Opinions

What Are Our Children Listening To?

January 26, 2012

A few weeks ago I was whistling the tune Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People, and one of the students asked me, “Mrs. Goodwin, Did you know that song is about a boy going on a shooting spree?” “What? No way!” I raced over to my computer and looked up the lyrics and sure [...]

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Alexis Jones-I Am That Girl Revisited

January 6, 2012

Something happened to Alexis Jones between this year and last year. She honed her I Am That Girl message. She strengthened her impact. While last year’s message was more about how Alexis Jones became a celebrity, this year’s message focused on reprogramming girls’ minds to redefine beauty, stop being mean to one another, forgive, love [...]

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Introducing Parties Austin

August 7, 2011

This summer I have been working on a new project…Parties Austin. My mission is to create magical decorations for children’s birthday parties. I realized when throwing my own son’s party, the lack of resources available, particularly whimsical lighting and original decorations. After running all over town to Pier 1, Hobby Lobby, Toy Joy, Terra Toys [...]

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Criminal

February 3, 2011

Yes, I am in education. While I’m very concerned with all the talk of cutting budgets in education, I am also concerned that this education talk is overshadowing another huge issue facing our state. What is a happening to our Texas prison system? Our prisons are already overcrowded, yet the Texas Legislature is proposing a [...]

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Girl Bullying-When Your Daughter Doesn’t Want to Go to School

January 26, 2011

You are walking down the hallway with a friend. Girls say hello to her but not you. You sit down at the lunch table, and everyone mysteriously gets up. You speak to a close friend and she gives you a blank stare. Have you become invisible? Yes, you have. Without even knowing it, you’ve been [...]

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My Father was a Tiger Mother

January 18, 2011

I’d like to respond to the Wall Street Journal article Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior. I love the article, mostly because it’s so provocative. The last time I looked, 6913 people left comments. My father was a Chinese mother. He drove. He challenged. He pitted my brother and I against each other. He shamed and [...]

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Today-Getting Into College

January 10, 2011

Applying to college decades ago, I was in the eviable position of being recruited. Based upon the fact that I won state in the 800M and Cross Country as a freshman, sophmore, junior & senior, I was courted by various college track programs. The courtship began my freshman year. In accordance with NCAA rules and [...]

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Happy New Year Colombian style (Feliz Año Nuevo)

December 31, 2010

It’s New Years 2007 and I’m in the passenger’s seat. My husband is driving me down the back roads of Colombia. Military men toting rifles are commonplace, so they don’t scare me. What does bother me is this group of people standing on the side of the road, lifeless. There is a bus parked beside [...]

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