Posted inHigh School

The Great American School Shuffle

I am a bit of an eavesdropper. When I hear the word school uttered in a conversation near me, I perk up. Like a prairie dog popping out of its hole, my neck lengthens, and I turn my head towards the speaker.   My nosey nature concerning talk of education has led me to two observations:   A majority […]

Posted inCollege and Career

Activists Are Needed in Education

The year: 1980 Activists in education are needed now more than ever. I was thirteen years old when I saw this coming. A smug ex-actor with Brylcreemed hair dropped a condescending line in a presidential debate. That isn’t a big deal by itself, especially when you consider how low the presidential decency bar currently is. […]

Posted inInstruction & Curriculum

It’s time to talk about the culture of fear around standardized testing

The temperatures are warming. The skies are bright. The birds are chirping. Spring fever is in full effect, and everyone is awaiting summertime! Unfortunately for educators and students, there is a huge hump to get over…standardized testing. End of the year assessments are looming over us. It seems like the entire school year comes down […]

Posted inCharter Schools

OPINION: What if Betsy DeVos is not wrong about everything? The case for more choices in K-12 education.

The U.S. Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, and I do not see the world the same way.  She is interested in privatizing education to support an agenda where parents can use public monies to attend private (mostly religious, mostly Christian) schools.  DeVos and her allies have supported charter schools, which have diverted much-needed resources from public […]