Jim McLaughlin's Blog

Timeless Stories for My Brain and Yours

Blog

  • Knowledge Sharing…Two Great Examples

    I’ve written and spoken before about the importance of sharing knowledge.  I encourage it in my work and wherever I’m able, but I was reminded of its value in two events this week so I thought I’d at least note them — for my own benefit if not for others. I’ve begun reading Dr. Myron Read more

  • News from PA Board of Education

    PSBA provides members with valuable weekly updates on relevant legislation and educational activities in Pennsylvania.  Given the abysmally organized, uninformative, confusing, and virtually unnavigable state of the new PDE website, I’m extremely grateful for PSBA’s efforts to inform the public by participating in the uncalendared, unannounced, unreported state events and dedicating resources to reporting out Read more

  • Overcoming a Weakness…Engaging with Our Community

    One possible benefit of having been appointed is not having to campaign for my position on the school board, but in fact, I consider this a weakness.  While campaigning can be tiresome and time-consuming, I feel a real loss for not having had the opportunity to meet more members of the community and to collect Read more

  • Read My Tweets…No New News Here

    As I’m learning how to use this blog effectively, I’m also learning how to use other forms of communication, too. Twitter, despite its initial reputation for the “what I had for breakfast” kinds of communication, is actually becoming the world’s best and fastest real-time communications system.  Twitter has moved FAR beyond most people’s imagination for Read more

  • Standards…Not Just for Academics

    I want to echo here my comments this evening regarding the passage by our Board of a resolution adopting the Pennsylvania School Board Association’s Standards for Effective School Governance. I am proud to be on the board and to have the chance to vote, for the first time, in favor of this resolution.  I believe Read more

  • Seeing the Forest… in a Perfect Storm

    With a nod to fellow PA board blogger at Pride & Promise and his recent post on this same subject, I saved this post until our board had passed our preliminary budget. With that passage, we have entered what is now officially budget season for Cheltenham as it is for school districts throughout America and, Read more