4th and Pine



4th and Pine

Grit
Vibrancy
Color
Alive
Black man filled with joy
Energetic affirmation, "good morning!"
Infectious love

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Washington Educator's Feedback and Questions for Secretary of Education Nominee Betsy DeVos through US Senator Patty Murray

Thank you for the invitation to share my thoughts with Senator Murray for Ms. DeVos. As a point of reference, this is my 26 th year as a public school administrator/teacher. I have served students in Washington, Oregon and Nevada. I have served as a music teacher, Middle School Assistant Principal, High School Assistant Principal, Director of Alternative School, High School Principal, Director of Educational Non-Profit, Assistant State Superintendent (supporting WA under-performing schools—285 schools holding 250,000 kids) and currently Superintendent in the Lyle School District. I have six children. 2 have graduated from public schools and 4 are still enrolled in WA public schools. I have served as a Union President for school administrators in Nevada and am currently the President Elect for the Washington Association of School Administrators for ESD 112. Thoughts on Ms. DeVos: There are a myriad of data points about her absolute lack of qualifications to serve as our nati...
Read more

Leadership and the Danger of "I" and "Me"

Leadership matters. Leadership matters in all sorts of ways. Leaders give us hope. Leaders help us have the courage to make challenging choices and decisions. Leaders are selfless. Leaders promote others, care, have empathy and don't belittle those who are different than themselves. Leaders acknowledge their success only in relationship to the overall growth and improvement of those who they lead. As a school and district leader for the past 22 years I have worked diligently to try and improve the school communities that I've served. The goal has always been to work in collaboration with all stakeholders for better outcomes for kids, families and communities. Through each of these roles some degree of success and progress has been experienced. I've never believed for even a moment that "I" held the key, magic potion, or silver bullet. Leadership matters and what I know to be true about the leaders that I've watched in my lifetime succeed in serving their r...
Read more

Urgent Medicare Crisis in Umatilla and Union Counties

Residents of Umatilla and Union Counties face a critical healthcare crisis as the only Medicare Advantage option for 2025, "Summit," will no longer be available. For seniors currently enrolled in Summit's Medicare Advantage plan, the upcoming annual enrollment period—October 15 to December 7—is crucial. During this window, they must transition to "Traditional Medicare" or risk losing essential healthcare coverage. Failing to take action will leave seniors with only Medicare Parts A and B, which cover only 80% of healthcare costs, leaving the remaining 20% as an out-of-pocket burden. This could expose seniors to significant financial risks in the event of medical emergencies, surgeries, or long-term treatments. The absence of Medicare Advantage means they will have to carefully assess options like Medigap or Medicare Supplement plans to avoid financial vulnerability. Additionally, those already enrolled in Traditional Medicare who rely on Part D for prescription ...
Read more