Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! I hope that 2013 brings you all that you could possibly wish for whether it be better health, lots of money, a new (or better) relationship...whatever happens to be on your wish list of "I wish I had [fill in the blank]." I hope you find it in this new year. For some reason that I cannot explain, I feel very optimistic about this new year. I have nothing specific to which to point to account for my optimism...I just feel like it is going to a wonderful year.

One of my points of reference for this feeling of optimism springs, I think, from a post I read this morning from Diane Ravitch. For those of you who are my edcuator friends (that includes teachers and support professionals as well as parents who are concerned about public education in our country) you may like to follow her blog. She posts several times a day, and she always has something interesting to say or to share. This morning she shared two specific posts related to last year--the worst things about 2012 and the best things about 2012. I don't need to share the worst thing post...it was about the tragedy at Sandy Hook which I think most of us would agree was a particularly low point for the entire country but perhaps especially for educators who felt so connected to the teachers and principal who acted so heroically and selflessly on that terrible day. So, I won't dwell on that. But I would like to share her "best of" post, so here it is:  http://dianeravitch.net/2013/01/01/a-good-year-for-supporters-of-public-education.

Instead of writing further or elaborating on her post, I will just leave my post at that. I reserve the right to share other people's thoughts when I find it appropriate. So, there you go. Enjoy and take heart. I think there is reason for optimism, but we must all remain hopeful and keep up the good fight if we are to have any hope of preserving public education in this country.

On that note, I hope that wherever you are doing whatever you are doing, you have a wonderful January 1, 2013.

Until next time.

Kitty