The classrooms, hallways and cafeterias in all 10 of the Yadkin County North Carolina elementary and middle schools were buzzing the next school day back after the 1st Yadkin Bots Tournament about how Congresswoman Foxx had lunch with the Yadkin…
Warren and Bertie Counties are rural, sparsely populated and economically distressed. Between the two counties approximately 80% of their public school students are eligible for free or reduced school lunches. Even as optimistic as my partner Joe Kronner and I…
Teaching is one of the most challenging professions in the world. Since the advent of interactive technologies, the challenge of holding a student’s attention has become exponentially more difficult. Students live in a world of instant everything. Multi-tasking is the…
Having spent most of my career developing new products and new ventures for consumer products companies, I can appreciate the Herculean effort required to put that lander on Mars. The effort required a team with a mastery of science, technology,…
The Career Academy teachers will spend this week touring many of the leading employers in the region. James Fitzgerald, the principal, believes that it is critically important for his faculty to have a strong visual image of the environments…
My good friend Mack McCary of NC New Schools Project shared a link to a TED talk by John Hunter. TED.com describes the talk: “John Hunter puts all the problems of the world on a 4’x5′ plywood board — and…
Engage the “customers” in the design and evaluation process James Fitzgerald, the new CEO of the Yadkin Valley Career Academy greeted his faculty as they arrived for their first official function. Mr. Fitzgerald promised his faculty a unique teaching experience,…
Creating Innovators is the title of Tony Wagner’s new book. After extensive interviews with over 150 well known CEOs, Tony Wagner makes a powerful case for the need to develop a climate and culture that promotes the development of problem…
