Coach Bill / Dad, Entrepreneur Special Educator, American Political Scientist, Writer, Musician.

Today is Monday, November 2, 2015. Am I concerned like others about the health of the charter school education culture at ‘Failure Academy’ in Fort Greene, Brooklyn?… I mean ‘Success Academy’ as they call themselves? Let me begin by venturing forward that the onus is on the educators, on the education culture and the system that stems from it to adapt and morph to the students, rather than the students to it. It is the mark of a true clinical educator to humble themselves to the ground, if it must be, in order to support the complete growth of the student. Not the students to the education system. This is how the best of us do it. This is empathy with all pistons firing. This is what it means to be ….#HotterThanFireforOthers. Yet, it appears that high-mindedness and apathy rule the day in the overly-principled halls of madness existent in the minds of the administration of these Brooklyn charter schools. This foundational truth is lost on people such as: CEO of t...

We live in a chaotic, tumultuous  time. What is right seems wrong and what is wrong seems right.  Truly, the constant pain and grief experienced by families who have put forth their children to serve our land cannot be fathomed. What can be said when a police officer is gunned down? What do you tell his mother? What do you tell his son? How is that son supposed to not get jaded growing up in a society which makes light of killing cops through music and a pervasive attitude to buck that which upholds communities? What happens to mindsets when this reality continues unabated?  I see the pain and anger in the face of many of our fellow police officers…even when they smile.    The fact that it is their duty to go all out for our protection at every moment does not get lost on me. Surely, we have many days of relative peace and daily life can appear to seem monotonous. The lady cop directing traffic is not performing rocket science as she waves car...

Do you feel unproductive in the mornings, even though you have a great deal of work to do? Is it hard to laser-focus on what is most important? How does that impact your sense of accomplishment? What about your sense of self-worth? Metacogniton, or awareness of one's on thinking, is pivotal for a person to be able to modify thinking and behavior patterns. The desire for positive change may be there, but the habituated thinking and doing patterns that pervade everyday life may be very strong, hence, the individual may feel stuck. Well, perception is stronger than reality. A problem may appear big, especially if you focus on its problematic characteristics in detail. This unproductive focus can derail motivation, desire, and leave one feeling dejected. It can actually stall forward-momentum, and 'arrest' potential talent keeping it locked up in your mind to gather mothballs. What is worse is that over time, derailed attempts gather steam, much like a runawa...