“It’s not having what you want,” quips Roslyn Assistant Superintendent Pam Gluckin in her Long Island accent, “it’s wanting what you got.” And what educators got from HBO’s Bad Education was a harrowing detail of a pair of school administrators gone rogue with the school district’s treasury, sacking $11.2 million before they were caught… by […]
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For Students Who Can’t Read, Computers Won’t Help Them- But Teachers Can
Jason in my 2nd-period class can’t read. He decodes one-syllable words alright, but anything more, he won’t get. Maureen in period 10, she can read. Ask her a question about what she just read and she will stare blankly back at you.  Javier is in my 5th period, I’m not sure about hi. He has […]
Teacher Perspectives of Educating K-12 Students During a Pandemic
Guest Writer: Courtney Mathews States across the country have shut down public and private schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in parents having to manage their child’s schoolwork overnight. While the majority of teachers had to shift their instruction to meet distance learning standards. Some districts have been distance learning since the […]
Up At Night, Thinking of My Students’ Well-Being – Here’s Why, and What We Can Do About It
I have a confession to make: since school doors have closed and education has moved online, I have slept terribly. Insomnia arouses my slumber around 2 or 3 a.m., and I tend to look at the ceiling for an hour before trodding downstairs for my first cup of coffee. What’s cajoling this 8th-grade teacher into […]
The New Normal: Teaching is as it Should Be
Here we go again.  Many people are struggling with the new normal surrounding education and COVID-19. The kids have too much work. The teachers aren’t doing enough. It’s all busywork. Can you believe there are 5 live class meetings each week? Can you believe there is only 1 live meeting a week? How will students […]
Teaching with a mask on: How does a corona school function?
25,327 deaths. 579, 005 infections. 16.9 million unemployment claims. $1200 stimulus check. 124,000 schools closed. 55 million students impacted. Thirty-five million COVID-19 tests needed—every day. The numbers are staggering. The grief is real and relentless. Our collective losses, although significant, are dwarfed by a terrible state of limbo. When will the country re-open?  How will the country re-open? Of course, […]
New York City Schools Are Closed. Now What?
We pride ourselves on toughness in New York City. Part of this identity has been the rareness of school closures. Arguing with the mayor about snow days we didn’t get is an annual ritual for New York City public school teachers and families (before climate change at least). So, the decision to close our schools […]
Education is Political and Governor DeSantis Is Playing a Dangerous Game
Guest Writer: Tamara Russell Education is political. This is an inescapable fact. Here in Florida, we are seeing a resurgence of public interest in how decisions get made around education. Let me tell you who is not getting asked about a darn thing: teachers. No one asked us if we thought it would be ‘normal’ […]