WARNING: This article could have been twice or five or ten times as long. The fact that I listed only five items reflects not my naivety, but my desire to keep this article under 1500 words and my editor happy. Enjoy! #1: Back to School Night. Nobody wants to say it so I will. No […]
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Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teachers Matter: Attributes of an Effective Secretary of Education
Recently, Elizabeth Warren made headlines with what seems to be a surprising announcement to many. Warren, who is among many other contenders for the 2020 presidential election, announced that if elected president, she will ensure her Education Secretary is “a former public school teacher who is committed to education.” This comment comes after her (one […]
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 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 […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
It’s Time to Spill The Tea About Education…
“Spilling the tea” is teenage slang that this history teacher can appreciate. Like those 342 rebels that protested taxation without representation on December 16, 1773, in Boston harbor, it is time for educators (teachers and administrators) to become revolutionaries. Although the slang of the terms is typically about gossip, the “T” in tea is also […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Teachers Pay Teachers-The Fast Food of Education
At first glance, Teachers Pay Teachers, a monetized lesson plan site, appears to be a win-win offering. There are lesson plans and educational materials marketed by vendors (teachers) who make a small profit on the sale. The first win is for the teachers selling the plans. Many teachers could use the extra income from selling […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
Cory Booker Is No Friend Of Public Education
The field of Democratic presidential candidates is wide open. Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Senator Cory Booker, and Senator Kamala Harris have all dipped their toes in the chilly water that is the 2020 election. Choices are usually positive in most things, except when it comes to school choice. Of all the politicians mentioned above, Cory […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
The Dangers of For-Profit Education
Betsy DeVos, the current education secretary, has made headlines again regarding investigations of fraudulent for-profit colleges. On May 13 2018, The New York Times reported that investigations on several for-profit colleges had “ground to a halt”. Many of the team members appointed by DeVos were former employees at those entities being investigated, most notably, Julian […]