Charlie DePascale

2 + 2 = ?

I’ve been thinking about “2+2” quite often recently. Somewhat less often than I think about Taylor Swift but more often than I think about the Roman Empire, which truth be told, is more often that you might think.

Treat the Symptom. And then?

One thing that pandemic has made clear is that schools are always going to be focused primarily on meeting the immediate needs of the students in front of them today. That’s what schools do. And it’s a good thing. It does, however, have implications for how we rethink accountability and education reform.

Remember This Moment

Last Sunday, Tom Brady returned to Gillette Stadium for the first of what undoubtedly will be many ceremonies celebrating his amazing 23-year career, the first twenty of which were spent in New England with the Patriots. It was a time to celebrate Tom Brady. It was a time to remember the six championship seasons andContinue reading “Remember This Moment”

Summer Reading

It’s over. Labor Day Weekend, the unofficial end of summer, has come and gone. For most of my life, Labor Day weekend meant periodically checking in on the Jerry Lewis Telethon. It was always exciting to watch the frantic finish, waiting for the heavy hitters like Sammy Davis, Jr. or Wayne Newton to make aContinue reading “Summer Reading”

Back to School. Way Back.

As another school year begins, my thoughts are on high schools. Not so much on what should or shouldn’t be taught in AP courses (or whether there should even be AP courses), who should or shouldn’t be allowed to play on particular sports teams, or on whether later start times will actually translate into teensContinue reading “Back to School. Way Back.”

When am I ever going to use this?

When am I ever going to use this? It’s a question that I still ask myself several times per week as my quest to reclaim the house from three decades of cumulative clutter enters its fourth year. Following a modified version of the KonMari Method, I have cycled through clothes, books, and papers three times,Continue reading “When am I ever going to use this?”

Time’s Up. Pencils Down.

As evidenced by the Apple Watch on my wrist and the Food Diary sitting on my desk, I am a firm believer in if first you don’t succeed, try, try, again. When you fall down, you pick yourself up again. I’ve even managed to convince myself that I understand why if you fall seven times,Continue reading “Time’s Up. Pencils Down.”

Yearning to Understand “Years of Learning”

“Use your words, Charlie. Use your words.” That’s what they would say to me when I was young, and a situation became frustrating or overwhelming. It was very good advice. By the time I reached first grade I had learned that with some well-chosen and well-timed words you could make people laugh, even adults. InContinue reading “Yearning to Understand “Years of Learning””

Testing Democracy

After 25 years, an article about the Massachusetts Teachers Association opposing the MCAS tests is not exactly “Man Bites Dog” material. Whether you are celebrating, commiserating, or merely commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System this summer, you know that one constant across the MCAS quarter century has been the opposition ofContinue reading “Testing Democracy”

Clearing Our Heads on School Accountability

It will be impossible to improve or reimagine school accountability systems until we are ready to acknowledge that the premise on which current systems are based is patently false.