Snow's melting and yet the back door is locked. Perhaps the custodial staff forgot that detail. I don't blame them: winter break is over and the slap of Monday is stinging...really hard.

I fumble for my keys badly juggling too many artifacts from good intentioned "catch-up" school work.

Haven't look at any of it until this morning when I packed the papers, books, and ideas for revision. I traded those items for a bit of peace, joy, and hope with my family.

Man, it's cold!

"Hey, Eugene," he says.

Keys drop and I sigh as I remember that voice--that peace, joy, hope killer, the one that lurks in every school building being reheated for its audience this winter morning.

"How's your break?"

Almost sounds friendly and smart and logical--very popular during late summers with journalists and especially keen during the road leading up to Tuesdays in November. Better deal with it now.

"Hey to you," I muttered.

"Don't forget about the meetings this week," he reminds me.

Monday will go fine today. We may be in survival mode today...it's Tuesday I fear.

Study finds focus on testing hurts education

Rigorous testing that decides whether students graduate, teachers win bonuses and schools are shuttered, an approach already in place in more than half the nation, does little to improve achievement and may actually worsen academic performance and dropout rates, according to the largest study ever conducted on the issue.