There is a great deal of “education reform” going on in the United States today. In the name of reform the first targets are urban schools and districts. If you are not in one of those districts, you may have no idea of what a dangerous precedent is being set up or how it could […]
charter schools
Posted inFeatured, Opinion, Principals' Corner
Are You at the Wrong School? 10 Questions to Ask Yourself
Dictionary.com defines a school as “an institution where instruction is given, especially to persons under college age.” But a school is so much more than that for a teacher. It isn’t just a structure housing our profession, it’s where we change students’ lives, root for the sports teams, and call a second home. It’s possibly a place […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, High School, Middle School, School Improvement, Uncategorized
Just the Facts: Charter High School Performance in Memphis, TN
My school has a strong data driven culture. We use data not just to identify grade level or class wide trends, but trends with individual students. Because it’s not enough for me to know that the entire class scored, say, an 80 percent on a specific assessment. I need to be able to identify high, […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, From the Front Lines, High School
I Don't Believe in School Choice and Neither Should You
Across the country there was a tour going on named “The School Choice Tour” that’s been hitting cities in the United States touting how important it is for parents to have school choice for their children. I imagine their tour stops are full of parents and students who get up and speak about how their […]
Posted inCharter Schools
Got Discipline? (Charter School Diaries)
Year 2 Week 3- 1/21 – 1/25 One of my roles as an assistant principal is school disciplinarian. I loathe this role. My charter school uses a lottery system to enroll students. There are no requirements to apply to the school; prospective students are vetted somewhat, however we do not reject any applications. We have rules, […]
Posted inFeatured, Opinion
Different Ways of Educating
I was told by a high school counselor not too long ago that if a student couldn’t function in a typical high school setting, he would not be able to function in life. Her take on it was that a typical high school is a true population sampling of what types of people ‘real life’ […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Principals' Corner, Uncategorized
Saving Public Education – Saving Our Students: The Philadelphia Story
[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”] There is a war on public education, and Philadelphia could be the model used to privatize education, especially education for the disadvantaged. I believe teachers, as the experts, need to be […]
Posted inCharter Schools, High School
New Year, Same Song (Charter School Diaries)
Year 2 Week 1 (9/2 – 9/6) [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”] The beginning of any school year marks the chance to start over… students who wish to earn good grades and actually learn something; teachers […]