About four years ago my wife called me at school and told me that our oldest daughter had gotten off the school bus crying. Walking up our 100 feet of driveway between the road and our door, she had her report card in one hand and was clearly trying to gather herself before getting to […]
reform
Posted inFeatured, Teacher Leaders
A Teacher’s Intuition..The School Reform Model
Education reform needs to include a renewed respect for the teaching profession, along with respect for the knowledge and intuition that teachers bring to the classroom. It may be uncomfortable for the drivers of the current reform narrative to admit, but it needs to be discussed because many of the “choices” pushed to the forefront […]
Posted inUncategorized
High Expectations Are Not New For Students
High expectations have become “the raised bar” There is nothing wrong with high expectations, or with “raising the bar”. Good teaching includes working towards students having a depth in skills, and the ability to maintain rigor in their studies. It has always been that way. What has been happening through current corporate-driven reforms, though, is […]
Posted inCommon Core, Featured, Opinion
School VALUES, not "Standards"
Let’s start talking about shared core values, not common standards, please. My colleagues, my students, their parents, my own children… none of them are “common” or “standard.” This sentiment isn’t new to anyone who is serious about education and has done it for any length of time, or to anyone who has children of their […]
Posted inCommon Core, Featured, Opinion
School VALUES, not “Standards”
Let’s start talking about shared core values, not common standards, please. My colleagues, my students, their parents, my own children… none of them are “common” or “standard.” This sentiment isn’t new to anyone who is serious about education and has done it for any length of time, or to anyone who has children of their […]
Posted inOpinion
Redefining Education
I’m a big picture sort of person. I like to think about the larger scope of things and how the here and now feeds into the larger scheme of things. Sometimes this is a huge curse, seeing as how I live somewhat in a fairytale-type of mentality most of the time. Yet I have been […]
Posted inFeatured, From the Front Lines, Special Education, Uncategorized
Why I Fled Special Ed (and How to Fix It)
At the end of last year, I had had enough of my job. After eight years as an expert Special Education teacher, I felt that I could no longer do my job and stay sane. I wanted out! I knew from previous experiences that, despite my certifications and work history, I would not easily get […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Featured, Uncategorized
Urban Schools for Sale
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 […]