pensiveThe first is a "reform-to-English dictionary," a spot-on satire: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/06/19/a-reform-to-english-dictionary/. We could add to this list, of course. But here is the power of words to skewer, to make light of something terribly dark, to bring us to the bottom line of education reform. Smart piece, smart writer.
The second piece is about the mission of the First Church of Educational Reforms (honestly, I think we have a new series, here). It comes from Edushyster.com: http://edushyster.com/?p=2801. Along with the recent release of the NCTQ report, this is the other side of reform: if we cannot kill teachers and free, public schools, let's kill the colleges of education instead. With all of the discussion of late, I began to feel as though I were one of the elite, the "effete snobs" as Agnew termed those press members who dared to disagree with his administration's actions (illegal though they were).
I spent some time in the car yesterday listening to an audiobook. Monday was given over to locating audio clips to play at the Odyssey ceremony at ALA. Words are swimming in my head non-stop. I am ever-grateful for the words, grateful that there are legions of us using words to speak the truth as dismaying as it might be from time to time. Words, you see, in addition to having the power to heal, to skewer, to wound also have the power to SAVE.
