Iserotope Extras - Issue #9

Welcome, new subscribers and long-time devoted readers! We are past Labor Day, which means that school is finally in session all across the country. You'll notice that none of this week's articles involve Donald Trump or Kim Davis. (I hope that's OK.) If you like this newsletter, please get the word

Slipping Away

I used to remember everything. Now I don't. Everyone is scared of getting Alzheimer's. This profile of Jo Aubin, who is 38 and has early-onset Alzheimer's, is sad and poignant and beautifully written. “It’s a disease where there isn’t a whole lot of hope. There is zero chance of a happy ending,” Jo's wife Robin says. "The only thing in front of us at the end of the disease, and Jo’s life, is a very, very horrible way to die.”

Is There a Black Silent Majority?

"A police force that kills black citizens is adding to America’s history of racial violence; so is a police force that fails to keep them safe." This excellent article is a book review (yet much more) of Michael Javen Fortner's *Black Silent Majority,* which complicates the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as the work of Ta-Nehisi Coates and Michelle Alexander. It wasn't just white people in the 1960s and '70s who created our current criminal justice system, Prof. Fortner argues. The African American community, in order to promote safety in urban areas, also contributed to tough-on-crime tactics that spiraled out of control.

Several people appreciated my recommendation a few weeks ago of Bryan Stevenson's *Just Mercy,* easily my favorite book of the year. Here's another one I highly encourage. *Last Chance in Texas* explores a highly effective juvenile justice program that focuses on treatment and rehabilitation. The program's methods are controversial and go against our country's tendency to punish.

What's in Your Bag?

I used to teach Tim O'Brien's *The Things They Carried,* the author's (non)fictional account of what his fellow platoon members brought with them as soldiers in the Vietnam War. Now hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing several war-torn countries for asylum in Europe. This series of quick interviews highlights not only the desperation of the refugees but also the strength of the human spirit.

Why Are My Students Disengaged?

This is my fourth year as an instructional coach after teaching for 15 years. (I had my good years; I had my bad years.) Pernille Ripp tells the truth about good teaching. This piece emphasizes two key truths: (1) Students have to connect with you, (2) Teachers shouldn't talk much. There are other tips, too.

Have a great week, and let me know (by replying to this email) what you think of this week's articles!