The greatest feature story ever.
At the EWA conference last week I told someone I would send them the link to my favorite piece of journalism ever. Of course I have forgotten who. So, whoever you were—and even if you are not them—read this piece, “The Peekaboo Paradox,” by Gene Weingarten of the Washington Post. It is about a children’s birthday party entertainer. Here is where one is tempted to say, “Yet it is about so much more.” Except that it’s not. I mean, this particular children’s entertainer has a gambling problem, an organization problem and some lingering ghosts,
Rick Hess is doing my job for me ...
... by shooting education reporters some story ideas and other food for thought. I have been really interested in the degree to which teachers unions are or are not realistic proxies for the actual views of actual teachers, so #3 and #8 resonate especially. And given that reading yet another story about KIPP or Green Dot might make my eyeballs burst, #2 intrigues me as well.