I have been asked when I will go back to teaching in public schools. I hope I never have to go back. Why? It’s not because of kids and families. Serving them was the BEST part of my job. But I simply don’t have the stomach for the indoctrination, the […]
Category: Education Policy and Opinion
Compilation of (4) BOE Election Primer Articles
Early voting for Kingsport BOE and BMA elections has begun. The official election date is May 5th for the City of Kingsport. I urge you to be know the issues. Know your candidate’s voting records and public positions on various issues. As a conservative, I most definitely look at whether […]
Part 4 Election Primer: Invest in People
Many years ago, I was watching Billy Graham on Larry King Live one evening. One thing led to another, and I don’t remember the exact quote. But Graham noted that one of the most important things which we can do is to invest in people, not money. That stuck with […]
Part 3 Election Primer: The Importance of Hiring and Retaining Top Teachers and Administrators
This is one of my favorite topics. I think BOE candidates should address several things about how teachers are prioritized. It might be the second most important thing they address. Why? Any school system is only as good as they teachers they hire. Great administrators don’t focus on data. They […]
Part 2 BOE Election Primer: Growth vs Achievement?
While I am no fan of the data driven model, if we are forced to use data as the main indicator of school success, then what data metrics should we use? Do BOE candidates prefer growth or achievement(proficiency) metrics to measure school success? The answer to those two questions is […]
Part 1 BOE Election Primer: What is the job of the board of education?
I want to lay out one basic tenet before addressing a wide range of educational issues. The power of government rests with the people – period. In the Declaration of Independence it reads: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed […]
Introduction: Primer for Upcoming BOE Elections
In Kingsport and other areas, primary elections for the BOE are set to be held. I am going to be writing a series of education articles about important educational issues which we face in NE TN and Kingsport. Hopefully, that information can help you in making informed choices when voting. […]
What Makes a Great School?
I have been a student, a teacher, and the parent of a student. My family has earned degrees which range from business to education to medicine to engineering. We value great education. Here are some things we look for when selecting great schools: As a youngster, I had the privilege […]
A Devotion: I Corinthians 13
This verse has been on my mind recently. I was once asked to write my Philosophy of Education. It was embarrassingly slick w/ lots of buzz words from that era. But if I had to rewrite it, I would simply reference I Corinthians 13 – all of it. No matter […]
We Must Guard the Hearts and Minds of Our Children (Part II)
I taught for 21 years. My career began before we had a single computer(in an entire school) which was connected to the internet. My career ended with iPads, iPhones, smart watches, wifi, and a single classroom which likely had a collection of 30+ devices within it at any given time. […]