I wanted to be Neil Young or Joe Strummer; I wanted to understand Bob Dylan. John Prine, well, I wanted to be his friend. I live in my head a lot, and Prine has been a good one to keep me company there. When I first heard his music around 1979 when I was at […]
To be a Knowledgeable Citizen During the Pandemic
With truth (inclusive of scientific knowledge) under assault in what many have called an era “post-truth,” I believe we (those within reach of this post) must decide how to react. We must not fall into a cycle of reflecting only on the actions of others with whom we disagree and over whom we have little […]
Calling Out and Calling On Myself in the Face of the Coronavirus
Schools, school leaders, faculty and staff emphasize topics related to character education because they know strength of character is of vital importance and that it is is too often in short supply. I really hope all that talk has worked. It really needs to have worked. Now more than ever, we need the adults that […]
A Modest, Non-Partisan Proposal: The Politician’s Readiness Exam
Frustrated with the quality of political debate in this country, I have some questions: “what do fully formed, competent politicians look like? Where might we find such people? What characteristics should politicians have regardless of party affiliation? How might we identify appropriate candidates?” I say this not as a condemnation of all people currently filling […]
Foreshadowing and not Foreshadowing: Strategic Choices
In an environment of accelerated progress and challenge, foreshadowing is a key to good communication about organizational change. Leadership should think of foreshadowing as a necessary tool because communicating change too late can make strategic steps look like reactive ones. By giving community members glimpses of what may lie ahead, organizations can: Gauge the potential response […]
Zombies–Undead Colleges and Schools
When I was in seventh grade, I went to see Night of the Living Dead with a bunch of my classmates. It scared me something awful, and it was a bad place to be scared—news bulletin: seventh graders can be mercenary. One of my friends reached beneath my wooden folding seat in the school theater […]