The New York State Department of Education’s new standardized tests were administered last week. The tests for grades 3-8 were developed by the educational testing company Pearson and contained new “authentic” passages aligned to the new Common Core State Standards. State tests might have been routine news had not several teachers also noticed that the English Language […]
Current Events in Education
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teachers, Being Loyal May Cost You Your Professional Career
Yesterday in my staff meeting, we found out that the founder of my school was leaving the school to pursue other career opportunities within the district. He was obviously torn between his decision to stay at the school he founded but eventually opted to do what was best for him professionally. As he broke the […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, Middle School, Opinion
We Need a New Progressive Era for our Schools
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Recently, a blog post written by Dr. Kathleen Berchelmann called “18 Reasons Why Doctors and Lawyers Homeschool Their Children” hit the internet big time. In it, Dr. Berchelmann explains why it […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, Opinion, The Unemployed Teacher
The Unemployed Teacher: Life After High School
–an installment in the ongoing series The Unemployed Teacher— I enjoyed a two hour coffee get together with one of my former students the other day. I was so energized after that meeting – and as I reflected on how proud I was of the path my student had followed after graduating from high school, […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Current Events in Education, Featured, Middle School
Politics As Usual – Pt.1 (Charter School Diaries #12)
Week 3/25-3/29 [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] In any job, there is always office politicking going on. In public education, district-wide politicking is the norm. The cycle is never ending. Policymakers are pressured by parents who […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, Instruction & Curriculum, Middle School, Opinion
What Frustrates Me About Non-Public Schools
This article is published simultaneously with its partner article, “What Bothers Me About Public Schools“ Let me preface this article by saying that I am in no way, shape, or form opposed to private or charter schools. There’s a school for every child on this planet, and for some students, it’s not a public […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Opinion, Principals' Corner
What Bothers Me About Public Schools
This article is published simultaneously with its partner article, “What Frustrates Me about Non-Public Schools.” As a teacher who will never say “I’ve seen or heard it all,” I have become disenchanted with public schools, especially in Oklahoma. I feel that our schools, overall, do a severe injustice to our students by not providing […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Current Events in Education, Middle School, Opinion
Study Your Students (Charter School Diaries #11)
Week 3/18 – 3/22 Educators can be some of the most rigid people in a school. Many educators believe that the schoolhouse is simply for kids to come prepared to learn and that they should only do just that; students are to be well behaved, fed, rested and prepared to learn. Unfortunately, that is not […]