I’m taking some time off this year, an extended amount to focus on some non-work things. Basically, with the exception of a few commitments I’m out through October. I’ll be traveling, riding my bike a lot, hopefully bending fly rods, and learning some new things unrelated to my day job. I’m looking forward to a chance to recharge and stretch my legs, figuratively and literally. What I won’t be doing is working much, and that includes blogging.

As I noted in the most recent Bellwether newsletter, a funny thing about the professional world is that when you tell people you are taking time off, they immediately assume something must be wrong or at least going sideways. That’s not the case here — instead, something is right so I can do this. While I’m gone Sara Mead will lead our policy and evaluation work. I have known Sara for almost two decades: she’s as good as they come, and the team will thrive on her watch. I’m deeply grateful to the team at Bellwether that we have an organization that can accommodate life things like this.

But what about Eduwonk? Things around here will be in the capable hands of education polymath Chad Aldeman, who I’ve also known and worked with for a long time and who, like Sara, is a gem. Burning questions include, ‘But will he do fish porn?” That, like all decisions, will be up to him. When I turn the blog over to guest bloggers, and over the years there have been dozens of them from all factions of the ed world, I don’t backseat drive. It’s Chad’s show, he’s good, and so no matter what he does in terms of style or content, I think you will like it.

See you in the fall!