Dear Deborah,
Time for our summer break. We’ll be back again blogging and thinking out loud when school opens at the end of August. When I was in school, it always started after Labor Day, and I have never understood why schools open in August, especially when so many lack air-conditioning.
So, I leave you with absolutely nothing to think about. Rest, relax, read some good books. If you want to read some page-turners, pick up some novels by Harlan Coben. He is a terrific writer who really knows how to hook the reader. But don’t start reading them at night, or you might be up all night!
Oh, one thing to think about: Edison Schools is not closing down. It will become EdisonLearning, will continue to operate schools, and will open cyber-charter schools in the near future. Edison is betting that bricks-and-mortar schools are a thing of the past, and that new technologies will offer new possibilities for mass education.
I am planning to read Daniel Koretz’s book, “Measuring Up.” I have a shelf full of other books about charter schools, accountability, and other topics of interest to me. I have started work on a new book about the current era of school reform, and I am very excited about it. In fact, I have already finished four chapters! This morning, I woke up at 3:30 a.m. knowing exactly how to rewrite the beginning of the chapter. Nothing quite as exciting as getting a new book started and knowing that it is heading in the right direction.
Have an enjoyable August. We’ll be online again in a few weeks. Readers, don’t forget us!
Diane
Editor’s note: Deborah Meier’s reply will appear this Thursday, July 31, and then Bridges Differences will take a brief summer publishing hiatus.