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Making the Grade

Posted on April 9, 2013

A few years ago Briar made this in class: It absolutely delighted us. Watching her blossom and gain confidence at school as she became a big girl was inspiring. This year she is in 3rd grade. She is still inspiring, but I find myself feeling less like she is experiencing the learning process and more like she is being forced into a very dark and hopeless box. I wrote a little bit about how our first experience with testing has been. I hope that you will visit the New York State United Teachers site to read the post and, hopefully, to leave your comments about your own experience with testing. I understand that there may be many viewpoints on this subject, but I think…

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Even Still

Posted on April 3, 2013

I used to believe that there was a formula— …step on a crack, break your mother’s back I thought that if even against my better judgement or despite my best efforts, if I indeed stepped on a crack that I could avoid the next seven and take it back. Take it back. Take back Dawn dying, take back Ransom dying, take back Susan getting sick again, take back her dying. The thing is, there is no forumla. Angie, toughest person I ever met got sick. Dawn, sweetest woman I ever knew, no do-over. I want to buck and rail and rant ’til spittle flies from my mouth and my face is as red as the smarting hurt upon my heart. I want to bandy…

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