I began my teaching career in 1995. I had no experience with school resource officers, exterior doors at most schools were unlocked during the day, and metal detectors were used only in extreme cases. Then on April 20, 1999, the Columbine tragedy changed the conversation about the nature of schools and about the youth of America. The perpetrators […]
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Posted inTeacher Leaders
Back in School: Pre-Game
The anxiety dreams have begun. I have several, but here’s the basic plot of my most frequent night-terror: Some how it went unnoticed that I didn’t have enough credits to graduate from high school (in 1985) . . . a fact that was missed by my undergraduate college and the four subsequent graduate institutions which […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured
Red, White and Back-to-School
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Every year right after the Fourth of July something magical happens. Shelves, which were previously filled with bright summer cookout and beach essentials, now become filled with #2 pencils, binders, and […]
Posted inHigh School, Opinion
{Opinion Piece} Prayer Back in Schools
I confess- I am a believer in the most high God. So it comes as no surprise that I am all for prayer in school. As a young child I never had the privilege of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a morning prayer. However, there were many days as a public inner city […]
Posted innews
School Shootings: When the drills become real
Within twelve days, The Dallas-Fort Worth area has experienced two school shootings. The first shooting occurred at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in Dallas, Texas, on April 12, 2024. A teenage boy was shot in the leg by a 17-year-old, who sneaked a .38 revolver into the school, past several metal detectors. A Wilmer-Hutchins teacher’s courageous efforts […]
Posted inAsk a Teacher
When Your School Principal is Mean Jean the Recess Queen
Teaching was my dream job until the new principal/sheriff came to town. As I sit here typing this submission, I am at home because I need a mental health day. I have only been at work 30 days since 12 weeks of FMLA and approximately $15,000 in lost wages due to anxiety and depression. But […]
Posted innews
Innovative charter schools arrive in Montana, but not without a fight
In January of 2024, the Montana Board of Public Education approved the creation of nineteen public charter schools. These schools address a variety of needs, from multilingual students in Bozeman to teacher recruitment and retention in my district in Great Falls. HB 549, which was sponsored by former school administrator turned legislator Dr. Fred Anderson, […]