May 11, 2025

Well, I said I wouldn’t cry during Dawson’s graduation. Actually, I said I probably wouldn’t. And . . . I totally failed. Oh well. I loved it all. He did it. Cheered on in-person by his mom and dad, his brother and sister-in-law, and his wonderful girlfriend, while his grandparents watched online and cheered from […]

April 19, 2025

If there’s one way to guarantee low blog post readership, it’s to make it about golf. I can already hear my dad and my mother-in-law sighing as they read that first line. I have disappointed both of them. Again. You’d think they would be used to it by now. And yet, they still love me. […]

April 5, 2025

Examining my fears as our child enters this unique job market You never stop being a parent. My dad still worries about me, tells me to be careful on long trips, and generally tells me to do my best not to be an idiot. I’ve made it 63 years in spite of, or perhaps because […]

March 15, 2025

I turned 63 years old this week. I’m quite good with it. As they say, it’s way better than the alternative! I decided to share some random birthday thoughts in this post, so here we go. When the ground shifts, I’ve found the best thing to do is to be of service. Go where the […]

March 1, 2025

Tom Peters, a famous writer on business and management, wrote, “If you’re not confused, you’re not paying attention.” Well, based on my level of confusion, I can confidently report that the good news is that I am paying attention. I have never been more dazed and confused. I think that is what this administration wants. […]

February 16, 2025

I found myself mesmerized by the heavy rains we experienced here in Los Angeles on Thursday. It’s been a while since we’ve had a real rain. I was reminded of some kindergarten students I witnessed when I was visiting an elementary school back in 2017. It started pouring rain, and all of the kindergarten kids […]

February 2, 2025

The last time I wrote a post about political influences on education was back in 2021 when I wrote a post about Critical Race Theory (CRT). I was a school superintendent that year, and I vividly recall getting phone calls and emails from parents asking about CRT – I had to look it up in […]

January 18, 2025

Sometimes the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets appear when something is terribly wrong in or around our communities. There is a true lack of coherence in this post. It was written over several days during the fire. I have tried to make it all fit together, but I know it really doesn’t. The lack of […]

December 28, 2024

As I end my 2024 year, I find myself spending 90% of my time in my own home, most of it cuddled up with my newest and favorite possession – my ice machine that provides soothing relief to my new knee. I love my ice machine. Don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with […]

December 14, 2024

Last Tuesday, I had my full knee replacement surgery. Those of you who are regular readers knew this was coming. I tried to share the information without being obnoxious about it. Pushing the limits of that not being obnoxious goal, I thought I would share a few thoughts about the surgery and the first two […]

December 2, 2024

I hope you all had an outstanding Thanksgiving. I certainly did. It remains my absolute favorite holiday. Highlights of my Thanksgiving included: I am a free subscriber to Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper email. It is reflective, kind, and positive, all things that I’d like to have more of in my life. In her email on […]

November 16, 2024

I received a “care package” in the mail this week. I didn’t know how much I needed it. Care packages are best received when something is not normal in your life. Examples include times when you are away from loved ones, you are going through a difficult time, you are recovering from a physical or […]

November 2, 2024

I guess I’m not a very good sports fan. I was not one of the two million fans screaming and cheering on the streets of LA as the Dodger World Series victory parade drove through town yesterday. I was not part of the packed Dodger Stadium that gave a thundering welcome to the Dodgers at […]

October 19, 2024

I have spent over thirty years in educational leadership roles. I enjoyed so many aspects of all of my jobs. I loved the hard work, strategic planning, supporting teachers and staff, communicating with parents and garnering their support, developing collegial relationships, and so much more. And the longer that I worked in leadership positions, the […]

October 5, 2024

One of the greatest aspects of retirement is that, for the most part, I don’t really have to do anything that I don’t want to do. I don’t have to go to work. I don’t have to write these blog posts. No one is telling me how to spend my days. I can wake up […]

September 21, 2024

Public schools have been around for over 350 years in the United States. But over the last 25 years, since Columbine thrust school shootings into our national consciousness, school employees have had to deal with a whole new set of stresses that their predecessors never imagined. Between the too-frequent active shooter incidents in our schools […]

September 7, 2024

Diners at a large potluck dinner party where the invitation simply states, “Bring a dish to share!” attend with a lot of trust. Usually more trust than I possess. There’s no rhyme or reason. People just bring random dishes they are proud of/have time to make/purchase from a restaurant or grocery store, and that’s if […]

August 24, 2024

In the summer of 1985, I remember looking hard for my first full-time job in teaching. As eager as I was to start teaching history and social studies in the Bay Area, there just weren’t any positions available. I would hang out in school offices if I heard rumors of openings, just to leave my […]

August 10, 2024

I love the idea of the Olympics – the every-four-year gathering of the best athletes from all around the world. At its best, it is a respite from world tensions and a two-week focus on human effort and competition that creates greater understanding and appreciation of our similarities and differences. I have spectacular memories of […]

July 27, 2024

Thanks for all of the emails and comments on Part I of my Year One Retirement Progress Report. My Dad wrote that he liked it, but it was way too long and could have used several more drafts. He’s not wrong. So I’ll shorten my introduction by five paragraphs (Winning!!) and get right to examining […]

July 13, 2024

Click Here for Podcast Version I’m not a big fan of report cards. They are so . . . final. A progress report is much more helpful – it’s a check in on how it’s going, and guidance on how to be more successful. As a teacher, one of my favorite projects was the five […]

June 29, 2024

Growing up, July 4th was always a big holiday in our house. We did not call it Independence Day. Just July 4th. The main focus for my siblings and me was getting to the amazing fireworks stands that magically popped up in June. The red, white, and blue banners lured us in, but it was […]

June 15, 2024

You can count on it coming in early June. My Dad will reach out to all of his kids and say, “The most important day of the year is coming this Sunday. You do remember that Father’s Day is this Sunday, right?” Yes, Dad. We remember. I heard those words this week from my 85-year-old […]

June 1, 2024

Click Here for Podcast Version Do you ever feel like the world is bombarding you with a message, and that wherever you turn, you keep hearing that same thought? Kind of like Kevin Costner’s character Ray Kinsella in Field of Dreams hearing, “If you build it, they will come.” Or like when people saw images […]