Education is all about learning. The defeat of Amendment 1 last fall by Georgia voters was a learning lesson for its proponents, including Gov. Nathan Deal, who invested a lot of political capital into its passage. Chris Riley is Gov. Deal’s chief of staff and a main architect of the proposed constitutional amendment that would have allowed the state to create … [Read more...] about January 24, 2017: Look For a Different Approach to Fixing Failing Schools in Georgia
Columns
January 16, 2017: Some Observations on the National Scene and Then It’s Back to Broccoli
I hope you will forgive me but I am going against my better judgment today and sound like one of those inch-wide, inch-deep political pundits and blah-blah bloggers who can be more boring than a tree stump. If I don’t provide some meaningful commentary on national events from time-to-time, I am afraid the editors will think I am not relevant and will replace me … [Read more...] about January 16, 2017: Some Observations on the National Scene and Then It’s Back to Broccoli
January 9, 2017: Hide The Silverware! The Legislature Is Coming!
To Arms! To Arms! The Legislature is coming, the Legislature is coming! I thought Paul Revere would have shared the news with you but he seems to think it is more important that you know about the British, who can’t be anywhere near as prone to mischief as our intrepid public servants. Just to be on the safe side, you might want to hide the silverware from now … [Read more...] about January 9, 2017: Hide The Silverware! The Legislature Is Coming!
January 2, 2017: To Cameron Charles Yarbrough: Work Hard And Dream Big
Dear Cameron Charles Yarbrough: Welcome to a new year. Admittedly, I am biased, but what I have seen of you in your eight years on earth gives me great confidence that you have a bright future ahead of you. I have been thinking about what I could say to you that might be of benefit as you continue your journey into a world that seems to grow meaner and shriller … [Read more...] about January 2, 2017: To Cameron Charles Yarbrough: Work Hard And Dream Big
December 26, 2016: Resolutely Determined To Manage 2017 Expectations
The only thing more useless than socks on a pig are New Year’s Resolutions. Our intentions are applaudable but our follow-through usually leaves a bit to be desired. Still, that should not keep us from trying. I mean, what else is there to do while lying prone on the couch, with a snoot full of black-eyed peas and collards and watching the Yada-Yada Bowl? Two … [Read more...] about December 26, 2016: Resolutely Determined To Manage 2017 Expectations