Welcome to my website and blog! My opinions are my own. This blog is self-supported and written on behalf of public schools. I accept no advertising.
I believe public schools can bring our children together to build a strong democracy and a better country and world.
I focus on and write on a variety of topics in support of public schools. I have posted for 6 years and have met many interesting people through social media.
I was a teacher in the area of special education for many years, and I have a PhD in educational leadership from Florida State University.
You can find posts about special and early childhood education, reading, teachers, administration, school facilities, Common Core, parents and other issues surrounding today’s troubling education reforms.
I search the news, and current research, and critique problematic school reform issues that I believe are harmful to the welfare of students, teachers and parents.
I am always looking to add websites and to showcase writings by others on these topics. If you would like to post something about public schools on my website let me know. You can find the contact information below.
My Top Posts
If you are new to my site, you might be interested in some of my most popular posts.
Early Childhood Education
Are Today’s Children Developmentally Different from Children in the Past?
Oregon Officials Wonder Why Children Act out: Maybe It’s Because…
Special Education
Do Public School Students Need Special Ed. Anymore?
The Loss of Special Education Teachers
Reading
Poverty & Reading: The Sad and Troubling Loss of School Libraries and Real Librarians
Setting Children Up to Hate Reading
The POWER of Picture Books v. High-Stakes Testing & Common Core
Parents
Serving Moms of Students with Special Needs in Public Schools
What’s Scary to Kids: Having Dyslexia and Being Held Back in Third Grade!
Teachers
25 Reasons Why You Should Appreciate Public School Teachers
Teacher Age Discrimination During a So-Called Teacher Shortage
The Arts
The Theft of the Tradition of Music in OUR Public Schools
What Happens to Artists Who Aren’t Good Readers?
Bio
I majored in teaching students with emotional disabilities and my minor was elementary education from Central Michigan University.
I have worked in a variety of areas in special education, including adolescents with emotional and behavioral disabilities and autism.
I worked with students with severe physical and cognitive disabilities at one of the first public school programs. The program was frequently visited by curious policymakers.
Most of my work has been in the area of learning disabilities. My M.Ed is in teaching Learning Disabilities from the University of North Florida. I also earned credentials in developmental disabilities and gifted education from the University of South Florida.
I taught in a public middle school resource class for students with learning disabilities and later a resource class for students at the high school level.
I left teaching, in part, due to my frustration with the school reforms that plague public schools and are intent on privatizing education.
I have been published in Phi Delta Kappan and Education Week. I am an activist on the issue of safe school facilities. In 2012, I was invited to speak about school building safety at the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute’s annual meeting in Memphis, Tennessee.
I was an adjunct instructor in special education until deciding to write full time.
I have authored two books and co-authored the most recent book with Diane Ravitch.
EdSpeak and Doubletalk: A Glossary to Decipher Hypocrisy and Save Public Schooling (Teachers College Press, 2019)
Misguided Education Reform: Debating the Impact on Students (Rowman & Littlefield, 2013)
Losing America’s Schools: The Fight to Reclaim Public Education (Rowman & Littlefield, July 2016)
I am currently working on a book about reading and special education.
I am married and have one daughter who is a graduate student. I enjoy hiking and children’s literature.
My Contact Information
You can contact me via email at nancyebailey@bellsouth.net or follow me on Twitter @NancyEBailey1 or Facebook. I am likely available for speaking engagements.
I have support with the development of this site from Hunter Haley and HNH Marketing.