Taylor – Embrace the Absurd

For Every Taylor …

Above all else there is Taylor Swift. No one who has followed my blog is surprised by that opening sentence. But for every Taylor Swift there are hundreds, actually thousands, of others, incredibly talented performers who are not Taylor Swift. Some of them may even be better singers, songwriters, or dancers than Taylor; have aContinue reading “For Every Taylor …”

Track 13 – What’s The Plan?

As usual, in Mastermind, track 13, Taylor Swift said it better than I ever could. If you fail to plan, you plan to failStrategy sets the scene for the tale So, as Jessica Baghian asked on Twitter, “What’s the plan?” – “the specific plan chiefs and governors articulate to address kids’ needs.” Of course, beforeContinue reading “Track 13 – What’s The Plan?”

Midnights (NAEP edition)

It’s not very often that one weekend is framed by two such highly anticipated and consequential events. On Friday, Taylor Swift released her 10th studio album, Midnights. On Monday, we have the release of the 2022 State NAEP results, described by many as the most important/significant/consequential release in the history of NAEP. It’s almost tooContinue reading “Midnights (NAEP edition)”

I’m Feeling ’22 (Taylor’s Version)

2022. It’s finally here. The one thought that kept so many of us going these last two treacherous, dangerous, and often reckless, years was that if we could just hold on a little longer, we would be happy and free to shamelessly quote Taylor Swift for an entire year. Everything will be alright if weContinue reading “I’m Feeling ’22 (Taylor’s Version)”

Before Taylor There Was Barry

As you all know all too well, I am a fan of Taylor Swift. I have been hooked since the fall of 2006 after listening to her eponymous initial CD on repeat while driving home to Maine from a conference in Philadelphia. At that point, however, I had nearly half a century of music underContinue reading “Before Taylor There Was Barry”

Ten Years of Taylor

Charlie DePascale Ten years ago, August 22, 2008, my daughter and I attended our first Taylor Swift concert in Hartford, Connecticut. The original plan was to attend the concert a few weeks later in Massachusetts – a bit closer to our home in Maine. About to start high school, however, she was a bit worriedContinue reading “Ten Years of Taylor”

Taylor Swift, Headbanging, Summative Assessment & Actionable Information

Charlie DePascale, January 2014 Immediately following Taylor Swift’s performance during the Grammy Awards on Sunday night, Twitter exploded with reaction to Taylor’s emotional ‘headbanging’ while performing her ballad All Too Well. The hullaballoo made its way through internet news sites on Monday and should reach NBC News sometime next week or whenever Atlanta thaws outContinue reading “Taylor Swift, Headbanging, Summative Assessment & Actionable Information”