I remember the Indigo Girls’ song with the line “Darkness has a hunger that’s insatiable but lightness has a call that’s hard to hear.” I wonder if what we hear is a matter of attention. I wonder if my focus, if our focus, gets pulled to the darkness, fed by the 24-hour news cycle, these […]
Forecaster opinion
Posted inForecaster Opinion
Superintendent’s Notebook: Curriculum coordinators are leaders in learning
To help our students succeed in a diverse and ever-changing world, the Portland Public Schools constantly works to improve what we teach and how we teach it. Our curriculum coordinators lead this work, developing instructional materials, making sure they meet standards and helping bring curriculum to life by supporting teachers. This month, as part of […]
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Posted inForecaster Opinion
Superintendent’s Notebook: Every minute counts
“Over 30,300 or 16.8% of Maine students are missing so many days of school that they are academically at risk. Chronic absence, missing 10% or more of school due to absence for any reason – excused or unexcused – means students are less likely to read proficiently by third grade, more likely to fail in […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Guest column: Seen from afar
Have you asked yourself how much our election matters to those outside of the United States? It may depend on who they are. But the refugees who were approved but then rejected due to the Trump travel ban see our election as a lifesaver for them. A Biden presidency is their only hope now. For […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Mainewhile: Hard truths, hard work have to be faced
Election 2020, possibly the longest, most stressful election in our nation’s history, has finally come to a close. We have a new president-elect. You can be forgiven if you thought of the election as an end point, the finish line. We have a habit of talking about it that way in our national conversations. But […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Here’s Something: Prepare now for Portland exodus
While most of the country rejected socialist economic policies and the progressive Democrat candidates espousing them on Election Day, Portland voters fully embraced government control of the economy and will soon feel its devastating effects. With Portland’s approval of rent control and a $15 minimum wage by 2024 – as well as a whopping $18 […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion
Superintendent’s Notebook: Finding gratitude in a pandemic
Never has a year made us examine our every move, interaction and all of our best-laid plans. Never has everything about our daily lives been so considered and scrutinized. When we walk out of our doors, we can’t let our guard down. Even something as simple as grocery shopping can feel fraught with danger. Moreover, many […]
Posted inForecaster Opinion
Over Easy: The pandemic is tiring, but won’t last forever
The problem with this pandemic crisis is that it’s gone on way too long. The public’s attention span withers as they try to cope with numbers like 70,000 new cases per day, a million worldwide. We are worn down by the relentless phrases of virus: 40,000 new cases, a surge here, a spike there. But […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Here’s Something: Make the media great again
I’m going to make a prediction. No, not regarding the outcome of the election (which has yet to occur as of this writing), but regarding how Americans will soon get their news and information. The next trend in media will be direct sourcing of information. No filtering by editors and reporters. No middleman, in other […]
Posted inAmerican Journal, Forecaster Opinion, Lakes Region Weekly
Life Unwound: Finding calm amid chaos
In 1980, in a yoga class on my jade green mat, in a softly lit studio with gentle music playing, I found a way to quiet, even with a loud mind whirling like a ceiling fan and living in a country which thundered and raged like now. The teacher said, “Gradually something will ground you […]