The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the most beloved stories from the New Testament—not just among Christians, but throughout our western culture. In a nutshell: a man traveling on a public road is attacked by robbers. His belongings are stolen, he is beaten and left for dead. Members of his own ethnicity … Continue reading A Prayer for These Times
Years ago, when Sacramento native Dusty Baker was manager of the San Francisco Giants he used to dress up his 3-year-old son Darren in a miniature Giants uniform and let him hang out with the team in the dug-out during the games. The announcers would fall all over themselves blabbing about how cute the kid … Continue reading Let’s Do Away With Schools
A few days ago I was in a well-known fast food restaurant chain with my friend Craig. I won’t say which chain it was in order to protect the confidentiality of the young man working there. I’ll call him Ryan. Craig and his friend Lee come to this particular restaurant at least once a week … Continue reading A Spiritual Master and a Scribe Walk into a Fast Food Restaurant
I chose to make my career in public education and I have become a fierce defender of it as a democratic institution. I worked as a special educator with children who have severe disabilities for over thirty years. Federal law guarantees all children a free, appropriate, public education in the least restrictive environment. FAPE … Continue reading Poverty and Our Public Schools
When I was teaching special education classes I often took my students out to grocery stores, fast food restaurants or shopping malls to teach them how to behave in community settings. We’d practice making purchases, placing orders, asking for directions. Quite often we’d be approached by friendly strangers, who would praise the kids for their … Continue reading Crown in Heaven
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MAY 25, 2013 I’ve been posting pieces about my writing these past few weeks, and let me be honest here: that’s been easy. Writing is most often a solitary pursuit. If I’m not enjoying myself as I’m writing, I’ve got nobody to blame but myself. When I look back at my teaching career, … Continue reading My Teaching Life
