Okay so maybe I'm being overly picky or my usual micromanaging self, but when I get an official letter, note or newsletter--even if in digital form--I expect perfect spelling. Especially when coming from, you know, a school. The brief "note from our Superintendent," however, was quite folksy and readable--although one too many exclamation points.
Since it is their first issue, maiden voyage and all that--and the error was only in the email title--I'll forgive it...this time. But they better shape up by next month's edition, or the copy editor gets detention!
17 comments:
Your decision to post this reflects poorly on you and suggests that you are lacking real material to stimulate meaningful discussion.
Slow news day.
NOT a slow news day. This reflects poorly on the school district. If you need to have two people proof read the thing, then do it. This wouldn't fly in corporate America. It shouldn't be okay in the school district either.
Larry, you've touched the third rail of Amherst politics: the Superintendent.
Speak against her or her office, and her chorus of defenders will begin chirping like tree frogs.
We have far more to worry about than spelling from there.
This sounds like to the introduction to a hard-hitting expose,
Why Maria Can't Spell
It was a typo for crying out loud!!! From some of these comments I am led to assume that your readers have never had the experience of making a typo, Larry. For you to point this one out in such a head-line fashion implies you have never made a typo before!!! As one much wiser than I once said, and I paraphrase here, "Let the perfect ones among you cast the first stone."
You have stooped to a new low, Larry, as have some of your readers.
"Stooped to a new low." Really? I would have thought I went w-a-y lower a hundred times or more over the past four years. Damn!
Guess I'll just have to work harder now.
Is there something wrong with this sentence?
"In teacher collaboration teams, each of us is smarter than any of us can be, working alone, on our very best day. "
Is in ungrammatical, Palinistic or nonsensical -- or all three?
Picky Picky
I actually have never attended a meeting or worked on a team where I became smarter than I was before. The teacher collaboration teams must be just amazing -- and a relief to the many excellent Amherst teachers who were simply not smart enough on their own.
Maybe Rick Hood can do the editing.
Give him something to do at school committee meetings.
Tax dollars at waste. Grammar is an important issue. This was sent to hundreds of people. Many other more qualified candidates would gladly accept this job.
I agree with Kelley. We should expect documents coming from all public officials to be flawless in grammar and usage.
That said, when one does make a typo, I don't think it's reason for the sky to fall.
If this is the biggest concern we have today in town, in this state, this country and on this planet, then I'd say we're doing pretty well.
As for those who want to terminate someone who makes a typo now and again, good luck in this life. You sure as hell are going to need it.
Imagine what might happen if some of the persistently "glass half-full" and constantly negative bloggers on this website focused their energy on engaging in meaningful discourse on substantive education issues. Personal attacks serve no real educational purpose, just personal agendas.
The "Get Maria Geryk" campaign is wearing thin, not to mention being old. It is time to refocus the lens.
Let's figure out how to engage Geryk and provide feedback in a less offensive manner in order to improve our schools if we believe that strongly in what we are writing.
Or you can start your own blog and write whatever you want.
Great thing about a blog is you can fix typos or bad grammar anytime, instantly.
Larry, Why are you so disinterested in having actual constructive dialog on your blog? Are you really only interested in criticism and tearing down? Whenever someone suggests constructive engagement instead of constant attack of Maria Geryk you suggest they get their own blog. Why not have constructive engagement? Here - on this blog.
I've told many Anons on a variety of issues--the least of which had to do with Maria Geryk--to start their own blog.
I find it amusing you would criticize my criticism of the Superintendent's brand new PR email blast--which is strictly a ONE WAY conversation--by calling for a two way"constructive engagement."
Maybe instead of using an outdated web based resource like an email blast, Maria should have started a blog.
After all, they are perfect for the give and take of "constructive engagement."
I have an idea, maybe the superintendent can start a communications taskforce to improve two way communication.
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