I learned whose fault the pandemic is. And who’s responsible for the students and their well-being. It’s the teachers. It’s my fault. How do I know this? Because someone told me. Let me rewind a bit…. I’m to Blame During our mid-winter break, I had a scheduled annual EEG appointment for my migraines. This is […]
Posted inCOVID
Miguel Cardona’s Letter to Parents and Students: Our Students and Families are Resilient
As the newly confirmed Education of Secretary, Dr. Miguel Cardona, he writes his first Opinion Piece. Read below. For more information, click here. To our Nation’s Parents and Students: I write first, as your new Secretary of Education, to acknowledge the extraordinarily challenging year you’ve endured. Between the health crisis, economic hardship, staunch national division, […]
Posted inCOVID
President Biden Pushes For Teachers To Get Their COVID Vaccine Dose By March
As teachers continue to push to be pushed ahead of the lines for COVID-19 vaccines, President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he wants every teacher, school staff, and child care worker in the United States to get at least one shot in March. This comes amidst more guidance that says the schools can safely reopen […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teaching Black History for One Month a Year is not Enough
As February comes to a close, another Black History Month ends. No doubt, educators around North America and the world hopefully spent this month intentionally highlighting Black people and their achievements, and their contributions to our societies. Growing up in Jamaica, I hadn’t really had much experience with Black History Month (apart from seeing the […]
Posted inTeacher Self Care
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers: Habit 3 – First Things First
My friend and former student-teacher called me the other week: “I need to vent to you for 10 minutes.” “We were supposed to get the vaccine once our meetings finished today. I received a text at 12:50p telling me the window for the vaccine was 1p-4p. As I was heading out the door, I received […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Opinion: Deliver Us from the Biden Administration’s Focus on Testing During a Pandemic
While working from home, I quite often have Spotify playing in the background when one of my favorite favorites came on — Deliver Us from Prince of Egypt. With the sting of the whip on my shoulder With the salt of my sweat on my brow Elohim, God on high, can you hear your people […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
OPINION: I Chose The New Deputy Secretary of Education Myself Once
The school in which I teach, and now send my daughter to learn, lies in one of the lowest socioeconomic neighborhoods in San Diego. Nearly all of its students qualify for free and reduced lunch, the vast majority of the students speak English as a second language and teachers teach their hearts out. But there’s […]
Posted inCoronavirus, COVID, COVID-19, Current Events in Education
Opinion: Covid-19 Has Shown Us It is Time for a New Grading System
By: Rachael Rudi The Covid-19 pandemic has opened up the opportunity for change within the education system. From racial justice, to access to an internet connection, to whether or not homework is valid, we are witnessing a shift in how schools operate that will not fully return to “normal” once this pandemic ends. The buzzword […]