The Governor of California, Gavin Newson, signed AB 1078, a bill by Assemblyman Dr. Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley” which bans “book bans” in schools, prohibits censorship of instructional materials, and strengthens California law requiring schools to provide all students access to textbooks that teach about California’s diverse communities. “From Temecula to Tallahassee, fringe ideologues across […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Banned Books Week: The Most Banned Books in 2022
Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe: Gender Queer: A Memoir is a 2019 graphic memoir written and illustrated by Maia Kobabe. It recounts Kobabe’s journey from adolescence to adulthood and the author’s exploration of gender identity and sexuality, ultimately identifying as being outside of the gender binary. Reasons for bans: LGBTQIA+ content claimed to be sexually explicit All Boys […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Book Bans: South Carolina Department of Education Breaks Ties with State Librarians
The most recent controversy concerning the state of South Carolina and book bans happened recently with the State Superintendent Ellen Weaver touches on school libraries and policies. The state superintendent recently severed ties between the South Carolina Department of Education and SCASL (South Carolina Association of School Librarians), ending a 50-year partnership. The break with […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Controversial Literature on Wheels: Banned Books Wagon Touring the American South”Banned Books Wagon will tour in the American South
Next week is Banned Books Week, and to bring awareness to the continued banning of books in school districts across America, the Penguin Random House’s Banned Book Wagon will be traveling throughout the American South to bring awareness to the banning of books. In conjunction with the Freedom to Read Foundation, PEN American and Free […]
Posted inPedagogy
The Building Blocks for Strong Middle and High School Writers
It was year five in my teaching career, and our principal called us in to bemoan our writing scores from the previous year. It was all the same buzzwords (fidelity, accountability, etc.), and I remember asking a question that changed my teaching beliefs. “If we want kids to be better writers, why aren’t we making […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
Coping with the Loss and Grief of a Teacher Bestie
Teacher Bestie: Writing has always been a cathartic vehicle for tumultuous times throughout my life. When I had a catastrophic miscarriage of quadruplets, lost my beautiful grandmother, or lost a decades-long friend who was the absolute kindest soul I knew, I leaned on my faith, my circle of support, and all that I ever learned […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
The Case for More Accountability: It’s Time to Blame the Parents
As you read this headline, I know you cringed- so did I as I wrote it. But as I grapple with retiring after 25 years in the classroom due to student (and parent) misbehavior, it’s something that I feel uniquely qualified to say. There will be some people who will not hear what I’m saying, […]
Posted inFrom the Front Lines
Equity In TAG Implementation: Pull-Out Services Vs. Differentiated Instruction
My son, Atticus, was nominated to be tested for the Talented and Gifted (TAG) program in first grade. He got on a school bus for the very first time and spent 4 hours taking tests at a nearby school. A few months later, we were shocked to learn that his scores officially placed him into […]