One of the driving forces behind the advancement of bubble-test tyranny in our school systems today is the concept of data-driven decision-making. Back before we tested every student in every subject on almost every day of the year, cigar-chomping school administrators just pulled decisions out of their backsides and hoped they worked. They threw the […]
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Posted inClassroom Management, Fine Arts, How to Fix Education, Uncategorized
If You Build It, They Will Come: How to Build a Successful Choir Program – Educate the Administrative Team
By Anne Guess Read part one here. Part 2: Educate the Administrative Team      In all my years in the Texas public school system, both as a student and a teacher, I have met very few school administrators that were ever music educators. By very few, I mean I can count them all […]
Posted inOpinion, Uncategorized
Unreason on the Throne of American Thought
Conspiracy theories have long enjoyed a quirky place in American public life. We’ve questioned whether there was a second shooter when President Kennedy was assassinated, whether the moon landing actually happened, whether Elvis really died, and whether 9-11 was an inside job. Conspiracy theorists alleging UFO cover-ups have been with us for years. Alternatives to the official […]
Posted inFeatured, Opinion, The Unemployed Teacher
The Unemployed Teacher: Why Do We Become Teachers?
This is my second school year (and 16th month) without a permanent teaching position. Like thousands of other out-of-work teachers, I spend many hours a week looking and applying for jobs. The world of unemployment is filled with extremely relentless efforts that produce very regular rejections. Sometimes you hit a job opening at just the […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, How to Fix Education, Opinion, Uncategorized
The Bliss of Contextual Ignorance
I heard a famous school reform advocate–the kind of guy who says things like “Last time I checked there are no jobs for people who have a mean macaroni art game,” and “Failed schools must be closed and the children provided with vouchers so they can attend good schools”–tell a crowd once how proud he […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Gathering Data in a Standards-Based Literacy Classroom
When was the United States founded? What elements are combined to make Nitrous Oxide? What is the slope of 6x + 7? Which word is spelled correctly in this sentence? These questions may seem awfully familiar as these are the type of base level questions we experienced in our formative years in education. Some may […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education, Opinion, Uncategorized
Part 2: Are Teachers Caught in the Crosshairs of the War on Women?
By: Eva Carafa In Part 1 of this four part series, we considered whether teaching is a low-status profession, despite the platitudes heard every day about the importance of teachers. In Part 2, we’ll consider whether there is a relationship between the War on Women and the War on Teachers currently being fought in the […]
Posted inElementary School, From the Front Lines
When Teachers Leave the Profession: Is It Time to Make a Change?
By: Lynette Walters  Ok!! So you’re fed up! You just can’t take anymore! Your season has ended, you’re bored with the job or no longer feel challenged, the kids are too difficult, or you just need a change….Whatever the reason, whatever the rhyme, you’re ready to leave teaching and do something different.  It’s time to […]