Let John Kerry plan your school year.

Remember when John Kerry was the big flip-flopper?
Remember how everyone just took that and ran with it?
Sometimes I think people (mainly the media) are
looking for a gimmick like that more than they are
actually looking at what politicians are all about
....but that's beside the point.
I'm talking about flip-floppers
....like John Kerry
....and myself....

What I am flip-flopping on is math curriculum.
I have changed my mind about a hundred times
and the more I do it, the less sure I am about any of my
choices. Just last night I thought I had settled
on one, went to show the on-line demo to Lloyd Dobbler,
and suddenly it just seemed so horrible.
So right now my plan is to go to the curriculum fair
on Friday and march right up to this one certain booth
and lay my troubles at the feet of the rep working
that booth. (Won't they be excited to see me coming?)
I'll just tell them that they were my first choice
and who I keep wanting to select....but it was
just these bad reviews that haunt me and keep me
from actually picking them.
If the rep can do a good job convincing me
that they are okay and that my concerns are unfounded,
then I'll slap down my money right there on the spot
and buy that math curriculum.
And then I can take of my flip flops.

So if you run into me at the curriculum fair
and I am bare footed,
you will know what has happened.

Do you know what else I am doing this year?
I am using ABEKA.
Not all ABEKA , but some.
I know that is probably like the most common thing
you hear. Especially in Christian circles.
It seems like everyone uses ABEKA....at least for the
younger grades. I used ABEKA curriculum when I was
little and went to Christian schools. My mom used
their curriculum when she taught in Christian schools
for years. I even briefly worked for them
(Hello, Mrs. Carter!)
while in college. But I've never purchased anything
from them. Until this year. I'm getting the main
things for my fresh new kindergarten student,
Sweet T, from them. And I am ordering their
Language Arts programs for both Big E and Lovely K.
It's not like I have anything against them.
I just didn't want to use them.
I will say this about the people at ABEKA,
they are perfectionists on many levels.
When I worked for them, I was a proofreader.
I cannot tell you how many inter-office memos
I proofed for them.
Did you hear that?
Inter-office memos!
Notes to each other----and they sent them
through the proofing office.
I just thought that was a bit much.
My boss there was the sweetest little lady.
She was so frugal.
She would cut up her small post-it notes
into smaller post-it notes
so as not to be wasteful.
One day she was having a snack
and she cut her napkin in half.
That's all I have to say about that.

Well, I'm off to flip and also to flop
a bit more on my curriculum choices.
And what's funny about
this whole lack of decision
in the planning of this school year is that
I hope to start school in two weeks.

Let's see how that goes.