All this talk about Obama's impressive speaking ability -- his use of words, his lines (some borrowed), his oration -- makes me think about -- you guessed it -- school reform.
And my initial thought, at least, is that we need more actions and less words. There have been some powerful speakers in education, and some powerful words, but my sense is that action, strategy, and political muscle have played a larger role and are what we need now.
It's the Clinton argument, you might call it, not the Obama one.
But is that right? Perhaps this is just my bias -- why, as I told my mom the other day, "listening to Obama too much makes me itchy." I'm moved, but like you I've heard a lot of empty talk about kids and education, so I'm deeply suspicious.
Can words, no matter how brilliant, increase funding for education, or open the door to bringing in new ideas? Have they? Or does it take more than that to make real changes? Read on for more thoughts about oratory and action in the world of schools. Or, skip all that and tell me what you think.