As K-12 school folks, most of our metrics stop at high school graduation.  I have always tried to push back on this assertion and have actually done some pretty cool research on college matching and college persistence.  One study in particular afforded me the opportunity to partner with the University of Chicago’s Center for Data Science and Public Policy.  The premise for the research, and the question I wanted to answer, was are college-going students going to institutions of higher education that are likely of best fit.  What we found after analyzing tens of thousands of high school graduates was that aside from race disparity gender disparity loomed large.  In a nutshell, my team found that when comparing students of equal academic chops distinguished only by gender that males disproportionately enrolled in more selective universities than females.  This research I led was largely quantitative, so we weren’t trying to answer the why but rather evidence the what.  WHAT we found was when controlling for most variables and all things considered equal, gender was a significant determining factor in college choice.  I’ve written about this interest before and I hope to one day expand on my original study.

On that note, I began this entry with a different title originally and it themed on postsecondary pursuits.  Then I came across this African proverb that perfectly conveyed what I was hoping to describe:

If you want to go fast go alone.

If you want to go far go together.

I’m still complaining my way through going back to school myself and my last assignment involved defining equality, equity, and adequacy.  I didn’t particularly enjoy the assignment because I have some pretty strong opinions about all three constructs.  But what made for a nice reason to procrastinate was helping my first born complete all the necessary e-paperwork for college applications.  He’s a high school senior so we’re knee deep in the process and my strategy is to blitz apply to many and then slow down and review all options.  And I must confess it’s a bit of a rush working the sidelines on all the opportunities that exist – I’m a nervous wreck doing the mental math on every school option but I believe in process and planning and my experience reassures me that if I work both then things work out.    

If you want to go fast go alone.

If you want to go far go together.

Looking back I recognize that early in my career I definitely had my foot on the accelerator.  As I’ve reached some proficient level of “been there done that,” I still want to go fast but recognize I need to find ways to grow the momentum.  Ultimately, I suspect most of us do not change that much and I’m no exception.  But my hope is not so much that I go far because I have some well-earned travels under my belt but that my kids and your kids abandon the notion of doing circles around people and just run flat out straight aways while dragging the rest of us with them.  I hope they instinctively balance going fast while going far.  And I look forward to providing readers with updates next year from snow country, the desert, possibly gulf coast, maybe international, or even the armpit of America.  In the end my kids and your kids can go fast and far and likely keep us collectively still together.       

Back in December, 12/31 to be exact, I blogged about getting my first round of the COVID vaccine.  My family and I had for the most part taken the necessary precautions during 2020 to get to that point luckily with no illness (we were lucky).  By spring 2021, 3 out of our 4 were fully vaccinated and just before summer our youngest was the last to be vaccinated once his age bracket was given the go ahead.  To be honest, and as someone responsible for others, I was relieved we were able to reach that stage during such wavering times.  Now, nearly a year and half after all this began (at least for us locally), and having all my family fortunate enough to access vaccinations, I woke up Friday before last minus my sense of smell and taste.  I had been battling what I thought was a seasonal sinus infection earlier in the week but when that Friday came I was pretty much like “damn, after all this I got COVID.”

Sure enough later that day the doctor confirmed what my “lack of senses” had suggested.  I went to an ER clinic so I did not know the doc but we actually had a great 5-minute exchange.  I tried to complain when he broke the news and he was quick to assess the situation – “You’re fortunate to be simply inconvenienced; I’ve had too many patients that were incapacitated.”  And that my friends and family effectively canceled all my pity parties…

So on the title of ‘Learning at Home.’  In any other non-pandemic related year the discussion would be considerably different I suspect.  And what have we learned?  Schedules are important even when they are loosely followed.  Not knowing when to wake up translates to not waking up when most of North America does.  The first day of school was a site worth watching.    

My kids were not ready for Day 1 – and they were actually a bit uneasy by my assessment (but I’m just DAD who may or may not have taken a class or more in psychology).  The evening before school started back my wife and I watched ‘Friday Night Lights’ which I will confess is a DVD we own.  For those seeking similar inspiration, check out this clip.  It was all about the mojo we all needed before going live.

We have made it through the first two days with some bumps but not too much bruising. I suspect that first encounter for students and staff was all kinds of awkward and then schoolhouse normalcy set in. My wife and I both noticed separately how much more verbal (chatty) our boys were now that school is back in session. My many thanks to their teachers!

I will end this entry with observations I made about our new puppy while being on COVID house arrest. I’m sure I let her down because I was home and I think she thought jackpot – time to play! She behaved herself for the most part up until around 4 pm each day. The problem was that proved to be my busiest time supporting districtwide transportation. Learning at home is hard – the levity my Hope (my dog) gave me during our time together was sorely needed. She was an impatient student everyday waiting for instruction – what more could you ask for?!