They say that things have to get worse before they get better. But of course that depends. If you are looking at a big thing, like an ocean liner, it can be hard to turn the thing around. You may have to go through the whole chain of command to get the attention of the captain, and he may believe the large object looming ahead to be merely a fog bank, and not the world's largest iceberg. If we are talking about education in America, we are talking about thousands of individual ocean liners with thousands of captains, each convinced he or she is god of the ship whose word is law. Then, even if the captain got the idea, the crew of American education has no idea how to make the turn, where the levers are located or "how do we stop this thing?!!!" Very sadly, many of the best teachers, seeing the problems and the difficulties involved in making the turn, jump ship for more lucrative and rewarding careers.

You maybe have noticed, if you pay attention to such things, that the first thing to get cut from the school budget when things go from bad to worst is the arts... the visual and performing arts. "We've got to have the three R's," they say..."Read'n, right'n and Rithmatic." I would suggest that it works the other way. The arts lead the heart to the engagement in learning. If kids are bored and disengaged in schools, it shouldn't take much of a brain to understand why.

You may not be able to turn the ocean liner of education in your community, but you can take time to inform the captain of what looms ahead. Then, please take time to engage your children and grandchildren in making things with their hands. They, of all the students in schools, will be better prepared to swim.

Today in the woodshop, the 3rd and 4th graders did Paper Sloyd. The first and second grade students finished their Friendship boxes, from pine with leather hinges.

Also, today, the Spring issue of Independent School arrived. I've had a number of articles about the Wisdom of the Hands program in various magazines, but there has never been such excitement at Clear Spring School about my writing as today. Independent School is the journal of the National Association of Independent Schools, the parent body of the association of independent schools that provides the Clear Spring School its accreditation. Publication of materials about the Wisdom of the Hands program in educational journals means that our leadership in education is beginning to be recognized outside our own community. The photo above is of two students helping each other to nail boxes. The photo below is of students with their finished boxes.