Math Was Never My Strength

I have spent the last week trying to get an answer from our local school system, Montgomery County Public Schools, regarding the implementaion of their grading policy. It seems to me to be a flawed system that produces invalid grades, but math was never my strong suit and I was looking for an explanation. I could not get an answer that made sense- the only answer I heard was "it's the policy". Not particularly satisfactory.
So today I emailed my concerns to Jay Mathews, education reporter of The Washington Post. He is going to ask MCPS the same questions I have been asking- perhaps he will be able to get a more satisfactory response.
I have spent hours on the phone with this issue, and John keeps shaking his head and muttering something about chasing windmills and I keep reminding him that "foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds". Thank you Emerson.

R & R

cliftoninn1, originally uploaded by funnkds5.

John and I settled in the this cozy carriage house cottage at the Clifton Inn in Charlottesville Virginia for 3 glorious days of rest and relaxation without kids in tow. Sarah was generous enough to spend 3 days of her vacation babysitting for her younger siblings (getting them all off to school at 7 am is no small feat for a college student on vacation).John and I are eternally grateful for the 72 hours of uninterrupted time together!

A View to the Bedroom

cliftoninn2, originally uploaded by funnkds5.

Looking up from our living room to our bedroom loft. Very romantic! Especially without 5 kids running around.

Scenes from a Williamsburg Visit

Scenes from a Williamsburg Visit

Churchill High School Incident

A troubling incident occurred yesterday at a local high school in Potomac.
Potomac is like Lake Woebegone, where all children are above average, perhaps even exceptional.
But two days ago, five kids at Churchill had a rumble on the front steps, a fist fight, that injured several of the involved kids and a security guard. Apparently, these tensions have been building over the last few months and the principal had brought in the parents, the kids, police specializing in gang activity etc. to try and work things out.
The rumble was of concern, and I have no doubt that the students will be appropriately punished. However, what is of more concern to me, is the note that was sent home from the principal, classifying this incident as "black on black violence". Since when is violence color coded? What is that meant to infer? The good white folk of Potomac can still sleep easy? If this incident had occured on the steps of a DC high school, would it even have made the news? Isn't it this "we"/"they" mentality that begets this violence? Sometimes, it seems that we have made precious little progress in the whole race relations area.

Holiday Picture

Finally, I found a holiday photo in my ridiculously overstuffed iphoto files.

Time to make my will

Teaching Madeline to drive tests the patience of a saint. She seems to have the Italian attitude that the speed limit is merely a suggestion.