Racism is different. It’s fraught, and it’s hard to discuss, and so as a result we often don’t – Jodi Picoult. Every year that I have taught, To Kill a Mockingbird has been in the curriculum. As a lover of literature, I am excited to share this masterpiece with my students. And every year, most students […]
Current Events in Education
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Not My Secretary of Ed (Why the butt that Occupies the Federal Seat Matters to my Classroom)
There is a difference between “government” and “politics.” The former regards the design of a specific seat in our system; what power is vested in it, and what checks balance that power. The latter regards what butt happens to occupy that seat at a specific time. The butts change, typically per Presidential administration, but […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured
Teaching a New Generation: Changing the World in a Changing World
Almost everyone I know hated 2016. It was the year that equally ticked off the populace. When the New Year’s Ball dropped, America collectively sighed with relief; we were ready for a new beginning. Resolutions in hand, January 1st arrived… and not a damn thing is changing. Sure, the New Year’s placebo effect hasn’t completely […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
“An Education System Flush with Cash [and] Students Deprived of All Knowledge”
“An Education System Flush with Cash [and] Students Deprived of All Knowledge” In President Donald Trump’s Inaugural Address, these were his first official words about American public education. While it’s all too easy to jest that President Trump could have been possibly referring to his Education Secretary choice Betsy DeVos (who has donated $5.3 million to campaigns […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
“Letters Prove G. Washington a Coward!”- Fake News, circa 1776
Click bait headlines, such as the one above, may not have been “liked” instantaneously around the 13 original American colonies, but fake news and misinformation was still a factor in the news cycle of 1776. A close look at American history reveals that fake news has been around since the country’s inception, and even the honorable George Washington had […]
Posted inSocial Studies
Why This Social Studies Teacher Attends All Inaugurations
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States… So help me God.” The first time these words were spoken was during George Washington’s First Inaugural whereby […]
Posted inCommon Core
Poverty, Parents, Homework and Kitchen Tables
Poverty is more than just an excuse Policymakers and mainstream education reformers have been chronically unwilling to acknowledge education research and evidence indicating the impact of poverty on school children and the need for social and economic reforms. Yet at the same time they demand attention to and respect for the test data they believe […]
Posted inTeacher Leaders
What My Students Have Taught Me About Politics: Communication
Based on the definition of the word, one would probably say I am a liberal. Needless to say, I think I’m actually a bit of a centrist, agreeing with stances and policies on both ends of the political spectrum. On Election Night, much of our country was sitting on pins and needles; waiting to see who […]