Tag: kentucky

8 November 2023

Quote of the Day

“Anyone anywhere could publish to everyone everywhere.” (Lawrence Lessig, Code)

"Anyone anywhere could publish to everyone everywhere." (Lawrence Lessig, Code)

Ah, the dream of a democratized publishing platform. A place where all voices could be heard regardless of background or socioeconomic status.

I’ve often said, “The greatest promise of the Internet is that it gives everyone a voice.”

And I’ve also said, “The greatest problem of the Internet is that it gives everyone a voice.”

It’s a bit of a Stockdale Paradox in that while we realize the great benefits of having a way to connect people around the world, sharing ideas and information in an attempt to make the world a better place, we must also realize that there are people who will take advantage of that system for their own advancement or to spread their horrible, destructive ideals.

The only cure I know is to keep doing good things and hope that others follow suit.

Musical Interlude

Pegasus by Arlo Parks (ft. Phoebe Bridgers)

Got the red eye

Just to be near, ’cause my head eats me alive

You’re makin’ sure I’m eatin’

I call my mother just to tell her that I’m happy

Long Read of the Day

With the most recent Israeli/Palestinian conflict dominating the news cycle, it’s a good time to remind all of us that there should be a more nuanced approach to the situation. No one side is completely in the right and no one side is completely in the wrong.

However, when calls are made from either side that inflame the situation, no one wins. There must be a measured response.

In schools, we do our best to teach our students empathy. It’s definitely something that can be applied to this—and many other—volatile situations.

What we should guard against is inflammatory language:

Last week, Tlaib circulated a video on X, formerly Twitter, that sharply criticized President Joe Biden for supporting Israel’s military retaliation against Hamas in Gaza. She went on to justify a highly inflammatory Palestinian-resistance slogan. “From the river to the sea,” she wrote, “is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence.”

The burden of promoting a more civil discourse shouldn’t fall only on Tlaib and others sympathetic to the Palestinians. Supporters of Israel should not assume that pro-Palestinian means pro-Hamas. Students on many campuses genuinely view Israeli administration of the Palestinian territories as immoral; to portray their activism as mere anti-Semitism is to stifle legitimate inquiry. To defend any and all Israeli military actions by pointing out that Hamas started the war is to deny Israel agency.

Photo of the Day

Treat yourself to the bewitching sight of barred spiral galaxy M83 — which comes alive with detail in this new image by the Webb telescope’s MIRI instrument.

Treat yourself to the bewitching sight of barred spiral galaxy M83 — which comes alive with detail in this new image by the Webb telescope’s MIRI instrument.

Final Thoughts

Kentucky just wrapped the latest gubernatorial election, and, thankfully, the voters have chosen to return Andy Beshear for a second term. While there are a number of issues with the rest of the statewide government, I’m happy to have Andy still in that position.

The alternative would have been a puppet of right-wing extremists and would likely have done little to advance anything of worth in Kentucky.

That is, of course, my informed opinion. Which, as the great Harlan Ellison would say:

“You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.”


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Creating and Sustaining Change in Public Education

body of water under gray clouds
Photo by Kristoffer Brink Jonsson on Pexels.com

“All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again.”

― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

Change is good. At least, that’s what I’ve heard from any number of well-meaning people. Change often means growth and fresh ideas, but it also means the death and destruction of old ideas. And, change often means returning to another time or to other practices that worked.

Or maybe they didn’t. Perhaps we just long for a return to comfort and normalcy.

Regardless, every institution can and does experience change, whether people on the inside of the organization deliberately create change or outside forces create “jolts” in the system and force change (cite p. 330).

Kentucky public education has had two considerable jolts that I’m aware of (and I’m showing my age for one of them): the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) of 1990 and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic. KERA was a jolt that began as the work of change agents, but that whole COVID thing… we’re still not sure who the change agents were (it was totally the bats), but it was still one heck of a jolt.

I was in high school when KERA became a thing. Along with it came these things called “portfolios” that were going to revolutionize Kentucky schools. Spoiler alert: they didn’t. That failure has more to do with the implementation of change than the idea of change.

What many public schools in Kentucky have been able to do since the days of KERA is to continue pushing for creative solutions to difficult problems. They’ve also continued to make space for change agents in various positions across the state and in local schools. Of course, without effective leaders ready to change the constructed reality within a school, any change efforts will likely fail, and the same cycle of “all this has happened before,” continues as it has so many times in education.

“What’s past is prologue.”

– Shakespeare, The Tempest

After the COVID-19 pandemic (has it ended yet?), I’ve seen more concerted efforts to maintain institutional change here in Kentucky. With many districts instituting graduate profiles, the structures needed to support and maintain change are moving into place.

With the environment ripe for change after the COVID-19 upheaval, small changes in institutional processes are making their way across the state and have the potential to sustain change for the future.

References:

Marion, R., & Gonzales, L. D. (2014). Leadership in education: Organizational theory for the practitioner (Second). Waveland Press.


The Eclectic Educator is a free resource for everyone passionate about education and creativity. If you enjoy the content and want to support the newsletter, consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps keep the insights and inspiration coming!