If you’ve been in education longer than a decade, you likely experienced (or heard legends of) the teacher compensation model that encouraged continuous learning at post-secondary institutions. This paralleled state licensing that required graduate credits as part of the license renewal process. The “steps and lanes” approach provided teachers with periodic raises based on years […]
Instruction & Curriculum
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
How I am Teaching My Elementary School Students About AI and Why You Should Too
As a classroom teacher, I have seen firsthand how AI can spark student curiosity. Students are hearing about AI and are excited about the future of technology. But with that flame of curiosity comes a spark of concern. “How can I tell if an image is AI?” “Why do I need to learn how to […]
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Dr. Jennifer Pratt: A legacy of learning, leading, and lasting impact
Dr. Jennifer Pratt’s journey in education is a testament to the power of passion, perseverance, and purpose. From the very beginning, her love for learning and her desire to help others have been the driving forces behind a career marked by innovation, inclusivity, and impact. “A love for learning and helping others sparked my journey […]
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The Carbon Copy: As told by Ms. Reyes, Honors Chemistry Teacher and Reluctant AI Detective
I’ve taught chemistry at Eastwood High for thirteen years. Long enough to tell when something doesn’t add up—even when it looks perfect on paper. It started last Tuesday, after I finished grading the midterms. Normally, I’d be overjoyed when students scored high, but this time, something was off—way off. Three of my juniors: Dustin, Eliana […]
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Standardized testing killed my career.
Standardized testing killed my career. We live in a country where teachers are not respected on the whole. They are tasked with teaching a group of diverse learners with so many different backgrounds, learning styles, and degrees of readiness -whether developmental or amount of exposure. There are special needs students and students who are not […]
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5 Reasons Subbing Might Be Right for You
I never planned on becoming a recovering subbing educator. It just happened. It was the end of my final year as a full-time teacher. One week earlier, I had led what I thought was a killer lesson about The Outsiders. I made all the right teacher moves. My students activated multiple kinds of learning. There […]
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Idaho teacher resigns over inclusive classroom sign
Sarah Inama, a sixth-grade history teacher at Lewis and Clark Middle School in Meridian, Idaho, has submitted her resignation following a dispute with the West Ada School District over inclusive signage in her classroom. Inama, a veteran educator, chose to step down rather than comply with a district directive to remove a poster that read […]
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Trump Administration threatens Harvard University with loss of federal grants
In a dramatic escalation of tensions between the Trump administration and Harvard University, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon sent a blistering letter to Harvard President Dr. Alan Garber on May 5, 2025, declaring the university would no longer be eligible for federal grants. She cited what she called a “systemic pattern of violating federal […]