I didn't have much time over the holidays for leisure reading, but two books that I did get to read were Incarceron and Sapphique by the Welsh YA fantasy writer, Catherine Fisher. But I'm glad I had a chance to read these two, at least, because they were marvelous books.
Incarceron has a little bit of something for everyone; it is part steampunk, part fantasy, part fairy tale, part romance, and even part historical allegory (did you ever wonder why the industrial revolution, which was begun by the British, led to its fall from being the largest empire on Earth? Read this book for one suggestion....). The book deals with a world that has survived some terrible conflict and decided to prevent such problems again in two way: (1) abandon its modern technology and return to its perceived "golden age" (similar to our notion of the Regency era) where nothing is every allowed to change and families are forever separated into aristocracy and peasantry; and (2) ship off all its criminals and nefarious characters to not just a jail, but a living prison world where the residents are engaged in a constant struggle to survive, battling not just each other, but the very prison itself. In the book, we follow the travails of two major characters. In the timeless world, Claudia, the daughter of the man in charge of Incarceron (John Alexis, better known as "The Warden"), is thrown into court intrigue when her forced marriage to an odious royal groom is pushed up to occur in just a few days' time. Meanwhile, in Incarceron, the starseer Finn has to deal not only with the usual fight to survive, but with his loss of memory of who he is and with seizures that leave him with strange visions and physical incapacitation.
It sounds like a lot going on--and there is. But the writing is clear, the plot moves along sharply and intelligently, and the characters are memorable but not overly complicated. Fisher has created a very imaginative world (or worlds), and has taken some familiar themes in young adult fantasy literature and twisted them into some very unexpected directions. Incarceron reaches a satisfying conclusion in itself, while leaving some major threads unresolved; Sapphique is an equally interesting read, and wraps up the story but doesn't answer all the questions (and thus allowing readers to decide some matters for themselves). All together, it was one of the finer books/series I read last year, and would be a contender for my Newbery list were it not ineligible since Fisher is not American by birth or residence.
In terms of its suitability for middle schoolers..... At the beginning, it was quite grim, and reminded me a bit of Reckless (see my previous post about that book). However, the interplay between the two worlds lightens things up a bit, and the entire story is a little more hopeful, at least in my eyes. So I think these books are OK for even younger middle schoolers, although I think older middle schoolers and teens (not to mention adults) would probably appreciate it more.
One warning: even the simple descriptions about Sapphique contain a spoiler about Incarceron. So if you want to read the series, I suggest skipping reading anything regarding Sapphique until you've finished the first book. Also, I love the American graphics for these books (much more stylish and intriguing than the original English look--again, IMHO). Here is the trailer about Incarceron (don't you agree that it is gorgeous and really captures your attention?):
PS--There are plans underway to turn Incarceron into a movie. Hugh Jackson apparently has some involvement in the production, and Taylor Lautner is supposed to be playing the male lead. So be cool and read the books before the movie is made and everyone is on the Incarceron bandwagon (or not...)
Friday, January 7, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Norman Rockwell: Painter of the American Story
This week our homeschool group went on an educational tour of the exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of Art entitled "American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell." It is a fabulous exhibit, and, as always, the Museum has put together a wonderful educational tour that is perfect for middle schoolers.
Both the exhibit in general and the tour in particular focus on Rockwell as an artist whose work always tells a story. And, in general, that story is something sweet or humorous or heart warming about America. But his stories are not just about America as a concept; their are odes to the everyday, to the common folk, to the ordinary mini-dramas that most of us overlook every day. Yet, as you look at his art, it makes you think, "These things--these common, everyday people and occurrences--they are so beautiful, so filled with meaning and emotion. How can I pass by them every day and miss them?"
Norman Rockwell himself said about his art:
Without thinking too much about it in specific terms, I was showing the America I knew and observed to others who might not have noticed. My fundamental purpose is to interpret the typical American....
I think this is a great message for middle schoolers today to hear, born as they were into a culture that seems to worship celebrity over almost everything else and everyone is striving for their 15 minutes of fame promised them by Andy Warhol. His art is a great companion to the poems of Walt Whitman, the plays of Thornton Wilder, the music of Aaron Copeland, all American artists who found inspiration not in the high and mighty, but in the American Everyman.
He is also a great role model, however, for the care he put into his work as well as his prodigious production abilities. The tour and exhibit depict how carefully he worked on his illustrations--posing live models, taking photographs, making multiple sketches, then one complete drawing of the final piece before capturing it on canvas. When you see how much work went into each detail of each painting, you really can't imagine how the man managed to produce more than 4,000 original works. This really hits home in one large room of the exhibit, where they show all 323 covers of the Saturday Evening Post he created in the 47 years he was their chief illustrator. You look at all those masterpieces, month after month, year after year, and you can't help but be impressed.
However, not all of Rockwell's art was goodness and light. In his latter years, instead of resting on his laurels, he began to explore some of the civil rights issues that had been prohibited from his Saturday Evening Post covers. Here, the tour guide was phenomenal. She took the students through the story of Rockwell's painting, Southern Justice (Murder in Mississippi), the very chilling depiction of the murder of civil rights workers Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner, and James Chaney in 1964 (click on this link to see the picture itself). The children were silent and riveted as the tour guide told them about this event and Rockwell's attempts to convey it on canvas. It's a powerful picture and a powerful story, and very appropriate for middle schoolers, who are grappling with understanding the darker side of history than most of us glossed over when they were in elementary school.
The exhibit will be in Raleigh until January 30, so if you can get there to see it before then, I recommend you do so. The exhibit reminded me of perhaps Wilder's most famous quote in Our Town: Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?--every, every minute? Well, if anyone ever did, it was Norman Rockwell.
Both the exhibit in general and the tour in particular focus on Rockwell as an artist whose work always tells a story. And, in general, that story is something sweet or humorous or heart warming about America. But his stories are not just about America as a concept; their are odes to the everyday, to the common folk, to the ordinary mini-dramas that most of us overlook every day. Yet, as you look at his art, it makes you think, "These things--these common, everyday people and occurrences--they are so beautiful, so filled with meaning and emotion. How can I pass by them every day and miss them?"
Norman Rockwell himself said about his art:
Without thinking too much about it in specific terms, I was showing the America I knew and observed to others who might not have noticed. My fundamental purpose is to interpret the typical American....
Commonplaces never become tiresome. It is we who become tired when we cease to be curious and appreciative.
I think this is a great message for middle schoolers today to hear, born as they were into a culture that seems to worship celebrity over almost everything else and everyone is striving for their 15 minutes of fame promised them by Andy Warhol. His art is a great companion to the poems of Walt Whitman, the plays of Thornton Wilder, the music of Aaron Copeland, all American artists who found inspiration not in the high and mighty, but in the American Everyman.
He is also a great role model, however, for the care he put into his work as well as his prodigious production abilities. The tour and exhibit depict how carefully he worked on his illustrations--posing live models, taking photographs, making multiple sketches, then one complete drawing of the final piece before capturing it on canvas. When you see how much work went into each detail of each painting, you really can't imagine how the man managed to produce more than 4,000 original works. This really hits home in one large room of the exhibit, where they show all 323 covers of the Saturday Evening Post he created in the 47 years he was their chief illustrator. You look at all those masterpieces, month after month, year after year, and you can't help but be impressed.
However, not all of Rockwell's art was goodness and light. In his latter years, instead of resting on his laurels, he began to explore some of the civil rights issues that had been prohibited from his Saturday Evening Post covers. Here, the tour guide was phenomenal. She took the students through the story of Rockwell's painting, Southern Justice (Murder in Mississippi), the very chilling depiction of the murder of civil rights workers Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner, and James Chaney in 1964 (click on this link to see the picture itself). The children were silent and riveted as the tour guide told them about this event and Rockwell's attempts to convey it on canvas. It's a powerful picture and a powerful story, and very appropriate for middle schoolers, who are grappling with understanding the darker side of history than most of us glossed over when they were in elementary school.
The exhibit will be in Raleigh until January 30, so if you can get there to see it before then, I recommend you do so. The exhibit reminded me of perhaps Wilder's most famous quote in Our Town: Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?--every, every minute? Well, if anyone ever did, it was Norman Rockwell.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Four Pieces of Advice for Anthony Tata (and one for the Board of Ed)
I worked in DC for an educational association and for other educational companies for close to 15 years before moving down to North Carolina, and my father still lives in the District of Columbia. Therefore, I have a lot of information on the DC schools, both past and present. I have been following closely Michelle Rhee's endeavors, along with her downfall with her one-term mayor sponsor, Adrian Fenty. But there hadn't been much media coverage of Rhee's COO, Anthony Tata. He had generally been described as hard working, action oriented, and politically conservative (an anomaly in HEAVILY Democratic Washington). Most praised him for his focus on organization and logistics, but there were some who questioned his people skills. Michelle Rhee has been quoted as saying, "He's not a touchy-feely guy who will hold people's hands."
As I said in my first post, I want the new Superintendent to succeed, even if he wouldn't have necessarily been the one I would have picked (of course, we have no idea about the other candidates). So I thought I would offer General Tata the following advice, based on my experience with both the DC and Wake County Schools.
1. Capitalize on Your Fresh Food for School Lunches Initiatives
Let's face it, experience in ordering textbooks and making sure the lights work doesn't sound that impressive for the man who is supposed to be running North Carolina's largest school system. (Of course, the people here don't know the history of how horrible the District schools were at even the most basic tasks and what accomplishment that was compared to some of your predecessors.) Plus, one and a half years isn't really enough time to make many major improvements in an organization like the DCPS. But one thing you can point to is the improvement that you made in the school system food service, and especially the trial programs that are to begin this fall in using fresh, locally-produced food for the meals cooked in a few experimental foods. The whole locavore, natural foods movement is really big in this area, especially among the demographics who may be the most critical of your political leanings. Making them aware of your efforts to create healthy, locally-produced food for the DC children may reduce some of the resistance to your appointment.
2. Stay Off the Conservative Blogs, TV Shows, and Other Commentator Opportunities
Look, I get it. You've got strong opinions, you've got a lot of experience, and you want to share them. As you've famously said, after risking your life to protect Constitutional protections like the right to free speech, you would like to engage in some free speech yourself. And so your contract allows you the right to continue your "after hours" work as a political commentator as long as you don't identify yourself as the head of the Wake County schools. But just because you've got that right doesn't been you need to exercise it. I promise you, if you do, you will set off a firestorm each time you appear on one of those shows, and that is NOT something you need (see my first post in this series for details).
I know that Rhee (not a media shrinking violet herself) said that your political work didn't interfere with your work with the schools. But, Tony, you're not in DC anymore. It's not going to work here because:
One thing you really have going for you is that you've got great teachers in this school system. Maybe not all of them, but most of them are dedicated, capable educators. It's not like things were in DC, where the school system, like all the city government, had large numbers of staff who got their jobs through political chronyism. Believe in your teachers, get to know your teachers, and listen to your teachers. Given your lack of instructional or academic leadership experience, you need to earn their trust. Touting the highly controversial and not-yet-proven teacher assessment system Rhee launched in the DC schools (as you do in your WCPSS statement) is not a good way to get them on your side.
4. Fix the Planning Office
Another thing you talk about in your WCPSS statement is the fact that your academic training institute, The Broad Superintendents Academy, will do three free audits of your choosing as part of their support of you as a graduate. I don't know how I feel about that, since I don't know enough (yet) about the Broad Center to determine whether I want their input or not. But if they are going to do anything, have them help you figure out how to do a better job of planning. Simply put, the citizens of Wake County are tired of having their children's education being a constant revolving doors of schools as they get reassigned every other year. I know this is a high growth area, but there are lots of high growth areas--I grew up in one--and I've never seen a system where children are moved around so frequently. In my opinion, that is the single biggest problem for the general population in the Wake County schools. Fix that, and you may even be able to go back to your night time commentator gig!
Finally, I have one free piece of advice for the majority on the Board of Education
You Have Your Man. Now Back Off and Let Him Do His Job.
When I worked with the educational association, I dealt with hundreds of educational boards. I've studied board theory, and even contributed to a book about the subject. And the classic wisdom is that Boards set the vision, establish the policies, determine the budget...and everything else is up to the staff. Boards DO NOT gather up the data and try to come up, on their own, with the specific operational plan about what communities should go to what schools. Of course, we all saw how well that worked....
So, please, stick to doing your job, which is plenty hard enough. Leave the implementation to the General. After all, that is why you hired him.
Oh, and by the way, one other small reminder. They way you have been acting lately, you are treating the public like we are your enemy. We are not your enemy. We are not even your customer. We are your bosses. And we remember that, even if you do not.
As I said in my first post, I want the new Superintendent to succeed, even if he wouldn't have necessarily been the one I would have picked (of course, we have no idea about the other candidates). So I thought I would offer General Tata the following advice, based on my experience with both the DC and Wake County Schools.
1. Capitalize on Your Fresh Food for School Lunches Initiatives
Let's face it, experience in ordering textbooks and making sure the lights work doesn't sound that impressive for the man who is supposed to be running North Carolina's largest school system. (Of course, the people here don't know the history of how horrible the District schools were at even the most basic tasks and what accomplishment that was compared to some of your predecessors.) Plus, one and a half years isn't really enough time to make many major improvements in an organization like the DCPS. But one thing you can point to is the improvement that you made in the school system food service, and especially the trial programs that are to begin this fall in using fresh, locally-produced food for the meals cooked in a few experimental foods. The whole locavore, natural foods movement is really big in this area, especially among the demographics who may be the most critical of your political leanings. Making them aware of your efforts to create healthy, locally-produced food for the DC children may reduce some of the resistance to your appointment.
2. Stay Off the Conservative Blogs, TV Shows, and Other Commentator Opportunities
Look, I get it. You've got strong opinions, you've got a lot of experience, and you want to share them. As you've famously said, after risking your life to protect Constitutional protections like the right to free speech, you would like to engage in some free speech yourself. And so your contract allows you the right to continue your "after hours" work as a political commentator as long as you don't identify yourself as the head of the Wake County schools. But just because you've got that right doesn't been you need to exercise it. I promise you, if you do, you will set off a firestorm each time you appear on one of those shows, and that is NOT something you need (see my first post in this series for details).
I know that Rhee (not a media shrinking violet herself) said that your political work didn't interfere with your work with the schools. But, Tony, you're not in DC anymore. It's not going to work here because:
- Now you are the top dog, not the COO, which, frankly, nobody knows. But to your community, you are now the face of the Wake County Public Schools, even if it doesn't say that under your picture when you are speaking on Fox News.
- In DC, you were part of a minority so small that it is almost endangered--a conservative working for the highly Democratic city government. The people you served weren't threatened when you expressed opinions different than their own. But in closely split Wake County (which is represented in the US Congress by both the liberal-leaning Democrat David Price and the Palin-endorsed Republican Renee Ellmers), you are risking antagonizing large portions of your community, even though you are not speaking about educational matters.
- Finally, politics is Washington's favorite sport. Everyone eats and breathes politics, so of course your personal opinions were going to come out. But it's not like that here. For many people, talking about politics is more like talking about your sex life--not something a respectable person does on TV.
One thing you really have going for you is that you've got great teachers in this school system. Maybe not all of them, but most of them are dedicated, capable educators. It's not like things were in DC, where the school system, like all the city government, had large numbers of staff who got their jobs through political chronyism. Believe in your teachers, get to know your teachers, and listen to your teachers. Given your lack of instructional or academic leadership experience, you need to earn their trust. Touting the highly controversial and not-yet-proven teacher assessment system Rhee launched in the DC schools (as you do in your WCPSS statement) is not a good way to get them on your side.
4. Fix the Planning Office
Another thing you talk about in your WCPSS statement is the fact that your academic training institute, The Broad Superintendents Academy, will do three free audits of your choosing as part of their support of you as a graduate. I don't know how I feel about that, since I don't know enough (yet) about the Broad Center to determine whether I want their input or not. But if they are going to do anything, have them help you figure out how to do a better job of planning. Simply put, the citizens of Wake County are tired of having their children's education being a constant revolving doors of schools as they get reassigned every other year. I know this is a high growth area, but there are lots of high growth areas--I grew up in one--and I've never seen a system where children are moved around so frequently. In my opinion, that is the single biggest problem for the general population in the Wake County schools. Fix that, and you may even be able to go back to your night time commentator gig!
Finally, I have one free piece of advice for the majority on the Board of Education
You Have Your Man. Now Back Off and Let Him Do His Job.
When I worked with the educational association, I dealt with hundreds of educational boards. I've studied board theory, and even contributed to a book about the subject. And the classic wisdom is that Boards set the vision, establish the policies, determine the budget...and everything else is up to the staff. Boards DO NOT gather up the data and try to come up, on their own, with the specific operational plan about what communities should go to what schools. Of course, we all saw how well that worked....
So, please, stick to doing your job, which is plenty hard enough. Leave the implementation to the General. After all, that is why you hired him.
Oh, and by the way, one other small reminder. They way you have been acting lately, you are treating the public like we are your enemy. We are not your enemy. We are not even your customer. We are your bosses. And we remember that, even if you do not.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Who Is Anthony J. Tata?
Because, unfortunately, the Wake County School Board chose to conduct the superintendent search in complete secrecy and with no opportunities for public input, the question on the minds of most of the Wake County public is, "Who IS Anthony J. Tata?" There are three major aspects of his life that have mostly come to our attention:
- He is a retired Army Brigadier General and a West Point graduate with a distinguished military career, including a deputy commander stint in Afghanistan;
- After a 10 month training program, he became head of operations (which covered supplies, facilities, technology, and food services) in the DC Public School system, where he served for 19 months;
- He is a conservative writer and commentator for such conservative media outlets as Fox News and Breitbarts Big Hollywood blog (the blog that edited the speech by Department of Agriculture employee Shirley Sherrod to make it sound like she was racist, when the entire video showed her statements were not racist at all).
It is the later two points that are issues of contention among the concerned constituency. There hasn't been a lot of talk--yet--about Tata's record with the DC Schools (more on that tomorrow). There has been considerable concern, however, that someone with less than one year of training in educational administration and less than two years of actual experience working in a school system--and in a completely non-academic capacity--are not sterling criteria for running the 17th largest school system in the country.
But perhaps even more debate has taken place over Tata's conservative positions on TV and print. He has criticized President Obama multiple times on various issues, and has stated his support for such conservative candidates as Sarah Palin (whom he called "much more qualified to be president of the United States than the current occupant of the White House") and Tea Party activist Christine O'Donnell (who know...the one who denied that the First Amendment required separation of church and state and who knew she opposed a lot of the liberal Supreme Court decisions, except she just couldn't think of anything in particular). Such statements by Tata has generated a rerun of the presidential election of 2008 (or a preview of 2012?) among the letters to the editor in last Sunday's News and Observer.
However, before we all jump to conclusions, let's let the man speak for himself. I found this clip from his appearance on the NBC Today show:
While this is really mostly a puff piece, I think he comes across as sincere and a
pretty nice guy.
pretty nice guy.
Next, we can look for his statement about his life and his qualifications that was posted on the Wake County Public School System website. He makes a legitimate point that being in the Army involves a lot of different educational experience, albeit at the secondary and postsecondary level.
Here is a link to his review of Sarah Palin's book, which is where he explains why he thinks she is more qualified to lead the country than is President Obama. I don't happen to agree with his reasoning, but at least he also has nice things to say about Hillary Clinton. In fact, it seems that his support for all three women--Palin, Clinton, and O'Donnell--is based on their decisiveness and assertiveness.
This gives us some clues about what he will respond to as School Superintendent. However, it also raises some concerns that he will give educational deliberation its due. Let's hope that he realizes this might be a blind spot for him, particularly within an educational institution, and doesn't always jump to action without consideration for the complex and interrelated factors involved in such a diverse system as we have in Wake County. And, on the upside, the man is obviously not a sexist.
But at least these primary sources give us some insight into the man who will be running our school system in February 2011.
Here is a link to his review of Sarah Palin's book, which is where he explains why he thinks she is more qualified to lead the country than is President Obama. I don't happen to agree with his reasoning, but at least he also has nice things to say about Hillary Clinton. In fact, it seems that his support for all three women--Palin, Clinton, and O'Donnell--is based on their decisiveness and assertiveness.
This gives us some clues about what he will respond to as School Superintendent. However, it also raises some concerns that he will give educational deliberation its due. Let's hope that he realizes this might be a blind spot for him, particularly within an educational institution, and doesn't always jump to action without consideration for the complex and interrelated factors involved in such a diverse system as we have in Wake County. And, on the upside, the man is obviously not a sexist.
But at least these primary sources give us some insight into the man who will be running our school system in February 2011.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Wake School Board Majority Should Be Ashamed
While most of us have been enjoying holiday merriment over the past couple of weeks, there has been a significant development regarding the education of children in Wake County, NC. On Thursday, December 23, the Wake County School Board announced that they had hired retired Army Brigadier General Anthony J. Tata to be the new Superintendent of the Wake County Schools. Tata comes to run the Wake County school system, which is the 18th largest school system in the nation, after 10 months of training in school system management at the Broad Superintendents Academy and 19 month overseeing purchasing, food services, technology, and other support services for the District of Columbia Public Schools (which is the 71st largest school system, with less than half as many students and two thirds of the budget of the Wake County system).
So while there are reasons to be concerned with Tata's ability to serve in this position, I'm trying to keep an open mind about him until we get to hear from him directly and see him in action. And certainly I want him to succeed in improving the education for the nearly 150,000 student for whom he will be responsible. But one thing that I am clear about is how poorly the majority coalition on the Board has handled his hiring. Their arrogant and exclusionary behavior in selecting Tata has not done the guy any favors in being able to serve the entire Wake County community.
The first misstep by the School Board majority was the timing of the hiring process. They announced his selection TWO days before Christmas. Coming from DC, I know this is the oldest trick in the book. Politicians ALWAYS wait until the week before Christmas to announce something significant--as long as it is BAD news. Divorcing the faithful spouse, admitting to an extramarital affair or an illegitimate child, announcing a stint in rehab--that's the kind of news that public officials release right before Christmas in the hopes it will get lost amidst the distractions of the holiday.
In this case, they made it even more of a slap-in-the-face to the teachers in the Wake County schools by waiting until the day after their last workday in 2010 to announce his hiring. Also, they rushed this decision through on an emergency meeting of the Board that gave the members--or, at least, the minority members-only 48 hours notice (and one them was already out of town for work). They refused to delay final action until their regularly-scheduled meeting on the first week of January in order to allow some public comment on this decision.
And what was their rationale for this rush to hire? Board Chair Margiotti claimed that they had to move right away to assure they could get the man he said was the strongest among the three finalists. Well, to that I say, POPPYCOCK (insert your own expression of indignation here). I've still been reading the national education news over the holidays, and I didn't hear about any other similar job that might have attracted Tata that was awarded before January 4th, the date of the next Board meeting. In fact, when DC Superintendent Michelle Rhee left the system (after she had publicly campaigned for the Mayor who hired her, who then lost, and the new Mayor decided he didn't need a school superintendent who had been attacking him among his constituency), she assured the public that the rest of her team would be staying in place until the end of the school year to assure continuity for the DC schools. (Tata says that he agreed to stay, unless he got the Wake County job...so, basically, agreed to stay unless he got another job, in which case he was going to abandon ship as well.) The bottom line is, there is no sign that Tata would be snatched away by some other school system had the Board waited for an additional 12 days.
So to my mind, in handling the decision in this manner, the majority of the School Board admitted the following:
Oh, and maybe that they think that we are a bunch of fools who will buy a ridiculous explanation like that and that even if we were distracted over the holidays, we're not going to raise our concerns now.
So I really feel sorry for Anthony Tata. Being a School Superintendent of such a large and diverse public school system is a really tough job at the best of times, and this is far from the best of times. The Wake County public is more divided than ever, the fiscal situation means that he is going to have to cut budgets and order layoffs, and the system is under investigation by both a federal civil rights unit AND by the regional accreditation agency. He didn't need to be thrust into the job in a way that was sure to antagonize, and perhaps even galvanize, those who don't see eye-to-eye with the Board majority.
So good luck to you, General Tata. You're going to need it. And shame on all those Board members who acted in such a way as to make your nearly-impossible job even harder.
So while there are reasons to be concerned with Tata's ability to serve in this position, I'm trying to keep an open mind about him until we get to hear from him directly and see him in action. And certainly I want him to succeed in improving the education for the nearly 150,000 student for whom he will be responsible. But one thing that I am clear about is how poorly the majority coalition on the Board has handled his hiring. Their arrogant and exclusionary behavior in selecting Tata has not done the guy any favors in being able to serve the entire Wake County community.
The first misstep by the School Board majority was the timing of the hiring process. They announced his selection TWO days before Christmas. Coming from DC, I know this is the oldest trick in the book. Politicians ALWAYS wait until the week before Christmas to announce something significant--as long as it is BAD news. Divorcing the faithful spouse, admitting to an extramarital affair or an illegitimate child, announcing a stint in rehab--that's the kind of news that public officials release right before Christmas in the hopes it will get lost amidst the distractions of the holiday.
In this case, they made it even more of a slap-in-the-face to the teachers in the Wake County schools by waiting until the day after their last workday in 2010 to announce his hiring. Also, they rushed this decision through on an emergency meeting of the Board that gave the members--or, at least, the minority members-only 48 hours notice (and one them was already out of town for work). They refused to delay final action until their regularly-scheduled meeting on the first week of January in order to allow some public comment on this decision.
And what was their rationale for this rush to hire? Board Chair Margiotti claimed that they had to move right away to assure they could get the man he said was the strongest among the three finalists. Well, to that I say, POPPYCOCK (insert your own expression of indignation here). I've still been reading the national education news over the holidays, and I didn't hear about any other similar job that might have attracted Tata that was awarded before January 4th, the date of the next Board meeting. In fact, when DC Superintendent Michelle Rhee left the system (after she had publicly campaigned for the Mayor who hired her, who then lost, and the new Mayor decided he didn't need a school superintendent who had been attacking him among his constituency), she assured the public that the rest of her team would be staying in place until the end of the school year to assure continuity for the DC schools. (Tata says that he agreed to stay, unless he got the Wake County job...so, basically, agreed to stay unless he got another job, in which case he was going to abandon ship as well.) The bottom line is, there is no sign that Tata would be snatched away by some other school system had the Board waited for an additional 12 days.
So to my mind, in handling the decision in this manner, the majority of the School Board admitted the following:
- That they expect Tata to be considered "bad news" by much of the community;
- That since they had the votes they needed, they didn't care whether the minority members on the Board were there or not;
- That they didn't care about the teachers' reaction to their new school leader; and
- That they don't care about the public's reaction, or think that public concerns need to be addressed or even considered.
Oh, and maybe that they think that we are a bunch of fools who will buy a ridiculous explanation like that and that even if we were distracted over the holidays, we're not going to raise our concerns now.
So I really feel sorry for Anthony Tata. Being a School Superintendent of such a large and diverse public school system is a really tough job at the best of times, and this is far from the best of times. The Wake County public is more divided than ever, the fiscal situation means that he is going to have to cut budgets and order layoffs, and the system is under investigation by both a federal civil rights unit AND by the regional accreditation agency. He didn't need to be thrust into the job in a way that was sure to antagonize, and perhaps even galvanize, those who don't see eye-to-eye with the Board majority.
So good luck to you, General Tata. You're going to need it. And shame on all those Board members who acted in such a way as to make your nearly-impossible job even harder.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Starting the Year Off Right
This morning at our spiritual community, we did our annual beginning of the new year ceremony. First, we write just a few things that we enjoyed about the past year, a few things that we are thankful for right now, and a few intentions we have for the coming year. The center collects those, and mails them back to us at the end of the year so we can see the progress we've made.
Then, on another sheet, we write things that we want to release from our lives--old hurts or sorrows, behaviors that don't support us, grudges or judgements that we've been holding onto, or whatever doesn't really serve you. We also go outside for our burning bowl ceremony, where we toss that piece of paper into the fire, and watch all those things we don't want in our lives anymore go up in smoke. It is a simple thing, but it does feel very freeing.
Finally, we each select our own white stone. Then we are supposed to meditate for a while on what spiritual quality we would really like to have more of in our lives this year. Once we've settled on one, then the rock is supposed to remind us all year long about creating that in our lives. The idea is kind of like the concept of carrying a gratitude rock in your pocket that, whenever you touch it, reminds you to be thankful for something in your life right that very minute.
I was teaching the Middle Schooler Sunday School class today, so not only did I do this for myself, I got to lead the students in doing it for themselves. That was fun, as well as valuable. It's amazing to see these 11-13 year olds scribbling down all the things they want to release from their lives. Some of them were very clear about their intentions, while others were less so. But either way, I think it is a great practice for them to start doing at an early age.
So we've celebrated and honored, gifted and received, visited and welcomed, and now set intentions for the new and released the old. And while we've continued to do some educational stuff, and are always learning SOMETHING, tomorrow we'll start back on a more regular educational routine. My blogging will also go back to more middle school or educational focused posts, after several weeks of kind of lighter, holiday articles. It's time...
PLUS, they announced the new superintendent of the Wake County schools, and those of you who know me KNOW I've got some opinions on that matter.... So tune in next week for details!
Then, on another sheet, we write things that we want to release from our lives--old hurts or sorrows, behaviors that don't support us, grudges or judgements that we've been holding onto, or whatever doesn't really serve you. We also go outside for our burning bowl ceremony, where we toss that piece of paper into the fire, and watch all those things we don't want in our lives anymore go up in smoke. It is a simple thing, but it does feel very freeing.
Finally, we each select our own white stone. Then we are supposed to meditate for a while on what spiritual quality we would really like to have more of in our lives this year. Once we've settled on one, then the rock is supposed to remind us all year long about creating that in our lives. The idea is kind of like the concept of carrying a gratitude rock in your pocket that, whenever you touch it, reminds you to be thankful for something in your life right that very minute.
I was teaching the Middle Schooler Sunday School class today, so not only did I do this for myself, I got to lead the students in doing it for themselves. That was fun, as well as valuable. It's amazing to see these 11-13 year olds scribbling down all the things they want to release from their lives. Some of them were very clear about their intentions, while others were less so. But either way, I think it is a great practice for them to start doing at an early age.
So we've celebrated and honored, gifted and received, visited and welcomed, and now set intentions for the new and released the old. And while we've continued to do some educational stuff, and are always learning SOMETHING, tomorrow we'll start back on a more regular educational routine. My blogging will also go back to more middle school or educational focused posts, after several weeks of kind of lighter, holiday articles. It's time...
PLUS, they announced the new superintendent of the Wake County schools, and those of you who know me KNOW I've got some opinions on that matter.... So tune in next week for details!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
The Cycle of Giving and Receiving
I'm not really one for New Year's Resolutions; I tend to make more short-term resolutions or intention statements all along the year. However, I do have one for this year: Take More Baths! However, this isn't really a statement about my personal hygiene....
I'm thrilled to say that in the four months that I've been doing this blog, I've had 3,153 page views, including visitors from dozens of countries from every continent in the world except Antarctica. I don't know who all my readers are, but I'm assuming that most of you all are parents and/or teachers. And parents and teachers are some of the biggest givers in the world. That's not to say that they don't get a lot out of parenting and teaching; I'm sure those activities are up there in the top five list of the most important and significant and rewarding aspects of their lives. But both teaching and parenting involve putting your heart, body, and soul into serving others so that their children and/or students can have full, enriching lives.
The thing about big givers is that they often need to be reminded to allow others to give to them as well. It's not that it is OK for givers to receive sometimes--actually, it is a necessity that they do. If they don't, if they never recharge their own batteries or refill their own stores of energy and spiritual nourishment, they can't keep on giving. And if they never allow those around them, particularly their children and students, to give to them, they are depriving those other people of the opportunity to learn to become givers as well.
For me, this lesson came this week from taking a bath. Usually, I never take baths, even though I enjoy them. Why not? Why, they take too much time, of course. Why spend 20 or 30 minutes in the bathtub when I can get the job done in 5 minutes by showering?
But this year, the people around me were sending me a message. One friend gave me a special candle for taking a bath. Another gave me a lovely bottle of wine, and yet another some rich dark chocolate. Best of all, however, were some friends who worked with my son to give me a handmade gift--which turned out to be some peppermint bath salts and an organic oatmeal facial mask.
So I was rushing around earlier this week, trying to get ready for our trip up to Washington DC, when I realized I needed to wash my hair that night instead of taking time in the morning for a shower. But I was also cleaning up, and happened to pick up the jar of bath salts from my son. I realized that a nice bath would help relax me and my body before having to drive for many hours tomorrow on roads that would be packed with both other cars and with snow (on the sides). Could I actually spend the time on a bath with so many pre-trip chores to get done? When I first mentioned that I was thinking about taking a bath, my son looked surprised, and then said "Thank you." I realized that he didn't really think I would ever use his bath salts, and that it made him feel good for me to actually take advantage of his gift.
My husband offered to wash the dishes and clean up from dinner, and my son said he would pack his own clothes. So I thought, Why not? I gathered all my gifts, ran a bath, poured in the bath salts, mixed up the oatmeal facial and applied it to my skin, and slid into the warm water. I lit my candle, sipped a little wine, ate a little chocolate, and enjoyed both my muscles relaxing in the warm water and my soul reveling in a few minutes of peace after the exhilaration of the holiday season.
When I emerged from the bathroom maybe 45 minutes later, I was clean and rested and much better prepared to face the stress of a day of driving in heavy highway traffic. And my skin! I couldn't believe it! I've always had really dry skin, but my face felt smooth and moisturized like it hasn't felt in a very long time. (And it turned out that it stayed moisturized all through my trip to DC.)
So I realized that it was crazy of me to think that I could spend the time to have a bath at least every week or so. It's something that is cheap, relatively quick, and good for both my body and my soul. And if I don't take care of myself, I can't take care of anyone else either.
So for all you other givers out there--I hope you find something that allows others to give to you (even if it is just leaving you alone for a short while) and make that part of your routine this year. For me, that was the "other thing" I mentioned in yesterday's post--I spent a portion of my New Year's Eve in the bathtub, so I expect to be doing a lot of bathing in the coming year.
And speaking of giving... it is time to give away the curriculum package from Hands of a Child.
I used a Random Number Generator application from Random.org to pick the winner, and it came up with entrant #10. And the lucky person #10 was Amy! Congratulations, Amy--let us know what you end up getting.
I'm sorry that I don't have something for everyone who entered, but I enjoyed this, so maybe I'll do some other contests this year. And you might want to sign up for the HOAC newsletter, because when they do get to their 400th curriculum package (which is supposed to be soon), they will be doing some great giveaways, including a free Super Membership (2 free ebooks each month PLUS 15% off every purchase--a $65 value), a free Custom Unit (you tell them the subject and the grade level, and they will produce a curriculum on exactly the topic you want--a $75 value), and a free LIFETIME Super Membership (a $275 value). Somebody is going to win....so maybe it will be you!
I'm thrilled to say that in the four months that I've been doing this blog, I've had 3,153 page views, including visitors from dozens of countries from every continent in the world except Antarctica. I don't know who all my readers are, but I'm assuming that most of you all are parents and/or teachers. And parents and teachers are some of the biggest givers in the world. That's not to say that they don't get a lot out of parenting and teaching; I'm sure those activities are up there in the top five list of the most important and significant and rewarding aspects of their lives. But both teaching and parenting involve putting your heart, body, and soul into serving others so that their children and/or students can have full, enriching lives.
The thing about big givers is that they often need to be reminded to allow others to give to them as well. It's not that it is OK for givers to receive sometimes--actually, it is a necessity that they do. If they don't, if they never recharge their own batteries or refill their own stores of energy and spiritual nourishment, they can't keep on giving. And if they never allow those around them, particularly their children and students, to give to them, they are depriving those other people of the opportunity to learn to become givers as well.
For me, this lesson came this week from taking a bath. Usually, I never take baths, even though I enjoy them. Why not? Why, they take too much time, of course. Why spend 20 or 30 minutes in the bathtub when I can get the job done in 5 minutes by showering?
But this year, the people around me were sending me a message. One friend gave me a special candle for taking a bath. Another gave me a lovely bottle of wine, and yet another some rich dark chocolate. Best of all, however, were some friends who worked with my son to give me a handmade gift--which turned out to be some peppermint bath salts and an organic oatmeal facial mask.
So I was rushing around earlier this week, trying to get ready for our trip up to Washington DC, when I realized I needed to wash my hair that night instead of taking time in the morning for a shower. But I was also cleaning up, and happened to pick up the jar of bath salts from my son. I realized that a nice bath would help relax me and my body before having to drive for many hours tomorrow on roads that would be packed with both other cars and with snow (on the sides). Could I actually spend the time on a bath with so many pre-trip chores to get done? When I first mentioned that I was thinking about taking a bath, my son looked surprised, and then said "Thank you." I realized that he didn't really think I would ever use his bath salts, and that it made him feel good for me to actually take advantage of his gift.
My husband offered to wash the dishes and clean up from dinner, and my son said he would pack his own clothes. So I thought, Why not? I gathered all my gifts, ran a bath, poured in the bath salts, mixed up the oatmeal facial and applied it to my skin, and slid into the warm water. I lit my candle, sipped a little wine, ate a little chocolate, and enjoyed both my muscles relaxing in the warm water and my soul reveling in a few minutes of peace after the exhilaration of the holiday season.
When I emerged from the bathroom maybe 45 minutes later, I was clean and rested and much better prepared to face the stress of a day of driving in heavy highway traffic. And my skin! I couldn't believe it! I've always had really dry skin, but my face felt smooth and moisturized like it hasn't felt in a very long time. (And it turned out that it stayed moisturized all through my trip to DC.)
So I realized that it was crazy of me to think that I could spend the time to have a bath at least every week or so. It's something that is cheap, relatively quick, and good for both my body and my soul. And if I don't take care of myself, I can't take care of anyone else either.
So for all you other givers out there--I hope you find something that allows others to give to you (even if it is just leaving you alone for a short while) and make that part of your routine this year. For me, that was the "other thing" I mentioned in yesterday's post--I spent a portion of my New Year's Eve in the bathtub, so I expect to be doing a lot of bathing in the coming year.
And speaking of giving... it is time to give away the curriculum package from Hands of a Child.
I used a Random Number Generator application from Random.org to pick the winner, and it came up with entrant #10. And the lucky person #10 was Amy! Congratulations, Amy--let us know what you end up getting.
I'm sorry that I don't have something for everyone who entered, but I enjoyed this, so maybe I'll do some other contests this year. And you might want to sign up for the HOAC newsletter, because when they do get to their 400th curriculum package (which is supposed to be soon), they will be doing some great giveaways, including a free Super Membership (2 free ebooks each month PLUS 15% off every purchase--a $65 value), a free Custom Unit (you tell them the subject and the grade level, and they will produce a curriculum on exactly the topic you want--a $75 value), and a free LIFETIME Super Membership (a $275 value). Somebody is going to win....so maybe it will be you!
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