Thank you for reading the blog.

Thank you for joining what must surely be the liveliest discussion about education issues anywhere on the Web.

I did not know how this blog would evolve when I started it on April 26 last year. Since then, it has had more than 2.7 million page views. So I know it meets a need for a place that welcomes candid exchanges about the issues that concern us all.

This is an unusual platform. It is a place where the voices of educators, parents, and students get a full hearing. It is a place where those who exhibit unusual courage on behalf of public education and freedom of expression are honored. It is a place for the candid exchange of ideas.

I want to share a few thoughts.

Some bloggers post once or twice a week. I post anywhere from six to twenty times every single day.

In other words, I work very hard to provide you with information and discussion from all parts of the nation–and occasionally from other nations as well.

And I expect a lot from you. You get lots of posts from me every day. Some people don’t like that. They have a right not to like it, and if they don’t want all that information they should not subscribe. No one is compelled to read here. You have freedom of choice to stay or go.

I also count on you to correct any errors I make. Sometimes I forget to add the link. A few times I have posted without the title. Sometimes I make typos. You help me by pointing out my errors so I can fix them.

I don’t have all the answers. I often turn to you to get your thoughts. I lean on you for your knowledge. I respect your experience as teachers, students, administrators, parents, and school board members. If we put our heads together, if we listen to one another, if we learn from one another, we can move forward. I believe we are having a national impact. Some posts from this blog have been quoted in the national press.

Because I respect your views and want to hear them, because we need a space to share our ideas, I take offense when people use the comment section to behave in a rude and uncivil manner. I won’t permit it. I also won’t permit anyone to ride a hobbyhorse and bash teachers or any other group. There is unlimited space on the blog for disagreement, but not for prejudice and bile..

Sometimes people ask me how I get so much information from districts across the nation. The short answer is that I depend on the kindness of strangers. Readers send me clippings from their local and state media. I don’t post everything I get but I try to share what I find interesting. And I frequently post your comments. If you sign your name, I include it. If you don’t, then I reprint your words without your name. I understand why many people–especially educators–need anonymity in a time when dissent is not welcome.

Sometimes I get guest posts, and I share them with you.

As I have pointed out in the past, I am the sole moderator of the comments. I read them all. The only ones I block are those that contain obscenities; those that insult me personally (sorry, it’s my space); and those that go on a rant about how Newtown never happened or 9/11 was a U.S. government plot or other nutty themes. I believe in freedom of speech, but I have my limits. This is my living room, and I don’t want rude, uncivil people to dominate the conversation or to insult the host.

This is a site to discuss better education for all. It is a conversation. I thank you for joining the conversation and making it a place where the voices of parents, students, and educators are welcomed with respect.

Let me know what you think. My goal is to let you know you have allies in our shared vision for better education for all. My goal is to provide a forum where we can figure out how to survive the deluge of misguided reforms that are overwhelming our schools. My goal is to support those who are doing the work of society by educating children. My goal is to give you a realistic picture of where we are, what is happening, and why we must continue to work for real change.

I believe that good sense and good ideas will eventually prevail so long as we work together and demonstrate courage on behalf of what’s right, not what’s demanded or imposed by higher powers.

We are everywhere.

Diane