I'm a newbie and I think England is better than America

Yes it is true at the age of 40 (41 tomorrow) I am creating my first blog. I have tried a couple of things before but they were on school websites and so do not count!



I have become enthralled by Twitter, it gives me so many ideas and so much information I can hardly keep up. the people I have 'met' encourage and inspire, and for no reason other than they want to. I am a responsive tweeter, I comment on what people write and I congratulate them on the good things that they do. This common courtesy seems to endeer me to others in this virtual world. But now it is time to strike out, be bold and controversial.



England is better than America, there we go, cue all my American PLN disposing of me as someone to follow. Please bare with me. It is not because you took our worst games and made them into national sports, Netball and Rounders anyone, nor is it because you elected George W (twice) but because no matter what difficulties we face in England with our system it pales into insignificance to what is faced in the States.



My evidence is entirely based on what I have learnt from my PLN, so you may have to correct me;

1. Principals are not always teachers, really? I still have trouble processing this. Now we have some bad managers who were great teachers but I would much rather that than a system where a good organiser can run a school. Now I could be wrong in this assertion and if I am I apologise, I just hope I am!


2. Guns, when were they ever a good idea to just have lying around?


3. The way teachers are treated, I saw a description of teachers as weeds in the grass of the education system, from the member of a school board!


4. An entire school staff was sacked, sacked! Now I do not know the full story and perhaps I should find out but surely someone was worth keeping? Again we have a system where it is hard to get rid of someone, but it is possible. This level of comfort allows people the confidence to experiment, try things and make the changes needed. We know from kids that being tense and uptight inhibits performance, it is the same for all humans.

Yet in the midst of this there are genuine diamonds of edcationalists. People who really care, who stick a metophorical finger up to the system and lead. These are the American people I follow, the pioneers, the true Americans perhaps, That spirit of doing what is right in the face of overwhelming odds. This spirit appears to have gone from the general culture in America and yet here, in cyberspace it is alive and well.

These educationalists are the cyber Reveres spreading the word to all who will listen and I hope that, unlike Revere, the work done by these brave few will amount to a change in education that will benefit all.

This is not meant to marginalise the fantastic British people I also follow but is simply a thank you to the many many, mainly American Twitterers who have made my foray into this domain such a pleasure.

So thank you one and all and may it continue as it has started,

The regulars are coming!

Russ