thebookchamber

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Stick A Fork in It - It's Done!

Well, here we are, the end of the 2024-2025 school year… Another year down, a year wiser, a year older, and another graduating class to remember… Ecclesiastes 3:1 – “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” The end of the school year marks the packaging of academic efforts, the closure of one phase of learning, and the beginning of another. It’s a time to…

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A Teacher Appreciation and a Tribute to Charlotte Walker...

Well, it’s Teacher Appreciation Week again. That one week where we recognize the value teachers have that we should be recognizing all year long, but I digress… So, in keeping with themes from my past blogs during this Teacher Appreciation Week, a thank you to all educators. The value you bring to helping society is always welcomed. And now, an appreciation and a tribute to a friend who is…

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Knowledge by acquaintance leadership - Boots on the ground, sleeves rolled up, get in the trenches, and get dirty...

This past week, I finished reading The Beauty of Divine Grace by Gabriel N .E. Fluhrer. In chapter five, Fluhrer cites Bertrand Russell’s famous distinction between knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description with the following thought by Fluhrer… “If we know God’s providence, only by description, if all we possess is a secondhand knowledge of it, we will acknowledge His providence but…

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Stop Leading to Survive - Start Leading with Purpose

Have you noticed lately how society wants to make leadership complex and move at a speed that is too fast? All you have to do is just look around. Also, you may notice that many leaders are not leading from a deep sense of purpose; they’re leading from a place of longing. Longing for meaning, for validation, and for results, often defaulting to a “whatever works” philosophy. However, when they…

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Rejoicing in the Mourning of The Empty Tomb

  If you would like to download a printer friendly version of this with the above picture as a washout watermark background, click here: Rejoicing in the Mourning of the Empty Tomb Rejoicing in the Mourning of The Empty Tomb To feel the weight of what was lost, to stand before a world fractured by sin,bent beneath the curse, longing for release – It is good to mourn… To see the sorrow etched…

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The Masters: A Comparison of Augusta and the Leadership Needed in Education

Leadership always has many comparisons. But, for my golfing and leadership friends, comparing the two to each other brings about time-tested leadership skills. Navigating leadership in education and playing in the Masters Tournament may seem unrelated at first thought (and oh, how I wish I could get on the course). Still, both require focus, adaptability, and a deep understanding of strategy.…

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The Gradual Decay of Leadership: Lessons from Mississippi’s Drought-Stricken Pines...

Have you seen any dead pine trees lately? It doesn’t take long to see them everywhere you look… It’s the South, it’s hot, it’s Mississippi, and the drought last summer has devastated pine trees that once stood strong and full of life up and down our highways and roads. Now, many stand lifeless, discolored, brittle, and unable to fulfill their purpose. The slow, gradual decay… decay reflecting…

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The Educational Need To Return To Educating The Whole Child...

This might be a controversial blog post, depending on where you land with the following thoughts, and that’s ok… Education was once about cultivating the whole child, nurturing intellect, creativity, character, and critical thinking through a well-rounded liberal arts approach. However, this vision has been overshadowed by overemphasizing standardized testing in recent decades. The goal was to…

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Teachers Need a Spring Break Like...

Teachers need spring break like a fish needs water,Like a bird needs a nest to rest,Like the internet needs to work in the middle of an online test. By March, our coffee is just a formality,Patience as delicate as a Jenga tower being played blindfolded,Lesson plans are more like “let’s just survive the week” plans. The copy machine groans when approached,The dry-erase markers are drier than our…

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What Should Educational Leadership Be About?

Under the signature of my personal Gmail account, I have this statement… “Passionate for Educational Leadership.” The other day, a friend of mine asked me what I would tell someone who asked, “What does that really mean?” As I thought about it and we started having a conversation, I figured this is what it meant… Educational leadership is more than just managing; things are managed, people are…

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The Double-Edged Sword of Transparency in Leadership

“You can’t handle the truth!” The famous line of Colonel Jessup in the movie A Few Good Men. Transparency is one of the most valued traits in leadership, but it is also a paradox. We hear it thrown out all over the place – in corporate boardrooms, political speeches, and team meetings. We say leaders should be open, honest, and forthcoming. However, while most people claim they want…

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So, let's change the title and create a task force, HB1431 gets a facelift...

Mississippi’s House Bill 1431 has undergone significant changes in the past week that have raised concerns among supporters of public school education… Click the links to see the difference…HB1431 (As Introduced)HB1431 (As Passed the House) – “Task Force” Originally, the bill mandated the consolidation of multiple school districts within a county into a single countywide district, aiming to…

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Sometimes, your voice is loud enough, but a motion for a roll call vote goes unheard... HB1433 goes to the floor...

In any democratic process, transparency and accountability are fundamental. When these principles are sidelined, the integrity of governance is at stake. This past Tuesday, a recent incident in the House Education Committee highlights a disturbing trend in educational leadership: the refusal to allow a roll call vote on HB1433, the House bill for school choice/vouchers. Special thanks go to…

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Educational Leadership Insights: Mississippi HB1431 and the Complexity of Consolidating School Districts

Here’s the opening line to the summary of HB1431 – AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-7-103, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT FROM AND AFTER JULY 1, 2026, ALL MUNICIPAL SEPARATE, CONSOLIDATED, LINE CONSOLIDATED AND SPECIAL MUNICIPAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN EACH COUNTY SHALL BE ABOLISHED AND JOINED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCY INTO A COUNTYWIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH ONE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION AND…

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HB1433 Shows Desperation Breeds Dependence: The Hidden Costs of School Vouchers and School Choice on Mississippi Public Schools

Word on the street is that on Tuesday, January 28, in the Republican caucus, HB1433 will be discussed to see if it can get out of the caucus. You can read the entire bill here: HB1433IN . Thoughts? It needs to die in caucus because if it doesn’t…  Why?  A quick Google search stated that right at 90% of students attend public schools in Mississippi. Many of these students come from low-income,…

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Yes, Public Schools Should Be Able To Advocate For Themselves...

The 2025 Mississippi Legislative is happening, and educational issues are always on the table. Let’s go back a week or so and look at a school district in Mississippi that distributed a flyer outlining their stance on various legislative matters, sparking a wave of online discussion. While they received some negative comments, there was also online support, proving their voice was heard. What…

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The Lost Art of Writing Thank You Notes...

In a world dominated by how people communicate… quick texts and emojis, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, or if you are hanging on to your MySpace account, the timeless art of writing thank-you notes often feels like a relic of the past. Yes, I’m old school in many ways, but many things in life are timeless… some things just need to be practiced and maintained. Yet, the simple…