Category: Learnings

Here’s a Best of the Best from July 11, 2023: Recently, Rebecca Midles wrote an article for Getting Smart online, highlighting the Tacoma, Washington school district for their efforts in expanding the number of choice schools for their students and families to attend. Midles writes, “Tacoma, Washington is home to a growing number of choice…

Here’s a Best of the Best from June 7, 2023 My brother dropped dead a few weeks ago from a massive heart attack. Although Todd wasn’t exactly successful in traditional K-12 education, he exemplified a lifelong learner who possessed a personalized, robust learning plan throughout his life. My brother was a funeral director, and he…

Here’s a Best of the Best from March 29, 2023 I receive thousands of advertisements every year, promising to have the solution to everything that ails our traditional public school system. Like this one: “Hello Scott, We’ve leveraged the process of innovation in a stimulating, multi-disciplinary course that promotes the real-world skills of creativity, problem-solving,…

Here’s a Best of the Best from March 27, 2023… I recently listened to a podcast when Ezra Klein interviewed Rick Rubin, the famous recording producer. In the introduction, Klein says this about Rubin: “Reading Rick Rubin’s production discography is like taking a tour through the commanding heights of American music over the past few…

Here’s a Best of the Best from July 27, 2023: Summertime Thursdays are usually reserved for “A Little About a Lot.” But today, I wanted to share Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson’s piece printed earlier this week: “Florida’s decision to teach in schools that slavery in this country was of “personal benefit” to some enslaved…

Here’s a Best of the Best from August 8, 2023: Who the hell is Mike Miles? Mike Miles is the new superintendent for the Houston Independent School District. The State of Texas assigned Miles to Houston’s public school district after winning a court case that said a “takeover” of Houston’s public schools was acceptable. A…

Rural schools are dying a slow death – all across America. As rural towns suffer to keep their downtowns vibrant, and their populations stable, their public schools struggle to maintain enrollment that will keep their K-12 campuses open and successful. Nowhere is this phenomenon more evident than in Iowa. In Iowa and elsewhere, it’s time…

Here’s another Best of the Best – from June 7, 2022. Oh, and my good friend has never followed through on his debate challenge, but I stand ready. A dear friend just retired from a central office position in a traditional suburban school district. He used to buy me beers at happy hour during my…

Here is a Best of the Best from February 1, 2024: In 2009, Simon Sinek delivered a TED talk titled “How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” Today, nearly 64 million people have viewed Sinek’s talk. Let’s take a look at what Sinek had to say about leadership and see how it might be applied to creating…

Here’s an ABPTL  post from August 15, 2022 – one of the “Best of the Best.” A few weeks ago, I participated in an online conference hosted by The Smithsonian, their National Education Summit. It was two days of deep, exploratory learning for both young and adult learners. When I reviewed some of the session…