A mentor responds to proposed "reforms" . . .

Over the weekend I met one of my mentors, Jack Frost, in the detergent aisle at the grocery store.  Jack was a principal and assistant superintendent in our system for many years.  He gave me my first position in the curriculum department and when he retired I took his place as Director of Instruction.  I learned many things from Jack with the importance of integrity being at the top of the list.  I will always be thankful to him for providing me with the opportunity to begin my leadership journey.

Our conversation naturally drifted to the state of education and the issues we currently face in our state.  Without prompting, Jack shared that he had recently listened to a speech on the need for changes in education by a leader in the State Senate that had upset him.  He said he wasn't a letter writer, but he was considering changing that because of what he heard.  Even though he is no longer connected to the work, he can see similar words in the message from today's Senate reformers to what he heard years ago.  It may have been the speech below that resulted in Jack's decision to consider writing a response.