My 10 Most-Viewed Posts of 2014

rally, education, Oklahoma, capitol
At the back of the crowd, the Education Rally, March 31st, 2014 at the Oklahoma Capitol. I brought this blog to public view only about 10 days earlier.

2014 has been a busy first blogging year. It’s been great to be a part of the conversation and to have some influence in it through posts on this blog.

From there to here

Originally, in 2011, I started a blog called “Education Intersection”, obviously trying for the longest two-word blog title in the history of the U.S. But after 3 posts, I changed my mind about it, and my education career started changing which took most of my energy for several years.

When I decided to get back into the ring again at the end of March, the old blog had to go. It wasn’t me anymore.

This new blog, Life At the Intersections, has a name and purpose that gives me a broader scope of topics that represents my interests much better. Even though it is still mostly about the intersections of education politics, I also write about other cultural/political intersections that I see and want to influence.

First year of blogging

This has been a very interesting year politically in Oklahoma, with our reform purist state chief, and dentist, Janet Barresi every bit earning her lightning rod status as the one that even large numbers of Republicans couldn’t wait to remove.

Converging with that whole process of teachers, administrators, parents, and distant in-laws all joining to throw the rascals out of the State Department of Education was an unexpectedly lively governor’s race. Joe Dorman, a dark horse opponent to the sitting governor, Mary Fallin, showed a surprising energy and grit that no one even the year before would have expected.

So the campaign season was hard-fought at many levels. In the reddest of states common wisdom was that the Republican incumbents would waltz in. As it turned out, that wasn’t so wise after all.

The Democratic Party candidate for Oklahoma Superintendent of Instruction, Dr. John Cox, proved to be a worthy opponent to the already well-known Joy Hofmeister, who had beat Barresi in the Republican primary in June.

Their unprecedented long run of civil, but spirited debates all over the state should serve as a model for democracy in action for future campaigns in Oklahoma.

All of this, and a vibrant blogging circle here in the state, caused this to be a very stimulating writing year for many of us. Thank you Oklahoma education bloggers for the re-tweets, and the support that you have thrown my way on more than just a few occasions.

Readers, thank you for your continued interest and commenting on my Facebook page and on Twitter. I appreciate your public feedback and support. And I’m looking forward to the new year of our thinking together about the issues that concern us and affect us.

My top 10 most viewed posts of 2014

(Starting with the most-viewed post)

  1. The Deeper Issue That Could Kill the Teaching Profession
  2. Barresi as Fallin’s Education Secretary — That OK With You?
  3. Investors Ready to Liquidate Public Schools
  4. So, Teacher, You Don’t Want to Be Political? That’s No Longer An Option
  5. 5 Reasons Why Education Can Never Be a Business
  6. No More Shaming — Stand Up for OKC Public Schools!
  7. Possibility of Nation-Wide Test Opt-Out Grows
  8. Hofmeister’s “Have-to”s Leave Even More Questions
  9. They Still Don’t Get It — Teachers Can’t Be Bought
  10. Barresi’s Attacks Show Teachers What We Need to Do Next