​I was in attendance at the school board meeting last night and I witnessed the consequences of fear on fine people.  It is devastating.  I could see the pain in  faces of friends and leaders and so many others. I am sorry for that.  I believe that our superintendent and staffing leadership is exemplary.  Our School Board members are listening and leading.  The efficacy of their decision will be told in results over the next year.  Success is not certain with any of our existing paths.

That said... Finding a path forward rooted in principles and priorities is the only way.  What we have now is NOT working.  Maintaining a focus on the children is paramount in every sense and I’m proud to them leading our school system. I challenge them to their experience even in the face of the withering emotional toll from the fearful. Our culture is in a bad place currently. Poor behaviors and choices are infecting us all but leadership and bold thoughtful steps is the path forward. 

We must ALL Think outside the box. We MUST Get those kids back into rooms with teachers and trust in the skills and passions of the teachers to find a way.  I believe that we cannot continue to allow families and children to burn 🔥 with the farce that is virtual learning 2020.  Attendance, equity, special needs, arts, coaching, sports... The public services in these areas are failing daily.   Burning is the correct analogy in every sense as families, schools, churches, workplaces and society is coming apart quite literally.  Our future is in those children.  Our present is with those parents and teachers.  We do not have the choice to continue on

We will must work together and help.  Hard decisions are required.  Leaders must lead. We the people must follow and then adjust in the future.  This is the only way. 

Proud to have spent the day with such a fabulous team of Help4School volunteers. The collaboration and communication was astounding. Complex problems have complex solutions. Period. There is no middle ground and our problems with virtual schooling are far deeper than technology. The pain cut to the core of our culture and exposes priorities and choices with unprecedented ferocity. We the people must stand up and choose to change for our future. Everything has changed and the change is permanent. We are not going back. Where are we going exactly? That is a great question. I believe it is all about small group accountability in organic growth and education pods. MicroSchools built and supported by landing zones and central facilities. This fundamental shift is profound and will be costly in every sense. We can use this pop up model to support and encourage organic institutional flexibility from the bottom up. Top down is effectively dying. IMO.
Teaching and teachers are essential. What we are doing now is leaving too many behind. We can do education and inspiration differently. We must do education and inspiration differently. Our youngest generations lives are at stake and ours with them.

Leading includes managing panic and optics and tone actively. Drawing a causal connection to more deaths because of Trump’s decisions and actions is ridiculous politics.
It is deplorable and naive to state that “Trump lied and people died.” The panic and fear kill and the ramifications of the humanitarian crisis are just beginning. Since we are now doing counterfactuals... in retrospect... if Hilary had been in charge things would have been very different and radically worse... such is the way of liars and losers and cowards. Trump is none of those things. With Biden it would have been far far worse. No closed borders in Feb and March is just as a start to how bad things could have been.

And to be clear, there is much we could have done better. But hindsight is 2020. Always has been... Actual leaders know this.

from Dave Foreman on FB
“so Donald Trump made some comments to Bob Woodward in March/April and now everyone is going nuts. Right.

I was doing a LOT of analysis back then on who said what when. The CDC, WHO, and government and private groups were desperately trying to make sense of things. EVERYONE was overreacting on too little factual information out of an abundance of caution. What was said one day was contradicted a week or a month later.

The president said in a short conversation that the virus was more deadly than the flu and also said he was downplaying it because he did not want to create a panic. THAT IS HIS JOB. Presidents are responsible for managing the mood of the country as the facts unfold.

Anyone who tries to act like they 'knew' what was happening is exaggerating. When you are shutting down air travel to other countries, contemplating the death of 2 million of your citizens, and don't really understand the disease yet because your medical team doesn't you say things to calm and sometimes manipulate the public. Remember that the people that want universal masks now were saying we didn't need then then - BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH PPE AND WANTED MEDICAL PEOPLE TO HAVE THE INVENTORY. We have tens of thousands of ventilators now that may never be used because we thought we needed them.

I get that if you want to defeat Trump in November or you can't stand the man ANYTHING will be a great reason to further your position. That does not, however, make it true. Various governors and Senators and Mayors said a lot of contradictory things around the same time. That is what panic does.“
​

EVERY TEACHER IN THE USA should have a LAPTOP, and internet access provided as part of the National response to the Covid19 crisis. Doesn't need to be one size fits all. They are working NOW.. just let them choose how to continue and fund it. Reward what works, incentive the innovators... and roll forward. It is ridiculous to expect them to teach and navigate online with old, overly controlled and utterly mismanaged IT gear.. from their homes. Distance learning and collaboration are now a GIVEN... they need the tools. It is up to the local school boards, and states to MAKE THIS HAPPEN.. BEFORE they attempt to restart in Fall or next year. Clock is ticking. IT Professionals assemble... school districts.. pay them.. and MAKE IT HAPPEN. ​

My beautiful daughter and her wonderful friends “graduated” from Wake Forest University virtually last night. I am so proud of them and at the same time my heart is heavy. Their senior year of college was dramatically devastated with this fear mongering social distancing reality that has befallen us all. My expectations, and theirs, were cast aside out of an abundance of caution. Time will tell us the value of our choices.

That is my message to Emma and her fabulous friends. You are well prepared to continue on your journey. You have the ability to choose your way and make your life. Choosing WFU was wise. We all step into a collective future based on our preparations. I am sorry that we as a society were not better prepared for this crisis. Even in crisis, our love for your is not diminished, and there will be so many great times ahead. My heart is heavy for what could have been, but that is at it has always been and always will be because hindsight is 2020. The future belongs to you who choose to step up and fly despite the weight of what could have been.

I pray that each of you will soar like eagles. Majestically, powerfully, with sharp claws, eyes, and powerful wings. Go Deacs!