I discovered a small leak in one of our windows set high in the dining room wall this morning when I stepped in on the way to my office for that first cup of coffee. Storms rumbled through early with winds whipping trees and blowing some stuff around, so I was up with Scout (he, like me, hates thunderstorms, and so was happy to be have a human nearby). It's not much of a leak, and my BH is ready to just let it go. Obsessive person that I am, I want someone to come and take a look NOW but will settle for later in the week.

I know that a tiny leak, an almost imperceptible drip can becomes something larger. And so it is with CCSS and some of the other "reforms" I see offered to fix education.

Drip: professional literacy organizations were not invited to the table as the "architects" put together this new curriculum that purports to be the perfect curriculum for ALL kids.

Drip: tests are being prepared and, once again, literacy organizations are locked out.

Drip: model framework lessons are slow in coming and do not live up to the expectations that they would "revolutionize" education

Drip: "experts" are in disagreement about standards, assessments, etc.

Drip: even the architects cannot seem to speak with one voice about what is required, prohibited.

Drip: schools are scrambling to figure out how to have enough bandwidth, machines, etc. for the tests which are electronically administered.

Drip: the estimate I saw for each test was to allow 10 minutes for instructions for EACH (really?).

Drip: preschool classes are being bombarded with CCSS-ready activities

Drip: value added measures of teacher effectiveness

Drip: attacks on teacher education/preparation programs with many roads to alt cert

Drip: lesson plans that seem to be the same old same old but with new language

Drip: ignorance of child development

Drip: contemporary texts are few and far between

Drip: diversity of literature is MIA

Drip: reading levels and lexiles are above each grade level (not on but above)

Drip: new labeling (AR is now CCSS approved, etc.)

Drip: PD is still woefully inadequate

Drip: CCSS aligned has become a cash cow for some

Drip: conformity not creativity is the watchword

Drip: editorials in leading papers (I'm looking at YOU, NYT) seem to have been written by the CCSS and are nothing more than endorsements)

Drip: folks from the outside with no classroom teaching experience are suddenly experts (having $ helps here)

I could go on, but you catch the drift, right? One drop after another and another and pretty soon, there is a swamp complete with alligators.

Let's stop the drips now.