Life – Page 4 – Embrace the Absurd

The Big Questions

We all feel a sense of urgency regarding the need to improve state testing. Before plowing ahead willy-nilly, however, perhaps it would be beneficial to our peace of mind, our field, and our stakeholders, if we pause a moment, take a breath, and consider the big picture and the big questions.

Happy Halloween – Assessment Edition

Whether you regard large-scale assessment as a cruel trick or a tasty treat, one thing is clear. Large-scale tests and Halloween go together like chocolate and peanut butter or Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.

Test or Treat! Trick or Test!

Happy Halloween!

This Is Only A Test

We know that large-scale state testing is never all that important. But some weeks it feels even less significant than usual.

Win Some. Lose Some. Learn A Lot.

Another baseball season has come to an end. 162 games to gather information about the strengths and weaknesses of teams, managers, coaches, and players. Information to inform decisions and lots of conversations about what to do next. Who could ask for anything more?

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.

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?”

Moon and Stars Above

There was a time I was certain that I was going to be an astronomer when I grew up. That period fell between my fireman/baseball player phase and the musician/educator phase that lasted into my late-20s. It was the end of the Sixties and most everyone’s attention was focused on the heavens because there wasContinue reading “Moon and Stars Above”