I am not a fan of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. I wasn’t fond of Arne Duncan either. And after working under John King when he led New York’s schools I didn’t cheer for his appointment. But Betsy DeVos represents a different challenge to public school teachers, students, and families. I shared feelings of anger, fear, […]
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Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Protesters Were Wrong to Block Betsy DeVos From School
One of the continuing traditions of my classroom is to display 100’s of inspirational and thought provoking quotes. And one of the quotes I have on that border is by famed Chicago journalist Sydney J. Harris, who says, “The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” While I’ve had more than my […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
The Educator’s Room Statement on the Appointment of Betsy DeVos
At The Educator’s Room we have been energized to see how many people have recognized the importance of a strong public education system and have stepped up to take action on behalf of our students and teachers. The support has been non-partisan with Democratic, Republican, and Independent voters questioning who would think to be a good […]
Posted inCharter Schools
Meet Betsy DeVos, Our New Secretary of Education
Today it was announced that President-Elect Donald Trump has chosen Betsy DeVos, a top Republican Donor, and School Choice Advocate to head the Department of Education. As teachers, we’ve already had a contentious relationship with the two predecessors to the job, but before we get into policy, it’s important to understand who Betsy DeVoe is […]
Posted inOpinion
Dear Betsy, Thanks for the Memories
Dear Betsy, I heard you resigned today because of all the bad things the president said at his insurrection party. You just finally had enough, huh? Hey don’t worry, I agree with you. It wasn’t pretty. My students think so too. In fact, we didn’t like Trump’s rhetoric either. I guess we just noticed […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Responding to DeVos’s Negligent #SOTU19 Response
With Donald Trump’s 2019 State of the Union address in the rear-view mirror, we are left to reflect on and process the 82-minute sermon. Naturally, education received some attention in the speech, as it has for countless other SOTUs. This time, Trump shared 16 particular words about his education policy: “To help support working parents, […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Elementary School, High School, How to Fix Education, Mental Health, Middle School, Opinion, teacher attrition, Teacher Burnout
Creative Solutions to the Teacher Shortage Problem
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Dear Superintendents, It’s Back to School season! But you may have noticed that many of your teachers aren’t coming back to school this year. First of all, don’t take it personally. You’re not alone. There’s a national teacher shortage […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
The Dismantling of Public Education Part 3: Privatization
Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! Regardless of your opinions on school choice and voucher programs, the conversation around dismantling public education cannot ignore their role. Partly a product of a charter school myself (and later a public school teacher), I take the privatization of […]