With the American school year still in its infancy, it’s worthwhile to note that the people doing the actual educating are down in the dumps. Teachers feel more beaten down this year than last. Some are walking into their classrooms unsure if this is still the job for them. Their hearts ache with quiet anguish […]
How to Fix Education
Posted inCommon Core, How to Fix Education, Opinion, School Improvement, Uncategorized
Common Standards, Disparate Lives
I get the push for common standards, I really do. Poor students shouldn’t be doomed to lesser expectations. As much as I dislike George Bush’s No Child Left Behind and all the unintended(?) negative consequences it has had on public education, I must admit that the “soft bigotry of low expectations” was and is a […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, How to Fix Education, Uncategorized
Social Justice Belongs in Education – The Teachers 4 Social Justice Conference 2013
[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”] Schools have functioned over the centuries to reproduce the status quo and existing power structures – so how can we, as teachers, effectively resist that system while working in it? This […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, How to Fix Education, Uncategorized
NYC Mayoral Election and Education
This is an important year for all New York City Public School teachers. The Bloomberg Era of being unable to work with the teacher’s union is finally coming to a close. Because New York City is one of the largest public school systems in the country, the new policies rolled out by the new mayor […]
Posted inClassroom Management, From the Front Lines, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, New Teacher Bootcamp, The New Teacher Chronicles, Uncategorized
No “Over” Needed in Whelmed New Teachers
My school district completed four days of first class professional development that began with a visit from Dave Burgess, the author of Teach Like a Pirate and ended with faculty-led collaborative committees organizing for an accreditation visit from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). In four short days, the veteran teachers adjusted, organized classrooms, and prepared […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, How to Fix Education
Back to School Tips for Elementary Teachers
Every year the back-to-schools sales start and I am excited and yet apprehensive about beginning a new school year. This is my 17th year teaching. Seventeen years of setting up a learning space for students and families. Seventeen years of a new class list, Open House, Parent Night, and the first week. Every year I […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Elementary School, How to Fix Education, Kindergarten, Uncategorized
Education News: Florida Education Commissioner Resigns Amidst Controversy
[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”] Under Governor Rick Scott, Florida’s education system has undergone a massive overhaul the last few years. Part of the overhaul included severe accountability rules with school report cards based on students’ […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, High School, How to Fix Education, New Teacher Bootcamp, The New Teacher Chronicles
Education News: An Arkansas School District Arms 20 Teachers
Guns and gun violence in schools have been intense topics of discussion for many years now. Since the shootings in Connecticut in December, 2012, some politicians and school districts have begun to entertain the idea of arming teachers and other staff within their schools. Last week, the administration of Clarksville High School in Clarksville, Arkansas […]