The front page is a case in point:

Yes, I had to chop off the bottom of the article.

No, I'm not going to scan the remainder.

If I left you hangin'...

...buy a copy at your local retail outlet!

:-)

Anyway...

I'm going to use this week's "Citizen" as inspiration (an excuse?)

For years, the angel on my right shoulder has argued with the devil on my left as to whether I should reproduce articles on the pages of CAT Tracks , what with copyright restrictions. (Only twice in fifteen years have I been "called on the carpet" by the authors of articles, incidents that led to my posting of attribution and the "Link to the Original Story".)

My conscience kept rationalizing that links often die, losing the story forever.

On the other hand...

...how often does anyone (including myself) delve into the archives looking for articles posted weeks, months, years ago? And, what are the odds that the links to those few articles died?

Hmmm...

If an article was carryingly lifted (and lovingly formatted) by a CAT burglar - but nobody ever goes back to read it - does the article really exist?

While you ponder that variation of the age-old question...

I hereby announce the coming of change to CAT Tracks.

Beginning with the article below, I shall no longer reproduce articles on this website. (Well, most of the time...I hope. As you know, I tend to break my rules!)

Instead, I shall take the easy way out and simply post the source of the article and the "Link to the Original Story". (I don't know if it's the angel or the devil speaking, but this change in procedure will save this CAT Tracks editor hours each day...might even save my eyesight! My "mole eyes" - acquired from over twenty years of toiling in the windowless CHS/CJSHS building - don't react well to the glare of flat-screen computer monitors. Changing to "high contrast" helps, but the eye strain is still noticeable.)

And, then, there is the other reason...

A former colleague once noted (lamented?) regarding my multiple postings per day on CAT Tracks): "Damn, Ron...you are prolific."

What can I say? Guilty as charged!

Well...

Last month provided proof (if any were needed.)

My 2011-2012 posting/editing page evidently approached some unknown limit of storage...acquired a definite case of "the slows". Even though I have broadband,, that particular page began to bring back unfond memories of dial-up...the world-wide wait!

In fact, I resorted to a "work around" during the last two weeks...doing the heavy lifting on another page and then copying the finished product to the 2011-2012 folder. Was I ever happy when July 1st arrived and I could open the new 2012-2013 folder?!

So...

Links instead of reproductions.

An ounce of prevention...

Ron's Rants and Raves?

Have no fear...

...some things never change!

Although, I have to admit...

It's getting harder and harder (impossible?) to find something new to say about the same old, same old blah, blah, blah appearing in various media...attacking public education, its practitioners and their unions. The usual suspects (ALL Republican politicians and an ever-increasing number of Democrats) repeat their unfounded charges and ignore scientific studies to the contrary...damning their opponents as defenders of the status quo.

Yep...

There I go again!

So...

Hush my mouth!

Let's move on to the next silly idea...

...2nd-effing-graders evaluating teachers!

Surely , it can't get any worse than that...right?

Uh, well...

Think teenagers!!!

We all know how impartial and rational those "creatures" are...

From Education Week...