Maybe it’s because it’s the Friday before Thanksgiving, or maybe it’s because a couple of my really good Education Policy Center friends are picking up and moving to another state, but I’m not really keen on writing another long post today.
Change is in the air — change that I didn’t wish for, and change that will merit me keeping an eye on. I’m not just talking about the fact that, according to increasingly loud rumors, the Broncos’ great QB Peyton Manning may be ready to hang up his cleats once and for all (thanks to Complete Colorado for helping me to find this piece).
No, more fitting to my world, as part of Election 2015‘s Empire Strikes Back theme, union-backed candidates swept back into power in Jefferson County and Thompson, while reform opponents gained a foothold in Douglas County, the most interesting school district in America. Sad perhaps, but silver linings remain.
I’m waxing a bit nostalgic right now. Believe it or not, seven and a half years ago I christened Ed Is Watching with the post “Denver Parents Want More Successful Charter Schools to Choose From,” one of the key themes I’ve echoed ever since.
In the blog’s early days, Florida was embarking on an unsuccessful effort to remove the bigoted, anti-school choice Blaine Amendment from its state constitution, and an Arizona judge struck down a voucher program designed to give families of special-needs kids more educational options.
But you know what? Those two states have continued to emerge and grow as national leaders in giving kids and families more choice and access to effective learning opportunities — including as the first two Education Savings Account states. So a few setbacks here in Colorado should not keep us down for long. We have a lot of great things going in our state, and the chance for more in the near future. Don’t lose heart!
As a result of this mature and optimistic outlook, my Education Policy Center friends tell me that finally, after all this time, I’m finally ready to turn 6 years old!!! Now, first let me say, that technically I can’t ask you for any birthday presents. However, if you happened to deliver a new video game or deluxe Legos set, I’d have a terribly hard time saying No.
Still, if you’re worried about how my delayed aging may impact the delicate features of the space-time continuum, my response is simple: This ain’t nothing compared to a couple black holes colliding with each other sometime in the next 100,000 years!
Just know, that despite whatever non-quarterback-related rumors you may have heard, little Eddie has no plans to quit blogging here anytime soon. Though I’m about to get a little older and maybe a little busier, which might mean not posting as frequently, I will keep on sharing my unique views of the Colorado education landscape.
Thank you for all you’ve contributed to helping make this humble little site a success for so long, and for helping to make it even greater in the future!!
