Ahhh...summer vacation!

My family and I took off almost immediately after school let out and headed east to Niagara Falls. It was exceptional. There is just something about millions of gallons of water pouring over a cliff that is inspiring. We thoroughly enjoyed our time away and I feel very blessed to have had the time with my family.

And now, back to reality. Much to my dismay, the budget woes have not been solved...I was hoping....

Unfortunately, contract negotiations have not progressed and arbitration looms on the horizon. I am afraid that this does not bode well for our district or our pocket books. The union is asking for a raise and I am told that the 2% raise that the district offered has been rejected. Is anyone else thinking that you can't get blood from a stone?

It has also come to my attention that several teachers attended a white privilege conference in La Crosse. Obviously, with the racial tensions that this district has been experiencing, a plan and goals need to be established. No child should ever feel afraid to come to school. That is just unacceptable. However, I have heard negative rumors about this conference. Whether or not they are true remains to be seen, but I certainly hope that the conference does not advocate the idea of "dumbing down" education to one set of students in order to bring up the scores of a different set of students under the guise of "closing the minority gap". That hardly seems like an admirable practice. I was not able to learn very much from the WPC website, but I will keep looking. If anyone out there has any factual information about this conference, I would be happy to hear it.

And now...the evening calls. What a gorgeous day it has been. Time to relax and enjoy it!