The Cum Laude Society holds members to high expectations for character. These expectations are embodied in the motto of the Cum Laude Society: arete, dike, time: excellence, justice, honor. That’s a nice motto, but for the world we inhabit today, it strikes me as incomplete. We need to add a fourth concept: empatheia. Empathy. Empathy […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
When Advocacy Meets Overload: A teacher’s journey to support a silent student
In the current landscape of education, schools are increasingly challenged by the growing number of students requiring specialized services due to various needs, including learning disabilities, emotional trauma, and behavioral issues. According to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), approximately 14% of all public school students receive special education services under […]
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New law changes how California kids learn to read
This story was originally published by EdSource. Sign up for their daily newsletter.” Gov. Gavin Newsom’s approval of Assembly Bill 1454 on Thursday marks the culmination of a five-year campaign to change how California children are taught to read. But education advocates say there is still much the state needs to do to ensure the state literacy plan is […]
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How Misinformation in the Parent Sphere Impacts our Students
When we, as educators, think about the devastating impact of misinformation, we think about our students–the conversations that we overhear in hallways, classrooms, and the cafeteria, parroting back sound bites of information and descriptions of videos that they have seen on social media platforms like Tiktok. In 2024, Pew Research analyzed teens, social media, and […]
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Education Secretary says shutdown proves department is unnecessary
On Wednesday, the Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon said that the federal shutdown is proof that her department should be eliminated, a longtime wish of Donald Trump. “The Democrat government shutdown has forced agencies to evaluate what federal responsibilities are truly critical for the American people. Two weeks in, millions of American students are still going […]
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Chronic Absenteeism: The Silent Killer
As a former Texas Master Teacher, I thought I knew everything there was to know about education, as it related to data and metrics. I knew how to tier my students based on their academic needs. I understood the necessity for grouping my students by various demographic markers. I effectively delivered the Texas Essential Knowledge […]
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Department of Education wipes out nearly all of special education office
This is a developing story. The Department of Education has fired nearly everyone in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in a wave of new layoffs that began Friday, according to the union representing the agency’s employees. This comes after the college access program known as TRIO was let go, according to Rachel Gittleman, the […]
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Most Banned Books of the 2024-2025 School Year
According to PEN America, there have been nearly 23,000 book bans in public schools nationwide since 2021, the largest number ever recorded in America. There were 6,870 instances of book banning, nearly 4,000 unique titles, during the 2024-2025 school year. This censorship is being mobilized by groups with conservative viewpoints, such as Moms for Liberty, […]