At a gathering of teachers in an Oregon school district last week, a high-level official told a story that might sound familiar. It’s about Teddy Stoddard, the boy who got off to a bad start in Miss ...

AUTHOR’S NOTE: It was well over 40 years ago when I first wrote, “The Last Day of School.” And in every year since I’ve gotten notes and phone calls from people all over who have become infatuated by ...

Remember the story of Teddy Stoddard? Mrs. Thompson, his fifth grade teacher, didn’t like him too much at the beginning. Sadly, debates ensued about whether the story was fictional or not. To me, it ...

EDITOR’S NOTE: It was well over 40 years ago since I first wrote, “The Last Day of School.” And in every year since then (yes, even now) I’ve gotten notes – quite literally – from people all over the ...