Principles of Principals

10/13/2020 UPDATE The Great Barrington Declaration . You probably haven't seen it since Google and Reddit shadow banned/censored and salted it with climate denial subterfuge. Bing for the win, since they played it straight. This science driven, thoughtful petition - initiated by highly recognized Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford epidemiologists - signed by 7,000 medical scientists and 15,000 medical practitioners.  Science is real, remember? Here's a key part:  " Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health. The results (to name a few) include lower childhood vaccination rates, worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes, fewer cancer screenings and deteriorating mental health – leading to greater excess mortality in years to come, with the working class and younger members of society carrying the heaviest burden. Keeping students out of school is a grave injustice. Keeping these measures in place until a vaccine is availab

I hear a consistent demand for empathy and caring.  "Whatever men expect they soon come to think they have a right to: the sense of disappointment can, with very little skill on our part, be turned into a sense of injury." - C.S. Lewis My Drill Sergeant was screaming in my ear, "When I say get down, you get down! You don't pass go! You do not collect $200! You grab your ass and you get down and stay down until I call all clear! Nod that giant cranium of yours so that I am sure you hear me!" Nodding as I stood there, his breath hot in my ear, round brown tapping my temples and my heart pounding , I had a deep sense of regret and responsibility wash over me.  That particular day, hot and humid like all the others, soldiers were receiving training on the hand grenade range. The safety briefing was understandably intense, instructions concise, clear. My instructors rapid fired scenarios at us to test our reaction times. They left out empathy. No sympathy. Nothing bu

  Another post about wrestling? Sheesh! Yes. Dear readers, though you be few, indulge me if you will. I've written about how wrestling teaches equity through diversity . What about good conduct and character? Well, imagine you've done all you can to prepare for your competition. On match day, you are sitting in the weigh in queue, pondering the sacrifices - skipped meals, extra hours of fitness, tutoring sessions, just one more switch or take-down drill...and it hits you that you've done all you can.  Your coach comes over and let's you know what your bracket seed number is, and as you look down at your name on the pig-tail bracketing, you see the word BYE. Your heart sinks. All of that preparation, and all you get to do is shoulder your singlet, walk out, and let the referee raise your hand. Empty victory. Wrestlers know that their opponents have gone through the same preparation, sacrifice, sweat, blood and tears. They know. Wrestlers want their opponents to make weig

  6th grade, remember your experience? Do you remember your teachers, or just one in particular? I do. I have an uncanny memory for all of my teachers, first and last names, the when, the where, and most of all, how they made me feel. My sixth grade year at Basalt Middle School wasn't out of the ordinary for the first half. I was learning to wrestle, figuring out some of the dynamics of family and school life, learning who my friends were...and weren't. Mrs. Palmer was my teacher. She remains a fixture in my life. In fact, she attended our thirty year high school reunion. As is the case with every teacher, she had her sayings and things she would do that are memorable. Shutting the lights off if class got too rowdy meant we would all retreat to our desks, heads down, and wait for her gentle voice to guide us back to reality.  Firmly calling out, "Cool your jets!"  The non-negotiable of all rules, we were never allowed to utter the words , " Shut up ". Ever.

  They do. If you dispute this, stop reading. Move along. When I coached, my focus was in three areas; Fitness of the body - overall physical conditioning preparatory to successful wrestling. Fitness of the mind - overall mental conditioning preparatory to successful strategy. Fitness of the character - well-rounded humans who oozed humility off the mat. My wrestlers were very familiar with physical, emotional and mental struggle so some of this came with relative ease to them. Building habits of fitness was a challenge. All of it we measured by our behaviors. For example, we conducted weekly grade/eligibility checks, we counted our mat time and pushups, we stayed out of the principal's office and out of detentions. Fundamental to creating habits of fitness was dealing addressing my mindset. First.  First, I made a conscious choice to see them as humans with goals, hopes, and dreams. Humans who were completely capable of excellence. Capable of achieving their highest potential.  Ne

As a man who believes in Christ and strives to understand how I process those beliefs in my life, my actions, and my words; I often turn to modern philosophers to help me make sense of things. In my own weakness, I don't always understand scriptures. My faith often falls short. My prayers could be on repeat. I love to read, think, and write. I often come across gems that strike me as relevant. One such philosopher who's words captured my young heart, C.S. Lewis, gives me pause. Here is his take, on the atomic age, my additions and emphasis embedded, no disrespect intended. “In one way we think a great deal too much of the atomic bomb. “How are we to live in an atomic [ covid ] age?” I am tempted to reply: “Why, as you would have lived in the sixteenth century when the plague visited London almost every year, or as you would have lived in a Viking age when raiders from Scandinavia might land and cut your throat any night; or indeed, as you are already living in an age of cancer,

  I grew up in the Rocky Mountains, and now reside there as a middle-aged man. God's country. My family has lived here for six generations, founded to towns, owned gold and silver claims, timber, farmed and ranched here. My father was killed and is buried here.  All around me are these beautiful and majestic trees. For a time, my business was trees. Well, commercial landscaping. Purchasing, planting, cultivating, trimming, and growing trees. I can look at a tree and tell you if it is healthy, I can tell how it's been cared for, and when/where it should be trimmed. Over the course of my life I've learned a few things about these beautiful creations. Aspen trees are known for their breathtaking Fall colors. But did you know that they are the world's largest living organism? Their root systems are connected and when one member of a grove is sick, the others support it with nutrients.  Because Aspens are a united grove, they aren't as susceptible to disease and insects

 Image Courtesy of Salt Lake Tribune Romney v Nixon 1968 - Republican Primary, my how different things might have been had the media not been so eager to help a Republican candidate self-destruct. Leave it to the main stream media to cherry pick one sentence, spin vigorously, and let the context and facts fall where they may. The media industrial complex. Romney was a successful person, in the worldly sense. Also, he was successful politically and socially. Auto executive. Father. Religious leader. Willing and humble community servant. He entered the primary, arguably was doing quite well, and uttered the words "brain washing" when describing parts of his tour of the war in Vietnam. Taken out of context, those words were used out of context and portrayed him as an anti-armed services, anti-American...and you get the idea. Nothing could have been further from the truth. No one checked his political record as Governor of Michigan, nor did they care to circle back and ask him fo

  Greetings dear reader!  In addition to my posts questioning the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control, United States federal government, Boulder County Health, Peoria Unified School District and St. Vrain School District decisions, I offer some sound COVID protocols for your health. I am not a medical doctor.  I do believe in self-care. I do find it curious that the above mentioned institutions are not publishing any guidelines about how we CAN AND SHOULD take care of ourselves, don't you? If it is really not about me as I see on all these activist t shirts and yard signs, then please, be reminded that a mask isn't what you think it is. Know that you have a lot more responsibility to others. Know that you should be taking care of yourself. A mask isn't going to cut it. These are provided by my professional colleagues and people I admire at GORUCK. **Not intended to be a substitute for hospitalization or PCP/Provider advice** My name is Dr. Richard Angel,

I recently read a post from a former colleague about how there exist correlations of racism because people don't know how to pronounce names anymore, or better still, they don't take the time to properly pronounce a person's name. I wonder first, where's the data on that. Low inference data. Anyone? Is it peer reviewed or is it a part of the #gatedinstitutionalnarrative ? Here, stand in a round room and find a corner. Never mind us, we're just going to laugh while you try. See, in my experience, mispronouncing names is fairly common the world over. Just ask Mr. Garvey. Take me for example. I have no idea the origins of my name. If you were to base it on my skin color, you might draw one conclusion. If you are a part of my tribe, you could draw another. If you heard one of my students speak to me, you may be confused by their familiarity. I've been called ; jerry, Gary, jarhead, garret, jerrid, Jarrod, parrot, ferret, carrot, Janet and many variations with ensui

With thousands of children on forced lock-downs across the nation, we are witness to the compounding of an ever present challenge facing our schools. Child sex trafficking,  child sexual abuse,  child abuse,  child neglect.  However one decides to label it, mandatory first reporters - teachers - are hamstrung by the lack of presence in our children's lives. This is particularly troubling when we consider the steady decline, manifest back in March of 2020, in reports of child neglect.  Difficult to discern how many would have been investigated and found illegitimate since none of them could have been as they weren't reported.  Since those children who almost exclusively rely on a public school infrastructure for medical care, immunizations, communication, food, and learning no longer have access to those things - we can't reach them. We don't even know what we don't know. We hear activists and media clarion calls for safety first. I see t-shirts that say It's not

Dear reader, here's a report of a child who is suspended for a toy he has in his own home.  The so-called teacher, in a millennial activist fugue, spotted the dangerous weapon and used common sense to alert the parents, have a discussion with them, and then realized she should mind her own business. District administration immediately knew nothing and also were able to mind their own business, getting back to the bloat and lack of necessity they now find in their jobs, sending a multiplicity of boring emails and eating carbs. Except, no . That didn't happen. Here's what really happened. Police were called. They conducted a wellness check   without parental consent. The elementary school child is suspended. He is a Black student. Why do I mention this, because...it matters. District fascists stand by their decision. Parental rights, private property rights, 2nd Amendment Rights, and the right to own whatever toy I want...eroding. Listen up! Keeping cameras off preserve

That people make up afterwards. I hear people say this all the time, and it just makes my moral and ethical skin crawl. Everything happens for a reason. Everything? Really? Bullcrap.  What reason would that be? Folks who say this have no idea what they are saying. However, when an event confirms their belief in that statement, the verbal diarrhea resumes. "See! I told you there was a reason. It is/isn't meant to be! Things happen for a reason." No they do not.  Things happen.  The reasons that get propped up happen after and do not relate except in your feeble mind. Stop saying this to people. Stop saying it to yourself.   Child abuse doesn't "happen for a reason". Genocide doesn't "happen for a reason". I lost my wallet because I'm an idiot. Good and evil are real. They exist in my heart, and in the hearts of us all. We do dumb things, for no reason. We do great things for no reason. We are humans BEING.  Attributing some random illogical

I adore the sport of wrestling. Very few things have brought me as much personal and professional satisfaction, grief, suffering, confusion, and growth.  Three of my children have wrestled, including my youngest daughter. She's a pioneer in the sport, as evidenced by the interesting questions she gets asked. "You wrestle boys?" She does, and she wrestles female opponents as well. Or, "Wow, that's cool?" Almost like a side compliment. Wrestling is all about equality . It begins with weigh ins. Pre-match and pre-tournament, stripped down to the skivvies, get on the scale and check how much you weigh. I wrestled in the 119, 132, and 138 pound weight class. My opponents weighed the same.  The mat size is the same for all competitors. Mat time is the same, roughly six minutes, depending on division and age group. Same number of coaches are allowed in your corner, two. Same number of referees, usually one, supervise the match. Unless someone puts their thumb on t

For almost a decade I worked with youth who were, or had been incarcerated. Many of the students I served were remanded to the care of a Youth Detention Center focused on behavioral and psychological services. Many more were identified as Emotionally Disabled and placed in a self-contained setting as directed by the Least Restrictive Environment portion of their Individual Education Plan. The work was demanding. These young souls were deeply troubled, had suffered great trauma, and some had made choices that exacerbated their situation.  They understandably lacked trust. Trust was the fundamental key that opened the door to learning new social and behavioral skills. The door to that room swung on the hinges of relevance, repetition, and reward - honest reward. Relevance - the skills we taught had to make meaning in their lives. Repetition - the skills had to be modeled and repeated many times over. Reward - we collaboratively leaned into teaching intrinsic reward systems - the ethic

As a newly minted emergency certified teacher in a self-contained room, I had to learn with great speed the important survival skill of praising and teaching with specificity . Early on you might have heard me say something like, "Hey! Don't do that!".  Which begged the question, don't do what ? You may have also heard me say, "Good job!" Which begs another question, what made it a good job ? After a year, I was sinking. Students were sinking. It was a social skill and academic skill morass. After some terrific training - I learned that specificity of feedback was the hallmark of success.  What I was doing was telling my students to find the corner in the round room, and saying good job or don't do that when they couldn't find it. Once I added some important language, sentence stems, and reflective questions - I increased the likelihood of them replicating good choices, and replacing poor choices with viable skills. I had to scaffold and teach repl

Are we talking about equity of opportunity? Or, as I suspect, are we shouting about equity of outcome? Those two are different in very important ways. If equity of outcome is the end that justifies the current means, I have some questions. When will we know if we have achieved said equality? How is equality accomplished? How are we tracking progress towards said equality? Who decides that we're progressing or not? Finally, why do they get to decide for all of us?  Let me put this another way; What is it that we expect everyone to be able to know and do around equality? How will we know that they know and are doing ? What is one thing I can do to demonstrate equality? What is one thing I have successfully done to demonstrate my commitment to equality? How decides that I've met the know and do rubric?  What happens to me if I am unable to meet the rubric in the suggested time frame? Who decides what happens to me? Onward! Dr. J

Here are the facts from the CDC: 3.2% of American population is 85+, but one third of COVID-19 deaths. 7% of the American population is 75+, but 59% of COVID-19 deaths. 70% of the American population is 54 and younger, but 8% of COVID-19 deaths. The number of COVID-19 deaths don't register a % until the ages of 15-24, even then at 0.2% Children, teenagers, minors and young adults, preK - college undergrad are in no statistically significant danger of death from  COVID-19 (emphasis added). The median age of COVID-19 deaths in America is 78, which is approximately the current average life expectancy. ( source )( source ) I add the distinction since CDC data lists #covid-19 deaths as dying by COVID-19, rather than from COVID-19. The pedantic play on words, by and from, is key. The CDC goes only as far as saying that the deaths by COVID-19 are co-related, not causal. I get scared too. I get it. I do.  However, facts don't care about feelings. Those are the facts from the Centers

Schooling is dead, long live Schooling. My child is doing school online...what are my rights, roles and responsibilities? Private, Independent, Charter, or District, so much has stayed the same with schooling, while so much continues to change. Here are some things on which to reflect, ponder and pray... Parental rights ; Your rights have not changed as a parent. You are entitled to access premium curriculum that is focused on promoting the American culture. You have the right to know your child's teacher and administrator. You have a right to observe and listen to the lesson. You have a right to access the very best resources for your child. Parental   roles ; Parent - setting and keeping loving, healthy boundaries for and with your child. Care-giver - reasonable financial support, food, shelter, clothing. Professional - modeling and facilitating meaningful conversations, and critical thinking skills. Listener - asking questions like, "What are you hoping to accomplish?"

Allies, friends, mirrors, social circles, check ins, check outs, special handshakes, hugs, high fives...gone? Outside the walled-off political fortresses, there exists real scientific evidence  regarding the impact of social isolation on children. What evidence?  Well, ask the World Health Organization what happened when the iron curtain fell and we got a look at marginalized children surviving in socialist/communist communities. In the anecdotal extremes, Romanian children held hostage in orphanages by a communist regime who rocked back and forth, presented as intellectually disabled, and grossly underweight/underdeveloped. What evidence?  In recent months, explore the exponential increase of children and adolescent anti-depressant prescriptions since March of 2020(check Utah County). See also the FDA warning regarding the increase of suicidal thoughts in children taking SSRI's. Particularly, when first taking the medication. ( source ). Air pollution increases odds of early death

Caveat Emptor: I am not a medical doctor, nor do I play one on TV. More and more we are reading research that extols the benefits of UV rays, Vitamin D, and exercise when it comes to fighting disease. It is our responsibility to take care of ourselves, that we might take care of others, and not be a drain on an already tapped system. What other ways can we prepare us Northern Hemisphere residents for what will likely be a long winter, especially in the dog days of February? Here are three point five ways to flourish this fall, and conquer old man winter like a boss; Get outside - you've heard me say this before. So, what are you waiting for? Grab a GORUCK sandbag, or your BlackDiamond hiking poles and get after it! Are you getting enough sleep? How much blue light do you ingest before you hit the hay? Well, adjust and limit your screen time . As in, how about none after 5:30 pm? Are you getting enough of the right supplementation necessary to a healthy gut? What nutrient dense fo

  In the coming weeks, our children are collectively going back to school. Thing is, no one gets to the see the new kicks or the latest fit they got. Remember, new kicks, one pair, for the entire school year? New school outfit? Those were the days. Across the nation, parents are leaning into choice as an option for their child to return to the semblance of normalcy.  The School-Choice menu includes;  Charter Independent Private Public/district Activists will shame you by saying that Private, Charter and Independent are stealing resources from public districts and that they don't serve marginalized populations. They will virtue signal and name call, like the private school leader who is a  socialist  for requiring masks, and then a  Trumper  for facilitating face to face instruction - talk about a no win scenario. Lies. They do more with less. Reach more children, provide more services, and have zero public funds. Did you know that in the heart of the pandemic,  democratically ru

In the past week we've received several emails and phone messages from the school districts where our children attend. The pendulum swings from one side to the other, often within 24 hours.  If you're like us, head scratching, teeth grinding, and confusion swarms what might have otherwise been a normal day. But, these days are anything but normal. As our girls shed tears about the loss of connection around their friends and teachers, cancelled sports, postponed extra-curricular and arts programs, we try to find solutions to these challenges. First, let me unequivocally say that I do not, nor will I ever, apologize for working for and acquiring the resources to support my family. It has never been, nor do I expect it to be, easy (whatever that means). I only know that it is worth it. I know that it is my responsibility as a father, and I do the best that I am able under the circumstances. Here are seven point five ideas for parents who have students who are forced by unelected o

Lies.  That's a heavy word.  But I mean to get your attention - after reading, I invite you to decide if they're lies or if you've just been mislead ...by the billions of tax-payer dollars. I recall reform-based 2 hour meetings and 300+ hours of Learning Observation Instruments (LOI's).  Never you mind the looks of terror on my colleagues' faces when they forgot to enter them; neigh dear reader...the looks of horror on my staffs' faces when they came in for the post-observation final score.  They wanted to know one thing, "How did I do?". I had just wrapped up my 9 yr. old daughter's parent-teacher conference.  15 minutes of "here's how she's doing" followed by "thanks, see you soon."  In my son's words, lame sauce compared to what they could be. Anyhow, I ventured home, and massaged a sweet headache. I kept thinking about what they said about the red folder.  The red folder.  Not about concepts or proj

I have addressed three point five solutions for school boards that would help sustain meaningful reform.  Today, we tackle the school executive, the superintendent. The school superintendent.  All at once the educational ambassador to the community, and the policy advocate to the stakeholders.  It's a tenuous post, often held only for a short time - but all the same, quite influential.  While the $ is contextually high, and by that I mean higher than a principal, yet considerably lower for job a-likes in the private sector, the average 2.5 year stay impedes sustainable reform.  Sup's have narrow windows of opportunity. Don't be distracted...focus! They say that all a superintendent needs is a majority board, and they get to keep their jobs.  Bullocks.  What a red herring.  A very loathsome way to regard the role of an educational executive.  And yet, private sector executives face the same conditions.  Just ask me.  I'll tell you.  But perhaps some other t