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Commentary: That’s what the money’s for
There’s a scene in an episode of the television series “Mad Men” that I haven’t been able to get out of my head recently. In the scene, anti-hero Don Draper is working late on a Friday night because he’s miserable and wants to make everyone else miserable, too. Copywriter Peggy Olsen is also staying late […]
Commentary: Regressive discipline policy in Jackson-Madison County Schools is wrong direction
Up until about a month ago, my work days were spent in the presence of 20-25 adolescents who were navigating changing bodies, volatile emotions, teen angst, and the best way to learn the latest TikTok dances. In other words, I was a middle school teacher – arguably the most challenging job in the world of […]
Commentary: ‘Unapologetic American exceptionalism’ exists in a whitewashed world
I follow Gov. Bill Lee on Instagram. He’s probably not the first person that comes to mind when one thinks of cutting edge, visual social media. I don’t follow him because I’m a fan of his policies or his plaid shirts or even his folksy, staged pictures in Anytown, Tennessee. I definitely don’t follow him […]
Commentary: Our children will bear the brunt of state’s mishandling of COVID-19 crisis
As a teacher, I can pinpoint distinct feelings associated with each part of the year. The obvious excitement of the end of the school year in late spring with students wrapping up exams and desks being pushed to the perimeter of the room for the annual waxing of the floor over the summer. The tired, […]
Commentary: Educators will continue to teach the truth of America’s racial history
As a West Tennessee public school teacher of 18 years, my life has taken on a rhythmic pattern – pedal to the floor, hair on fire for ten months and then two months of rest during the summer. The same process year in and year out. June and July have always afforded me a time […]