In August, after more than three years of writing pieces for Diane Ravitch and Valerie Strauss’ blogs I decided to start my own. Both those smart and dedicated bloggers had shifted their focus from essays about education to news events, almost all of them bad news about what was happening in public education. As a career-long educator, who in her dotage still supports teachers and public schools, I wanted to write about the positive aspects of education in the past, present, and future. And for four months now, that’s what I’ve tried to do.
As a result, I’ve gathered a decent number of faithful followers and others who read my blog only occasionally. No worries readers, unless you send me a comment I don’t know who you are or how often you read my blog. But I still need your help.
In case you don’t know, writing is difficult and time consuming. From the beginning I pledged myself to posting three pieces a week and have been faithful to that pledge most of the time. I sit down to work every morning, including Sunday, trying to generate new ideas or writing whatever I’ve decided on. Some days, because of other obligations I don’t get very far; on other days I scrap what I’ve already written because I don’t like it. In desperation, I’ve also gone back to essays I wrote many years ago, revising them a little and hoping that most of my readers don’t remember them or were too young to read when they were first published.
Anyway, you get the picture. Your help could be in the form of essays you’ve written, descriptions of what is happening in the schools near you, references to articles in the newspapers you read, or just suggestions of topics that need to be addressed. As far as possible, your contributions should be about the positive happenings in education. But I know, that like me, you are going to have trouble finding good news.
For now, let’s raise our glasses and salute the New Year, hoping that it will produce some educational “treasure” for all us tireless hunters and that many new hunters will join us.
The Treasure Hunter 
Joanne, I promised awhile back to send in some pieces. But life has been a roller coaster including Florence Nightingale duties with daughter (broken leg) granddaughter (leg surgery) and working to sell my mountain cabin and move to a “flatland” apt. That has been something of a nightmare by itself. So hoping to join in after the new year. Love your blog and its purpose. Will try to get things ironed out. Hope others join in. Don’t want to lose this.
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You may remember that you made a very kind comment about a post dispatch article dealing with writing. It involved a reading practicum I was teaching in St. Louis. I just retired, but am active doing volunteer work.
Dr. B. Literacy Specialist
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