There is a great deal of “education reform” going on in the United States today. In the name of reform the first targets are urban schools and districts. If you are not in one of those districts, you may have no idea of what a dangerous precedent is being set up or how it could […]
Current Events in Education
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Opinion
Why Multicultural Education is the Answer
By Guest Writer Jennifer Healey After days of reading and watching various opinions and analyses of the recent attacks in Paris, I have concluded that the American public school system may well be our most important weapon in the fight against terrorism. When students are taught to respect differences and tolerate that which they […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Opinion
Dear Leaders: A Letter from a Teacher
Teachers have an untapped resource we have not been using. We have knowledge and experience and it is our responsibility to voice our concerns with leaders in our community, state and nation. What would happen if every teacher wrote to someone in power? What if you stopped what you were doing right now and wrote […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Elementary School
Letter From A Teacher On MLK Day
My Dear Fellow Colleagues, Critics, Politicians, and Aspiring Professionals: While I am happily undertaking the responsibilities of influencing the lives of young people, I have come across many comments, news articles, blog entries, and other choice pieces of that my choice of profession are “unwise and untimely.” While all of these pieces are of serious […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy
Literature Circle Roles in New Wrappings
Educators regularly refurbish old ideas with new wrappings. Take for example, the literature circle. The literature circle has been in education since 1982 when, according to Wikipedia, fifth grade students in Karen Smith’s class, organized themselves loosely into groups, and started to discuss individual novels. Smith was surprised at the degree of their engagement with the books and the […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Give Them Time and A Book of Their Choice in School
I have seen how the monthly Scholastic Publishing Company book flyer can set student readers’ hearts aflutter. Scholastic’s marketing through classroom book clubs gives them direct access to all levels of student readers, and when a school hosts a Scholastic book fair, students can browse books or products with book title tie-ins. Moreover, Scholastic offers resources to teachers including lesson plans, discussion guides, […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Uncategorized
The Math Wars: Are We Winning or Losing the Battle?
The math wars began in the 1990’s in California. At that time reforms were being made to mathematics curriculum for high school students which focused on moving from concrete instruction to abstract mathematical thinking. Many of the reform programs were being funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the hope that more students would […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Opinion
No Child Left Behind: 13 Unlucky, Yucky Years
On January 8th, 2002, President George W. Bush signed a revolutionary law into action – the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). It was a pretty easy bill to sign into law: it was introduced in the House by Committee on Education and Labor Chair (and current Speaker) John Boehner, a Republican, and Sen. Ted […]