I know that going too long without posting risks losing people. My production has slowed down lately, and the reason for that is hockey season has begun. The beginning of the season is always the toughest with long practices and lots of evaluating. This is basically an opinion blog, so I usually need to be fired up about something to post. Early in the hockey season, I'm so mentally and physically tired when I get home from practice that kicking back with one of my John Sandford or Robert Parker novels sounds a lot better than reading and writing about education issues. I've been trying to post something once a week, but even that has been difficult. Hopefully, by about the first of the new year I'll be able to get more into this again. Until then, I hope you'll bear with me.
posted by Dennis Fermoyle at 3:30 AM
9 Comments:
Well, you won't lose me. I'm a "follower" on blogger and so whenever you post, I get a little snippet and come over. But every now and again I check for comment updates anyway.
Have a great season and God bless ya big, Dennis!! :]
Absolutely nothing wrong with a John Sanford novel. Just wish he'd write 'em as fast as I read 'em :)
Mrs. C., you are wonderful. And in answer to your question on my other post, we don't have a mixed hockey team; we have a boys team and a girls team. At this early point in the seasons, both are undefeated.
And Amerloc, I'm with you. There is no author who gets me into his books so quickly, and whose books I find so hard to put down. The fact that I grew up in Minneapolis and have lived in Minnesota all my life doesn't hurt either.
One of the reasons you're worth reading is that you're a level-headed, thoughtful guy with lots of experience. If you felt obliged to be more of a blogger and less of a teacher/coach, your posts might not be as good.
I'd rather read an occasional post like the one above ("High school reform? Forget the experts!") than a lot of shallow, uninformed opinions.
I noticed in the supermarket this morning that Time's cover offered to tell me, "How To Fix America's Schools." The main story is about the head of the DC schools:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1862444,00.html
I'd be interested in your thoughts. I just read it and, well ...
(One perhaps minor thing: the description of Rhee reminded me a little too much of Steve Eisman.
http://danieldrezner.com/blog/?p=4081#comments )
That issue of Time has a companion story on "Obama and Education," which for some reason isn't linked at the main story.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1862445,00.html
There is, however, a link to a previous story on tenure, which then contains a link to a previous cover story, "How to Make Great Teachers."
I didn't think that article measured up to its title :)
"This is basically an opinion blog, so I usually need to be fired up about something to post."
I can leave inflametory comments once per week or so if you feel a need to be fired up :-)
Just let me know!
-Mark Roulo
Roger, I read the article on Rhee, and I'm not optimistic. One thing I noticed was that in her first year she couldn't control a class of second graders. She apparently did better after that, but I wonder if she's ever considered how hard it would be to control a class of high school students in D.C.. There were things said in the article I agree with--the importance of good principals, the fact that so many want to avoid any conflict, and even the discussion on tenure--but I did not come away thinking that this woman has the answers to that troubled school district's problems. Quite frankly, I don't think anyone does.
By the way, Mark, I knew I could count on you!
Happy New Year, Dennis!
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