Comments on: Interesting discussion about transparency… http://www.crucialthought.com/2007/01/30/interesting-discussion-about-transparency/ Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:31:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dean Shareski http://www.crucialthought.com/2007/01/30/interesting-discussion-about-transparency/comment-page-1/#comment-9023 Dean Shareski Tue, 13 Feb 2007 03:46:25 +0000 http://opensource.christophercraft.com/?p=119#comment-9023 I wrote about a similar USA Today article back in the fall. If you read the comments, you'll see a response by the teacher in question. I still maintain my position that anonymity doesn't have much of a place but I'm less adamant about it now. http://ideasandthoughts.org/2006/09/17/blog-rage/ I wrote about a similar USA Today article back in the fall. If you read the comments, you’ll see a response by the teacher in question. I still maintain my position that anonymity doesn’t have much of a place but I’m less adamant about it now.

http://ideasandthoughts.org/2006/09/17/blog-rage/

]]> By: mrc http://www.crucialthought.com/2007/01/30/interesting-discussion-about-transparency/comment-page-1/#comment-7855 mrc Fri, 02 Feb 2007 08:30:57 +0000 http://opensource.christophercraft.com/?p=119#comment-7855 WBishop, thanks for your perspective. I agree that the race of the AP had nothing to do with the story. At least not with this particular story. I think I mentioned it because it seems to be part of a larger issue of race at our school (which is about 50% AA and 50% Latino) that I haven't figured out how to really talk about yet. I see how, since you don't know me or my own racial background, all you have to go by is what I wrote and that it does sound off-base. Thank you for reading what I wrote fairly, and taking the time to explain what you saw in it. You helped me realize that I should make a few key edits to that post, which I did. Thanks also to this blog for creating a space for the discussion and raising the questions in the first place. WBishop, thanks for your perspective. I agree that the race of the AP had nothing to do with the story. At least not with this particular story. I think I mentioned it because it seems to be part of a larger issue of race at our school (which is about 50% AA and 50% Latino) that I haven’t figured out how to really talk about yet. I see how, since you don’t know me or my own racial background, all you have to go by is what I wrote and that it does sound off-base.

Thank you for reading what I wrote fairly, and taking the time to explain what you saw in it. You helped me realize that I should make a few key edits to that post, which I did. Thanks also to this blog for creating a space for the discussion and raising the questions in the first place.

]]> By: WBishop http://www.crucialthought.com/2007/01/30/interesting-discussion-about-transparency/comment-page-1/#comment-7830 WBishop Fri, 02 Feb 2007 04:19:24 +0000 http://opensource.christophercraft.com/?p=119#comment-7830 I revisited the post Day of Conflict; I felt that I owed the author at least that before replying to his comments. After revisiting the post I still feel that the article is less than professional for a number of reasons. Allow me to elaborate. I have been in situations where I feel exactly the same way. I understand the need to expose incompetence at its roots. I do not however agree with the tone used. As an educator there is a degree of professionalism (tact) that we should use with our colleagues, even our administrators. Therefore, I think that the situation could have been presented in a more tactful or professional way. The lame duck comment was a bit much. Also, I find that there are two sides to every coin. What would the AP write about the situation if he had a blog? Was the AP getting complaints from teachers not wanting to attend the meeting because they needed to work on their grades? If so, I would understand why the AP didn’t want anyone meeting before grades were submitted. We all struggle against a bureaucracy of incompetence, but incompetence like many things is in the eye of the beholder. Transparency is clear or should be clear by its very definition. Transparency is being open and honest. The author was open and honest and I commend him for sharing the story, but the name-calling and slight racism was a bit much. What if the AP was a big white guy? Would the author point out the fact that he was white? Why was the race of the AP important to the story? This troubles me because I’m not sure where the author was going with the comment. This is sad because the post could have been useful had it been written with more tact. Experience and age pays great dividends! I revisited the post Day of Conflict; I felt that I owed the author at least that before replying to his comments. After revisiting the post I still feel that the article is less than professional for a number of reasons. Allow me to elaborate.

I have been in situations where I feel exactly the same way. I understand the need to expose incompetence at its roots. I do not however agree with the tone used. As an educator there is a degree of professionalism (tact) that we should use with our colleagues, even our administrators. Therefore, I think that the situation could have been presented in a more tactful or professional way. The lame duck comment was a bit much. Also, I find that there are two sides to every coin. What would the AP write about the situation if he had a blog? Was the AP getting complaints from teachers not wanting to attend the meeting because they needed to work on their grades? If so, I would understand why the AP didn’t want anyone meeting before grades were submitted.

We all struggle against a bureaucracy of incompetence, but incompetence like many things is in the eye of the beholder. Transparency is clear or should be clear by its very definition. Transparency is being open and honest. The author was open and honest and I commend him for sharing the story, but the name-calling and slight racism was a bit much. What if the AP was a big white guy? Would the author point out the fact that he was white? Why was the race of the AP important to the story? This troubles me because I’m not sure where the author was going with the comment. This is sad because the post could have been useful had it been written with more tact. Experience and age pays great dividends!

]]> By: theartguy http://www.crucialthought.com/2007/01/30/interesting-discussion-about-transparency/comment-page-1/#comment-7549 theartguy Tue, 30 Jan 2007 21:49:36 +0000 http://opensource.christophercraft.com/?p=119#comment-7549 I don't think I'll ever reach that level of transparency myself. Of course, I love my job so much that I don't really have much to vent about (I get paid to play with paint. Who can beat that?), but when I do need to let it all out I do so on a hidden, password protected blog that only certain few people (mostly family) can access. So it's not anonymity per se since those who can see it know who I am, but it is in that I know certain people who might dislike my ... shall we say rants? ... will most likely never see them. Some would argue that password protecting your blog means it's not really a blog any more. I can see there side of the argument, but I'm still having a conversation there. It's just one behind a closed door. OK, I'll stop rambling now. I don’t think I’ll ever reach that level of transparency myself. Of course, I love my job so much that I don’t really have much to vent about (I get paid to play with paint. Who can beat that?), but when I do need to let it all out I do so on a hidden, password protected blog that only certain few people (mostly family) can access.

So it’s not anonymity per se since those who can see it know who I am, but it is in that I know certain people who might dislike my … shall we say rants? … will most likely never see them.

Some would argue that password protecting your blog means it’s not really a blog any more. I can see there side of the argument, but I’m still having a conversation there.

It’s just one behind a closed door.

OK, I’ll stop rambling now.

]]> By: Vicki Davis http://www.crucialthought.com/2007/01/30/interesting-discussion-about-transparency/comment-page-1/#comment-7522 Vicki Davis Tue, 30 Jan 2007 15:39:05 +0000 http://opensource.christophercraft.com/?p=119#comment-7522 I have written the author of the article in the Houston Chronicle who implied that I Vicki Davis (cool cat teacher blog) and Bud Hunt (Bud the Teacher) blog under pseudonyms. I think she fit some cool names to her story and was innacurate. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I don't know if I would have seen it otherwise! I have written the author of the article in the Houston Chronicle who implied that I Vicki Davis (cool cat teacher blog) and Bud Hunt (Bud the Teacher) blog under pseudonyms. I think she fit some cool names to her story and was innacurate. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I don’t know if I would have seen it otherwise!

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