This summer, when the Trump administration withheld billions of dollars in federal funding from schools, education advocates and state officials sounded the alarm. These funds, intended to support summer and after-school programs for migrant students, English learners, and underserved communities, have yet to be distributed, despite being authorized in a continuing resolution passed in March […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Trump adminstration ends protections for English Language Learners
Under the directive of President Donald J. Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon, the U.S. Department of Education has ended federal guidelines set in 2015 on how to serve English Language Learners. These shifts are expected to impact more than 5.3 million English learners in the U.S. K-12 public education system, as well as the schools […]
Posted inCulturally Responsive Teaching
Teachers have major reservations about restorative justice. Let’s Dispel 3 Myths
Tanya* arrived late to class and told me that Chris* pushed her into the bushes because he thought it was funny. Although I asked Chris about this in a calm and non-accusatory tone, he became confrontational, yelling and dropping F-bombs. This incident occurred a couple of weeks into the school year, so I didn’t know […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Trump Administration orders universities to disclose detailed admissions data on race and sex
On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed a memorandum requiring universities to collect detailed admissions data to prove they are not shaping student bodies along racial lines, according to the White House. The order marks the administration’s latest step in dismantling affirmative action policies in higher education. The directive, carried out by U.S. Secretary of Education […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
From school corridors to classrooms: rethinking parental involvement in early literacy
As both an educator and a parent navigating two distinct school environments – first as a volunteer instructor in South Bend, Indiana, and later as a parent at Oak Street Elementary in Falls Church, Virginia – I’ve come to recognize that parental involvement in early literacy is as nuanced as it is essential. From informal […]
Posted inBack to School
More than a Message: The Power of proactive family communication
The dreaded email or phone call home lurks within every educator’s mind. Whether you are a first-year teacher or a seasoned teacher, you have experienced this feeling. But what if there was a way to make this less troublesome? As I’ve grown professionally as an educator, I have come to find that building partnerships with […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
What do you see in 33 + 45? A case for visual math
When you hear or look at the math problem: 33 + 45… what do you see? I ask students and even adults this question fairly often. The numbers in the equation may change but the question is always about what they see. I teach middle school math and I am a visual math learner. I […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
ATA: A child started a rumor about a teacher’s marriage. Now she wants to try out for her sports team.
A Teacher Asks… I am a 12th grade teacher and had a parent (and their child) last year who spread a rumor that I was having an affair with another co-worker. This lie was “corroborated” because both of us coach teams and we’re friends. Nothing inappropriate has (or will ever) happen, but the damage is […]