An elephant had waltzed through Anthony’s schoolground the morning of the day I interviewed him. Turns out that’s a thing teachers deal with in rural Uganda. It’s not normal, but not entirely rare either—an elephant will wander through the grounds, calf in tow, looking for some maize or sugarcane to munch on. The kids squeal with […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Calls for resignation grow after Memphis school board member’s ICE threat
Memphis Shelby County School Board member Towanna Murphy has issued an apology for threatening to deport Hispanic women who messaged her on social media to criticize her tenure on the school board and called her names. Murphy, the District 7 school board member, represents the Whitehaven and Hickory Hill communities in Memphis Shelby County Schools, the […]
Posted inClassroom Management
Teaching 102: Seven easy ways to bring manners into your classroom
I’ve heard every teacher I know say it at least once: “My students need to practice manners.” Here’s something else I’ve heard them all say right after that: “I don’t have time to teach my students manners.” I get it. I teach English at a middle school on a block schedule. I teach with a […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Top scholar says evidence for special education inclusion is ‘fundamentally flawed’
This article first appeared in The Hechinger Report, a national nonprofit newsroom that reports on one topic: education. Contact staff writer Jill Barshay at 212-678-3595 or barshay@hechingerreport.org. A prominent professor of special education is about to ignite a fierce debate over a tenet of his field, that students with disabilities should be educated as much as possible alongside […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Trump administration gives guidance to school districts to use Title 1 to provide school choice
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education has issued new guidance to state education officials, clarifying how they can use federal formula funds to expand school choice initiatives. The move aligns with President Donald Trump’s executive order and campaign promises to expand school choice. This move would divert Title 1 funds […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Trump administration requests Supreme Court to halt teacher training grants
Update: 4/4/2025: On Friday, the Supreme Court allowed President Trump to temporarily freeze millions of dollars in grants to states used to address teacher shortages. The decision was 5-4, with Chief Justice John Roberts and the three liberal-leaning justices dissenting. In an unsigned option, the states have indicated “that they have the financial wherewithal to […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Impact of DEI Bans on American Schools: Consequences for students and educators
Times are strange, aren’t they? Everyday, sometimes every hour, we are bombarded with “unprecedented” news. As educators, we are accustomed to navigating the twists and turns that come with constant power struggles in our country. However, few things have impacted education as profoundly as the recent bans on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
New lawsuit alleges cuts to the Department of Education impact students’ civil rights
Today, the National Education Association, a coalition of civil rights advocates that include the NAACP and American Federation of States, filed a federal lawsuit in federal district court arguing that the cuts to the Department of Education will impact the civil rights of students and will cause the agency not able to carry out many […]