Integrity Among Educators

A relative, who is a retired educator, sent this link to today’s post by a blogger with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It covers a breaking scandal in the Atlanta public school district where, from the superintendent on down, there was a culture of corruption to cheat on the state-mandated standardized tests, including intimidating teachers who failed to do what it took to raise scores or who objected to the unethical practices.

Higher Ed is not immune to these types of pressures, especially in the current economy. Believe it or not, many schools have funding models where students who fail classes cost the university money and the higher the graduation rate, the better the financial picture. On the surface, this sounds like a good idea. However, reality can be very different.

Work Time and Relax Time

One of the struggles I face during the holidays is balancing recreation, family/holiday events and travel, household to-do’s, and work responsibilities. When doing one type of activity, I feel either like I ought or want to be doing one of the other.

Ecclesiastes 3 is a well-known passage, made famous by many artists through the song, “Turn, Turn, Turn.” It reminds us there are many disparate and conflicting activities in life and there are appropriate times for each. Even Jesus praying in John 17, declares to His Father that He accomplished everything that He had come to do—everything. Yet, there were still lepers, blind folks, demoniacs, and so on.

There is more to be done in this life than is possible for us to do, including work, play and other duties. I find that when I oscillate between the different tasks due to indecision or lack of focus, I end up wasting a lot of time and have to focus on one task and not allow anxiety to distract me.

What a daily battle.

SDG