Back To School

Another summer come and gone. Another break for Jersey Jazzman as I return to my first, best job: music teacher.

Honestly, I do need a break from here. Not to say I won't post over the next month, but the frequency is going to be cut way back for a while. Teaching just takes up to much of the day, and when you add in family obligations, trying to get to the gym, and maybe even trying to write some music... well, something's got to give.

And I need to step back and just think a bit about what's happened with this blog over the past year. I never really thought anyone was paying much attention here; now, all of a sudden, I'm a "widely-read teacher blogger" and I'm being called out by some of the bigwigs of corporate "reform." It's a little surprising, to be honest.

I only started this thing because I was frustrated at not having any place to say what I want to say about the attack on my profession. I thought I'd be preaching mostly to the choir. Turns out I've turned a few heads. That's good, but I just don't have the time or resources to go toe-to-toe with full-time professionals on a sustained basis. There's only so much a working teacher can do.

That's why we need more us teachers starting blogs and writing letters to the editor and calling radio stations and talking to your neighbors and running for office and going to SOS rallies and doing whatever we can to influence the debate. Let's share the load here, folks.

Enjoy these last few hours of summer, and we'll talk soon.