Tales Of An Educated Debutante
on life, loss and the joy that rules the day.






























The future is far away and scary, but today is lovely.
Adrian H. Wood, PhD
Sex Education in Goldsboro, NC
I’m not one of those to shy away from tough conversations. I like honesty and transparency and, as the mom of four, we have a lot of conversations in our house, whether about loving a boy with autism or sex. “Making Proud Choices!” is the sex education curriculum that has been chosen by Wayne County Schools. I like their mission statement, truthfully. After all, I want my children to make good choices. The goal of “Making Proud Choices!” is to implement an eight hour curriculum ..
Read moreSpecial Olympics
Real life doesn’t abide by our rules. The Special Olympics was never on my bucket list. Perhaps as a volunteer, but not as mom. Last year, I was the mom of a little boy who took part in Special Olympics for the very first time. Amos, just four years old, in a too big shirt and unkempt yellow hair, laughed and played amongst the cheers of his family. It was joyful, I hadn’t expected that. The whole lot of it- Special Olympics, being a special needs parent, a jo ..
Read moreDear Pender County Families
You’ve been on my radar for quite a while. This fall, when the hurricane decimated your neck of the woods, I shared the story of your amazing community on my blog. I saw your public school system go beyond what’s detailed in a job description and work tirelessly to ensure children had clothes, food and yes, even Halloween costumes. I will never forget the thank you notes, emails, and weekend phone calls from school officials as they organized donations for Pender county familie ..
Read moreShout Out to the Soccer Moms
Not the ones who look the picture of spring, but the ones freezing their asses off on metal bleachers in negative 20 wind chill. Not the ones who arrive with freshly cut orange slices, but the ones who arrive with an open pack of Oreos and a jug of powdered lemonade. Not the ones who come with words of encouragement, but the ones who curse by accident, I mean, it’s so f ing cold. Not the ones who bring chairs and hot cocoa, but the ones who can’t stop thinking about how go ..
Read moreWhat Drives a Parent to Cheat?
Thirty-three parents have been arrested in the largest college admissions scandal on record. The ultra wealthy including CEOs, celebrities, business leaders were charged with college coaches and William Singer, founder of “The Key.” According to the Key’s website, there are four principles: Coaching for the game of life, finding the right fit college, creating a personal brand, and beating the odds. Quite accurate, but in a way no one could have guessed. The investigation incl ..
Read moreThe Same Old Superintendent
The Berkeley County School Board accepted Manny Arvon’s resignation and retirement after 45 years of “service.” He leaves with a pension of $14,250 per month and the ability to keep health insurance for him and his wife at a reduced rate. Following the decision, the Board named former Putnam County Schools Superintendent Harold “Chuck” Hatfield as the interim Superintendent. He will be paid $19,500 per month and the search for a permanent Superintendent will begin this summer. ..
Read moreTitle One School
You may not even know what that means. My four children attend a Title 1, public school. To qualify as a Title 1 School, at least 50% of your students must qualify for free or reduced lunch. At White Oak Elementary School (https://www.facebook.com/whiteoakelemschool/?__tn__=K-R&eid=ARD2Hogy80IBJ_7QvXzZGZbwWDlKOiTZXu4h5hnSHwJOguEw2ErVz7Uqhs0pgS8L2sgWfRM1OyB4Qdld&fref=mentions&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBDEziIZXV8lBIM2w-2JNow8bSUTOK8VyX_ATk_gNZZwkj2Ma0FKapqbbZzCLRa-HYixxERnTu-3cj7Oi6 ..
Read moreWhy Jen Mangrum Should Be Our Next NC Superintendent
North Carolina used to be an education powerhouse. We were ranked number ten in the country for teacher pay and were recognized nationally for quality. When Mark Johnson won in 2016, he said he didn’t think he would win. After all, he was an attorney, not a licensed teacher, but eager to enter the political arena, he touted plans to lessen testing and support teachers. It sounded really good. I mean, I voted for him. I have four children in three rural eastern NC sch ..
Read moreLawsuit of the Nonverbal Child
It’s the first one that’s been filed regarding the abuse that took place at Berkeley Heights Elementary in WVA. Truthfully, even though I’m married to an attorney, I’m not much into suing, especially for accidents or genuine unknowing. This is not that case. I have gotten to know Amber Pack and Kasey Murphy, whose children were subjected to the torture of three teachers- Lester, Yurish and Douty. How long had it gone on? No one really knows. After all, Amber had only p ..
Read moreConfused Superintendent
The fact that our own NC Superintendent Mark Johnson (https://www.facebook.com/markrjohnsonnc/?__tn__=K-R&eid=ARC1GB0fagmTo3mWgn-f_plCgzDKSXmS3rhLqTZ-rSQ6DIECW8YZnP_XoMt8Av_hvugOzDKh0lu2CCOo&fref=mentions&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCC7-uKzY1Q-UtIKMPKhugronUM8Q9rMPUC-acVADclqRWGwKzwnGB7FQ_8yf5ykWXj-l0Y2fs24RtbwI1l5Usv4R5i-XXBaf4FBvW4OolTOSSph8ygjTMbnKWbMUe3CiytsiZAWMSn_VN1cyupgIDrzjTAVtAdpqC9tXsL1rhVmFTbsHMc99DsPeNzlpT-t_UJVZx_Tyvk2V2V5j9MCKao04uUAHOXnLQujt-6eofDm-nt1TVkZQhmYg84RkbE ..
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