As a young girl glued to the TV, like many, the movie The Miracle Worker had a profound effect on me. I wanted nothing more afterwards than to be a teacher just like Anne Sullivan. I lived in Michigan, and the Michigan School for the Blind, which closed in 1995, was where I wanted to […]
Archives for March 2016
New Leaders—The Pretend Principals
Most people know about Teach for America (TFA), but who are New Leaders (NL)? New Leaders is to principals what Teach for America is to teachers. Jonathan (Jon) Schnur is the main creator of NL. Like TFA’s Wendy Kopp, Schnur has no education degree. He never was a teacher or a principal. A 2004 braggadocio […]
Every Student Succeeds Act in the Future
I started thinking about the future in regard to the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Where will we be with this Act five years from now? The NEA sent out information about the ESSA yesterday. They seem giddy, and I fear they are out-of-touch. I see no such hope for ESSA. Of course, I […]
The Lopsided Curriculum: Where are Science, Social Studies and the Arts?
Little children are like sponges, soaking up knowledge of the world around them every minute. So when they start formal education, how much science, social studies and the arts do students in elementary school get? Teaching these subjects used to be important. Learning in these areas sent some of us into our future professions. We […]
Should We Ban “Special Education”?
What’s in a student’s name? What about the name special education? NPR has an article today about how special education language has evolved. So why not drop the term special ed? I think a lot of parents and teachers would rejoice at that. The trouble with getting rid of words or changing them to be […]
Public v. Private Charter Schools and Bernie Sanders
Sen. Bernie Sanders is praising public education and teachers. Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), a neoliberal group that supports the privatization of public schools, is unfairly making Sanders out to be a flip-flopper on charter schools. When asked about whether he supports charter schools, Sanders says he “supports public charter schools.” He says the same […]
Recess v. Online Social-Emotional Learning
Education Week is reporting about technology to be used to teach social-emotional skills. It’s called Social-Emotional Learning–SEL for short. I find it ironic that at the same time, Florida senators just said no to recess. Are they telling us that computers should be used to teach students how to relate to one another? Is this […]
Real Teachers to the Rescue
For years America’s public school system has had to endure individuals in educational leadership positions that have no real education degrees or background involving how children and adolescents learn—and who have scant experience in the classroom. Think about state superintendents. There’s John White in Louisiana, or Kevin Huffman who once ruled in Tennessee. Of course, […]
Discounting Learning Disabilities in B.C., AU, U.S., and England–and Finding HOPE
Are they ending special education programs where you live? It turns out this is happening around the world. Parents with students who have learning disabilities can’t find assistance, or, like in England, they are mistreated in institutions. But don’t give up. There is hope, as I explain at the end of this post. Parents in […]
What’s WRONG with Florida and its Treatment of Students with Disabilities?
Why are we having this conversation again? Today, I am going to highlight Paula Drew, who, as the mother of a student with profound disabilities, has run up against bullies who want unnecessary, unrealistic Florida testing. Paula has kindly shared her moving speech to the Sarasota County School Board which you can find below. Paula’s […]