It’s easier to be ideological if you don’t have children sitting in front of you day after day. When you’re trying an approach and it’s not working, you have to back up and say, ‘I have to try something else.’ You can’t say [students] don’t fit the program. ~Dottie Fowler, a 15-year veteran teacher, 1998 […]
Archives for May 2018
On this Memorial Day: Remembering Protectors of Children and Public Schools
On this day, Americans rightfully remember those who fought and died for our freedom. Maybe they will have a barbecue. Perhaps they will make use of the sales and go shopping at the mall. But when they hang the flag, they will thank those who made our country safe, so we can say what we […]
Smaller Class Sizes and REAL Personalized Learning are Needed for Safer Schools
*This post was written in 2018, after the school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas. Ask how large class sizes are today, and what schools are logically doing to improve safety. Once again, families and a community are mourning—this time in Santa Fe, Texas. Policymakers must address gun control, mental health services, and school safety. There’s […]
The Danger of Online (Or Any) Pre-Kindergarten Assessment
When did we become a nation that harshly judges how young children learn? How does such inappropriate evaluation of children make our country great? The focus should be on the children and their needs. Also, does online preschool assessment violate a young child’s right to privacy? I think parents and teachers should be concerned. I […]
Here’s to Moms and Teachers: Standing Together for Great Public Schools!
Happy Mother’s Day! And Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! It’s interesting that these celebrations both happen around the same time. I’ve written salutes in the past. Here’s to moms! Here’s to teachers! Moms and teachers work together to provide students the best education. Moms Moms don’t just bake cupcakes for bake sales, although if they do […]
How Did We Learn to Read? Is There a Teacher to Thank?
The debate surrounding how to teach children to read is ongoing. What we tend to forget and ignore is how we learned to read ourselves. I think it’s important to address what helped make us the readers we are today, or what problems we encountered. Perhaps we can recall what worked, and what didn’t, by […]
Beware of Tech Titans Bearing Gifts
Chicago is getting $14 million through the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) that will be used for personalized learning, placing children online for their schooling. They are advertising their gift as “Supporting Chicago’s Teachers in Personalized Learning.” The Chan-Zuckerberg website motto is “We believe in a future for everyone.” Here’s my question. Do they believe in a […]
Stealing Vocational Dreams: Pushing Career Education Too Soon
If you have a middle school student, chances are the school they’re attending is already discussing career options. While there’s always been a place at this age for discussing a child’s hopes and dreams for the future, the push to make career-ready children is creating a lot of anxiety among parents. Much of this involves […]