Charter schools were first conceived in 1988 by then American Federation of Teachers President Albert Shanker. Shanker hoped to open up schools that would be led by teachers who would use innovative methods to help children learn. The idea was to allow students to come to a charter school even if it was not in […]
Current Events in Education
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Elementary School, Featured, High School, Instructional Strategies
Innovating at the End of the School Year
With only weeks of school left, it’s easy for students and teachers to check out. The weather is nice. The state exams are behind us and with them a certain sense of urgency. This time of year can drive a teacher crazy. In many schools including my own in New York City, students have been cooped […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured
A True Testing Reminder
We are in the middle of testing madness. End of Year tests, AP exams, ACT & SAT results, LEAP, iLEAP, and PARCC, whatever you are going through- know that you are not alone. No one can understand the pressure of a high stakes test unless you are personally involved. The weight that is tied to […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, High School, How to Fix Education
Who in the Hell Would Want to Become a Teacher?
“Who in the hell would want to become a teacher?” I said these words as I debated with some colleagues about the fairness of twelve former Atlanta Public School teachers sentenced to prison time for their roles in a well-calculated cheating scandal that spanned the city. As we debated on all of the social ills […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, High School, Instructional Strategies, Middle School, Uncategorized
The Baltimore – Education Reform Connection
The Baltimore neighborhood that was the focus of protests after Freddie Gray’s death exists in every major city in this country. Too often such neighborhoods were once places where families could graduate from high school and get decent jobs. Schools had decent funding and could find ways to help struggling students like Freddie Gray. […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured
Take Time to Reflect: Say Thank You!
My kids have had wonderful teachers, mediocre teachers, and teachers I did not agree with. Teacher Appreciation week transcends this, however, and is a time to thank all teachers for their work in one of the most important profession we have in our society today. Everyday teachers make their way into classrooms around the United […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Turning Reluctant Readers into Life-Long Readers
Reading should not be presented to a child as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift. ~Katie DiCamillo One of my biggest challenges for the past thirteen years as an English teacher has been getting my students to read, and I know I am not alone in this frustration. Getting teenagers […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, High School, Literacy
Choosing the Right High School Reading Intervention Program
Helping students to overcome reading obstacles can be tricky at any age, but it is especially challenging with high school students. Older students find it more difficult to get caught up to their peers. They must deal with feelings of shame, inadequacy, and anger. The teachers who oversee these students’ reading intervention already have a […]