One thing stuck out

 I was asked to be a volunteer reader of applications for the Herb Kohl Scholarship.  During the first round, I read essays by students.  It was amazing, interesting, delightful and fun.

Then a request came for readers for the second round, those applications which had made the cut to the State level.  I agreed to help, but this time I was given applications written by teachers for grant money.  This has been work.  I had to be fully focused on what I was reading, I had to look up several new words, I had to concentrate on the examples given and how the fit with the scoring rubric.  I completed the scoring of 10 applications and I feel like I have been through the wringer.  Well, not really a wringer, but it felt intense.

My take-aways are that teachers care for their students more than I would have really known.  Teaching is much more than a job having to do with educating & testing, and more about caring for and nurturing our youth.  There are so many creative ideas being implemented and more to come, the future of our public education system is bright.  Covid has taken a toll on the system, but teachers have risen to the challenge.  Funding for our schools must be better and equitable.  Using a real estate tax based system may not work in lower income schools.

Last night I was in the meeting for our county Democrats and a couple of candidates for State School Superintendent gave their pitch to the group.  Some of what they said piggy backed on the words I have been reading written by the teachers.  

One thing stuck out.  

Public  Schools take any student, regardless of race, ability, economic status...regardless, 
Public Schools take the student.

We simply must make this a viable part of our society well into the future.

Herb Kohl Educational Foundation

I love that the Bernie Sanders memes are everywhere on the internet,
 thought I might as well add him here too.