This is me. I think that it says everything you need to know to pay close attention to what I'm about to say.

Ignite is a form of presentation, derived from another called Pecha Cucha, in which the presenter has 20 slides that change every 15 seconds. This restriction is also a fun way to push creativity in a new way.

I've modified it further by limiting myself to 16 slides for 15 seconds each, so that I'll fit in my 4-minute time slot.

There is a growing storm on the horizon. The rumbling and strikes of lightning should give us all pause. They foretell of a coming darkness.

In the words of a greater author: Winter is Coming

This imminent danger has the potential to take down our entire system of public education. And, therefore, it can affect all of us.

So, you ask, what is this threat?

Is it money? The political changes that have caused NC's public school teachers to lose 10% or more of their pay when adjusted for inflation?

No, it's far worse than that.

Is it rapidly growing gulf between the public and educators? Surely, the lack of trust that many parents and other citizens feel toward education is a major issue. Fueled by scurrilous accusations and non-stop coverage of a very small number of bad actors, it seems that we can no longer be relied upon to protect and educate the future.

But, the danger I bring to you tonight is more pervasive even than this.

Can it possibly be the exponentially growing duties (ha ha, I said duty) that educators must take on? A wise man once said, "With great power comes great responsibility." And then the Powers that Be in education said, "No Power for You! But, Lots of Responsibility."

Is this the storm that threatens us?

Maybe you think that I'm warning you about the extraordinarily high expectations that society seems to have for us. Perhaps I'm here to scare you with stories of how the public now asks us to do the impossible, from raising children to growing brain cells to sweeping floors.

No, that's not it either.

But, Paul, you say, what about the destructive effects of merit-based pay and it's incessant focus on outdoing one's colleagues. Research is clear on the power of professional learning teams and collaboration, yet policy-makers seem bent on applying the rules of business to our cherished institutions.


But, you would be mistaken again. No, danger that has snuck up on all of us is...

And, there it is.

The darkest, most evil force that has descended upon the world of public education is...
acronyms.

Short caveat, like most of the world I plan to misuse this term to also include abbreviations that are pronounced like words. I know that these should be initialisms, but you should also relax and enjoy this short presentation.

I'm sure even the most young and virginial among us can remember those halcyon days of yore when educators spoke in complete words and those words were equally understandable by all college educated people, all 14 of them.

Sadly, those days are gone. And, in their place, we are left with the scourge of educational acronyms.

As you can see from this one example, a NCDPI webpage designed to clarify the seemingly endless array of educational acronyms.

While certainly useful to parents and other non-educators, the primary audience for these documents is, amazingly, TEACHERS. Even those trained in this field, and who use these terms most often, can't keep up with all of them.

Anecdotal evidence shows that this problem is not a new one, but it also isn't getting any better. In fact, if anything it is exacerbating at exponential levels.

For the record, the unit here is times that a teacher rolls her eyes at an acronym.

The shear number of educational acronyms is not just a management and memory problem.

It becomes a communication problem when professionals have a hard time understanding one another and using the same language.

But, fear not, I did not come in front of you today just to tell you the sky is falling.

Like any good educator, I would never dream of bring up a problem without also suggesting a solution.

So, here's the good news: I have created an organization that seeks to remedy this situation and save public education in America.