Beware of anxiety. Next to sin, there is nothing that so troubles the mind, strains the heart, distresses the soul and confuses the judgment.
- William Ullathorne (1806-1889)

I came across this quote recently.  I'm not even sure where, but it spoke to me very loudly when I read it.  At this time public education in Ohio is dealing with quite a bit.  We have PARCC and Ohio Performance Based Assessments and End Of Course Assessments that require a 4 month testing schedule; we still have the OGTs mixed in; teachers and administrators are trying to keep up with the constant changes and new interpretations of the state mandated evaluations systems; College Credit Plus has been added to schools for 7th-12 graders with little guidance; new budgets have been proposed that cut funds from districts that need that funding the most; and on, and on, and on.

All of these factors do indeed create anxiety, and plenty of it.  Many a night I have laid awake with a troubled mind, a strained heart, and a distressed soul.  But, we must be careful about allowing our judgement to be confused.  Despite what many would have you believe, public education is still a noble venture.  I find that I need to remind myself that what we do is educate children.  What we do, is prepare young people for the rest of their lives.  What we do is model, and show the way.  If we teach with troubled minds, strained hearts, distressed souls, and confused judgement how are we showing our future generations to deal with anxiety?  Ours is not the only field with such intense pressure.  It is unfortunate that many of the changes that have been forced upon public schools have come with little input from public educators, families or even students.  But we need to find a way to renew the cause of public education.  I will continue to be an advocate for public education and for the wonderful teachers who, despite all of the obstacles, continue to teach children!  I will keep my judgement free of confusion.

Be well, and teach on!