Last weekend I attended a Women’s Leadership Summit with the theme “The time is now!” The spirit of stepping forward to lead has stayed with me, haunting my thoughts and inspiring me to action.

Can we be honest?

Special education services in this country aren’t working.

Do you ever get tired of keeping going? You know that you’re onto something that could make a difference, but you’re not sure if others get it? You know you can’t accomplish your mission if you’re doing it alone, but where are the others going to come from?

“The IEP must be reasonably calculated to enable the child to make appropriate progress in light of the child’s circumstances. ”

— Endrew F Supreme Court ruling, March 2017

Have you heard about the Endrew F. vs. Douglas County Supreme Court ruling? Get ready for a tsunami of change.

Have you discovered Brene Brown? I have eagerly read her books and embraced her wisdom. She is a researcher at the University of Houston, exploring the debilitating force of shame and the power of courage. She has popularized discussion of vulnerability. Her work inspires me to admit what I don’t know, to ask others for their perspectives, to care about their struggles, and to request personal support for perseverance on my journey.

If you’re like me, you wanted to block out everything related to your career so you could enjoy family and friends over the holiday break. We sometimes need to remind ourselves that those connections are the most important aspect of our lives. Congratulations if you were successful! I really hope you enjoyed precious moments.

This is a busy time of year. We are all pulled in so many directions and REALLY looking forward to a well-earned holiday break. Thank you to those who participated in last week’s webinar Problem Parents: Our Untapped Asset in spite of the timing. Several of you asked if I was planning to record the session. Sadly, I forgot to push the record button, but (luckily) that provided me a chance to record a shorter version for sharing.

Congratulations to the organizers of the Delaware Transition Conference, which I attended today. Nearly half of the 800 participants were middle and high school students who stepped into leadership roles. They introduced speakers, presented on panels, and performed songs from Boundless, an amazing musical written by the talented George Tilson. There were also more than 50 parents supporting the participation of their children.

“We don’t receive wisdom, we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us.” — Marcel Proust

OK – true disclosure – it’s only my 49th year, but 50 looked catchier in the title.

“The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own.” — Benjamin Disraeli

I’ve been pondering how Disraeli’s wisdom applies to the teaching profession. Most teachers work their whole careers to become masters of the first half of the quotation, but only a few even consider the second half. Most of us adults can name only one or two teachers who truly impacted our life – who were able to reveal to us our own riches.

“Keep a civil tongue!”

I can hear my grandmother’s stern but gentle voice when my sisters and I would get into periodic sibling squabbles. Or maybe some of you were raised with the phrase my parents used, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” When our feelings were hurt or we felt unjustly criticized or we thought life was unfair, we would express ourselves in ways that weren’t always kind.