The battles taking place in the classroom in Virginia are at the core of what it means to be a teacher in American public education today. The debate over mask mandates, the US History curriculum, and how to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ students are all in the news today, with teachers and students in […]
Parents
Posted inParents
10 Lessons About Teaching from My Youngest Son
Isaiah, my second son, celebrated his 3rd birthday on May 4. When he was born and I held him in my arms, I thought about all the things I had learned from his older brother. I went home a few days later and shared my thoughts with you all, only to come around this side […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
What Parents Are Saying When They Are Silent
Teaching is one of the most difficult jobs in the world. Sometimes it can feel like a thankless job. We reach out to parents for support and wait for a response. We call, and they may not answer. Or we only hear from parents when they have a concern. These are all frustrating realities about […]
Posted inCOVID-19
How the Expiration of Emergency Paid Leave Will Cripple Schools
There are plenty of things we want to put behind us in 2020: the businesses that have struggled, folks who have lost their jobs, and, most notably, the friends and family we’ve lost in the pandemic. One thing we cannot leave behind in 2020 is emergency paid leave, but that is set to happen when […]
Posted inBack to School
Staying Within Law: Special Education Teachers and IDEA
Although it’s been a rough start to the 20-2021 school year for most school districts in the United States, school districts are still required to meet the service needs of their special education students. Under IDEA, the Bible for Special Services, also known as the Individuals with Disabilities Act, denotes in detail what our special […]
Posted inParents
15 Things My 4-Year-Old Taught Me About Education
For the last four years, I’ve been updating this list of lessons that my son has taught me about how to be a better teacher. Here is how he has done that: 1 – Make an assessment of life’s priorities. If COVID-19 has taught us nothing else, it’s really — what are your priorities. For […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
The Ideal School Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
What would an ideal school look like? My wife and I, like many educators and parents, have had this question thrust to the forefront as part of the COVID-19 crisis. Overnight, my wife and I–both trained, veteran middle school teachers–have had to set up The Sutton School to teach our own kids. We’ve made all […]
Posted inElementary School
The Instructional Programs and Curriculum are Fatally Flawed
By Guest Writer: Jill Jackson Imagine this: You are a teacher who shows up to professional development at the beginning of the school year and are told that the district has chosen the new English Language Arts/Math/Science/Art/P.E. program after a year-long pilot. (I use the word “pilot” very loosely because typically the curriculum pilots have […]