Today, our speaker at the teacher luncheon was Debbie Davis, former Eureka Springs elementary school principal who now teachers principals at the University of Arkansas.

She told the following: students learn best when their hands are involved in their learning activities, and students learn best from teachers who demonstrate a strong level of caring for every student in the classroom and in the community. Her third point was that "teaching to the test", to attempt to raise test scores is less effective at improving test scores than simply teaching to engage the student's enthusiasm for learning.

It is wonderful to meet teachers and administrators in the public school system that so clearly understand and express the educational philosophy put into practice each day at Clear Spring School. It is wonderful confirmation that we are on the right track. But it is also a marvel to me that such common sense has become so hard to come by.

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