(This week’s civic education and engagement column from Danville’s The Republican newspaper.) Social media chatter sites are one of the worst ways to learn about local government or issues. A handful I’ve seen are well-moderated, but the majority are a consistent source of misinformation, generating unproductive hysteria and unnecessary anger. That worries me because Facebook … Read more
(This week’s civic education and engagement column from Danville’s The Republican newspaper.) There are many topics about public schools that get some people a little worked up. But few provoke the same emotional reaction – at least for folks of a certain age – as cursive handwriting. (Full disclosure: my report cards included just one … Read more
(This week’s civic education and engagement column from Danville’s The Republican newspaper.) Recent efforts to build data centers (including one just over the county line in Monrovia) have riled up property owners throughout the Hoosier State. Between noise, power usage, and massive volumes of cooling water, these facilities have become even more unwelcome than the … Read more
(This week’s civic education and engagement column from Danville’s The Republican newspaper.) People who move into Indiana from other parts of the U.S. are often startled at the size of local high schools. When compared to their counterparts in other states – including the four that surround us – Indiana’s tend to be considerably larger. … Read more
(This week’s civic education and engagement column from Danville’s The Republican newspaper.) Local school superintendents are accustomed to making all sorts of difficult decisions in the course of their jobs. You might be surprised at which decision is the one most consider to be the toughest of all: whether they should declare a snow day. … Read more
(This week’s civic education and engagement column from Danville’s The Republican newspaper.) Not that long ago, the family of a seventh-grader in Hamilton County sued their son’s school district and lost. The parents’ grievance was that the boy was not allowed to bring his emotional support chicken to his middle-school classes. No, I’m not making … Read more
(This week’s civic education and engagement column from Danville’s The Republican newspaper.) Whenever asked to speak to a community group about serving on the school board, I’d describe it as a terrible job that nobody should be required to handle. The comment always provoked some polite chuckles, and I’d respond by stating I was completely … Read more
The Facebook chatter page was all abuzz about some improvement the town’s council had approved and the impact it might have on the community’s property tax rate. One commenter was especially furious that taxpayers were being asked to pony up for yet another project, and demanded, “Taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill for that. … Read more
Yes, I mean you. The person who is reading these words. I want you to give some thought to doing something you’ve probably never considered. I’d like you to think about running for elected office. Hey, I understand you’re not a politician and have no desire to become one. That’s okay, because our communities don’t … Read more
A couple decades ago, I coauthored the centennial history of Plainfield’s library. In preparation, I spent weeks sifting through a century’s worth of materials, from board meeting minutes to vintage items promoting then-new services (like access to that nifty Internet contraption). I was amused to discover that one issue floated to the top of everyone’s … Read more