By Thomas Courtney When I was a child, Mr. Rogers taught me how I was a part of my community through the magic of TV. Mr. Rogers would take us to the post office to see how mail was sorted. He would take us to a factory to see how things like tomatoes were canned […]
Current Events in Education
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Now That Betsy Devos is on Her Way Out, Here Are 7 Picks for Her Replacement
There’s a lot to celebrate with Joe Biden’s election. The glass ceiling shattered when Madame Vice President Kamala Harris stepped onto the acceptance stage in suffragette white. Black women turned out in record numbers, truly changing the trajectory of the election (thanks, Stacey Abrams!) The fear that many of us lived with under Trump is […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
“Patriotic Education” is a Problem
Last week, TheEducatorsRoom hosted a Twitter Chat titled “Is Teaching Political?” It was a conversation prompted in part by President Trump’s announcement of a commission–The 1776 Commission–to design a “patriotic education” program one month earlier. At the heart of his plan is an opinion that “left-wing indoctrination in our schools” is destroying the country. Instead […]
Posted inConfessions of a Teacher
Working Remote or Remotely Working?A Day in the Life of Teacher Who Resigned
Before the school year began, I decided to resign as a teacher due to living in a pandemic riddled world. I made my prayerful decision based on my health concerns and that of my husband. No way would I risk exposing either of us to COVID-19 by entering a Petri dish environment of my classroom […]
Posted inAdult Learning
What it Means to be a Principal During a Pandemic
Guest Writer: Dr. Noor Ali, Principal, Al-Hamra Academy Of course, nobody prepared school leaders for a pandemic-sized crisis. This is understood. Nobody is ever prepared for the exception. We prepare for the norm, and if we’re adventurous, we plan to push the envelope on the norm to create a change agency. We calculate, evaluate, and […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
SPLC’s “Credit Overdue”: Why it Matters for Youth Offenders
The Southern Poverty Law Center recently released a report about the education challenges incarcerated youth face, called Credit Overdue. After exploring legislation, policies, and real-life experiences of youth in multiple states, the SPLC uncovered a troubling trend: many students who serve time in juvenile detention are not awarded credit for the coursework they complete at […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Good Teaching Is Political…Or At Least It Should Be
Several weeks ago, President Trump announced his plans for a patriotic education commission, dubbed the 1776 Commission. He simultaneously criticized teachers for indoctrinating students and urged them to focus on America’s strengths; the president has confused indoctrination and education. Picking and choosing what history to emphasize or highlight based on how it makes the nation […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
10 Reasons Why American Reconstruction Is the Most Important Unit I’ll Teach This Year
When I first started teaching the second-half of American history, my colleagues and I fell in love with the curriculum. The Civil War, the World Wars, the industrialization and rise of America, and the jazz age all piqued our interests. But one unit that always left us wanting more was Reconstruction. Often glossed over as […]