Going door to door is best, of course, on a warm Sunday in the fall, when everyone is kicked back, watching football and maybe still grilling dinner on the porch. Today I talked with two mothers of four-year-olds looking forward to sending their kids to public kindergarten next year. I also spoke to three high school parents and one high schooler himself. The parents were cautiously optimistic about progress at the high school, but the high schooler, a sophomore, was totally enthusiastic. “There is so much available; so much to do,” he said. Not that everything is perfect. Some of his homework looks taken verbatim from the Internet (Is this a good thing?) and the line for pizza at the cafeteria is way too long.
People often ask me what kind of reception I get when I go door-to-door. They would be amazed to know how friendly people are, how many people invite me into their kitchens and living rooms to talk about schools and politics.
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A blog about public school policy, practice and participation
Welcome to my blog!
Do you find education endlessly fascinating? Are you sick of the continual drumbeat of negativity and ideology about public schooling? Do you want to read about the realities and specifics of improving schools and what really counts when it comes to educating well-rounded kids who will thrive in life?
What better place to explore the complexities of education than in Cambridge, home of the first public school in the state where public schools were born.
My name is Nancy Walser and I am a former member of the Cambridge (MA) School Committee, assistant editor of the Harvard Education Letter, and the parent of two teenagers in the Cambridge public schools.
During my eight years on the school board, I served on the board of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC), representing the state at national conferences and advocating for public schools on a state level.
With a background in newspaper journalism, I also write books. In the late nineties, I wrote and published the Parent's Guide to Cambridge Schools (now out of print). In 2007, I co-edited Spotlight on Leadership and School Change, published by Harvard Education Press.
During my eight years on the school board, I served on the board of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC), representing the state at national conferences and advocating for public schools on a state level.
With a background in newspaper journalism, I also write books. In the late nineties, I wrote and published the Parent's Guide to Cambridge Schools (now out of print). In 2007, I co-edited Spotlight on Leadership and School Change, published by Harvard Education Press.
I'm so hooked on ed policy, that I'll be going back to school to study it this fall.
As the subtitle says, this blog is about policy, politics and living it/breathing it as a parent who cares and is committed to public schools no matter how frustrating they can sometimes be. I welcome comments about what I've written here. From time to time, I'll invite guest bloggers to contribute when I get tired of hearing my own voice. Let me know if there's a special topic you want to know more about by e-mailing me at nancy@nancywalser.org
As the subtitle says, this blog is about policy, politics and living it/breathing it as a parent who cares and is committed to public schools no matter how frustrating they can sometimes be. I welcome comments about what I've written here. From time to time, I'll invite guest bloggers to contribute when I get tired of hearing my own voice. Let me know if there's a special topic you want to know more about by e-mailing me at nancy@nancywalser.org
Unlike other online places where people can post anonymously, I ask my readers to disclose who they are in order to promote honest, constructive, and civil dialogue. Education can provoke a lot of emotion, but ... unsigned posts, off topic or uncivil posts will be removed.
Thanks for your support of public education!
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