Full disclosure: I’m writing this while sipping my second cup of coffee, having been up for several hours this morning. Education Week carries a provocative front page article today ‘Smart Pills’ Promising, Problematic: Brain-enhancing Drugs Stir Safety, Ethics Debates. The article spotlights what it calls an “explosion” in the availability and use of such drugs as Ritalin and commercial drinks like NeuroFuel (called nootropics, and which includes the aforementioned caffeine) and raises predictable questions attendant to such practices. For several years I’ve read occasionally about the potential and actual effects of such drugs to improve concentration, focus, and organizational sense. When I was a school principal (total of 19 years across grades preK-12; four different school systems) I was directly involved with students and families for whom such drugs were a part of their lives helping children cope with the challenges of ADHD, ADD and the like. In many cases parents, educators and the children themselves felt that such drugs were essential to learning and success in school and life. Occasionally I’d find myself engaged in dialogues where either the family or we educators, but not both at the same time, wanted to explore the possible positive effects of such drugs in efforts to “make learning possible.” However, as I read today’s article I cringed a bit. Perhaps it’s that I’m anticipating my first grandchild within the next couple of weeks, or perhaps it’s that my second cup of coffee has become so socialized (in fact, creates social opportunities), or perhaps it’s my sad acceptance that Lance Armstrong used performance enhancing drugs with such utter disregard for “what is right.” So, in briefly trying to unpack my own reactions, a few high points emerged. In a culture where it is increasingly common for parents to “red-shirt” their children from traditional kindergarten entry age in order to ensure little Bobby is actually a little bigger Bobby relative to his school peers, it’s probably not much of a leap for little Bobby to soon be seen needing one of these nootropics, particularly once a critical mass of his peers have also been red-shirted. Even if research convinces us that there are no ill effects (unlikely to be sure, since even my Starbucks will cause tremors and speed-talking if I have a third cup soon), wouldn’t access to such drugs simply expand the existing gap between the haves and the have-nots in terms of educational success and ultimate employability? If we already bemoan that the rich get richer, shouldn’t we be concerned about practices that help the rich get smarter as well if that were to deepen existing gulfs of hope and achievement? No more caffeine for me this morning, though I will have another cup around 3:00. I’ll close hoping that parents, educators, and doctors all will give nootropics for learning enhancement the same wide berth we too slowly deemed appropriate for steroids and athletics.

"Count your blessings." An admonition across generations to the point of cliche. It began simply enough; "Excuse me, sir; I think there's an envelope there with my name on it.". She spoke her name as I turned to help. I turned back, envelope in hand, a split second for memory to spin and stop. I introduced myself and started to ask the, "Are you...?" question when she interrupted with her version. This woman had been an eighth grader when I became the principal of her school---her final year there, my first. Thirty-two years ago. As we spoke past the platitudes, I found the thirteen-year-old in her eyes. She told me in some detail of the layered struggles she has battled on behalf of her son and his myriad physical and cognitive challenges. She conveyed no sadness, no anger; rather a focused acceptance and determination to provide for her son. We nodded and smiled at the perhaps not so random reunion, wished each other well, and I returned to my office counting my blessings.