By Stefanie Rysdahl Fuhr Many states insist that students read by third grade. If students have difficulties they might be retained. Students might master reading later. They should not be punished if they aren’t reading perfectly in third grade. Last spring I sent this letter to my state legislators. Feel free to use it as […]
Betsy DeVos and the Separation of Church and State During Covid-19
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who is supposed to represent public schools, recently visited a Catholic school in Grand Rapids. She used this school to irresponsibly drive home the idea that it’s safe to have in-person classes. She said All schools in MI need an in-person option. Sacred Heart shows that it can be done. Then […]
Impact of President Trump’s Covid-19 Deception on Public Schools
The chief function of a President is to make responsible decisions and to keep Americans safe, especially children and society’s most vulnerable. Bob Woodward, in his new book Rage tells of a president who was publicly playing down the coronavirus threat without acknowledging the severity of the virus, which has now claimed over 190,000 American […]
Who Should Be the Next Education Secretary at This Critical Juncture in History?
Bloggers have been speculating about a Biden/Harris education secretary. During this critical time in American history, that individual should be a black or brown woman, who has been a teacher of young children, and who understands child development. She should hold an education degree and have an additional leadership degree and experience that will help […]
91 Examples of Americans At Odds About Covid-19 as Students Start School
When it comes to Covid-19 and reopening schools, we are a nation divided. Opposing ideas float around on social media. Teachers will ultimately be responsible for the safety and well-being of children, but poor leadership has put them and their jobs in jeopardy. For example, here’s what Education Betsy DeVos recently said. The pandemic is […]
De-professionalizing Public Schools During Covid-19: The Problem with Bill Gates’s Projects
Many fear that the Gates Foundation is using this pandemic to end public education once and for all. De-professionalizing schools is an excellent way to do it. Covid-19 has made it easier for venture philanthropists to de-professionalize public education. Great public schools require staffing with professionals who attend real universities and study the profession they […]
Biden, Harris, and Dr. Biden Will Send DeVos Yachting!
You gotta have a dream, if you don’t have a dream, how you gonna have a dream come true? ~from the Broadway Play South Pacific If you’re Democrat or Republican, and you care about public education, vote for V.P. Joe Biden to remove Education Secretary Betsy DeVos from the U.S. Department of Education! Four more […]
Stop Covid-19 Career Comparison Guilting! Teachers Aren’t Flight Attendants Or . . .
Every job faces its own Covid-19 difficulties, but there should be no comparison guilting. Every job is different. Teachers face comparison attacks, with no consideration of the uniqueness found in the school environment. Teachers are not taking an extended vacation. They’re working around the clock to teach children safely whether in school or remotely. Some […]
The Covid-19 Experiment: Facing the Sins of a Nation that Quit Caring About Public Education Long Ago
Using the word “experimenting” when it comes to opening schools is not comforting to parents and teachers. For teachers, it’s like rubbing salt in a wound. What this pandemic has brought to light are the past inequities of public education, inequities that have been all about dismantling America’s public schools. It has included the disregard […]
Is She Focused on Grizzlies Again? DeVos Fails to See the Covid-19 Danger to ALL Schools!
Sidestepping Covid-19 to focus on school choice is like DeVos skipping over gun safety concerns about schools to focus on the threat of grizzly bears. I’m of course referring to comments made during her confirmation hearing. Once again, she fails to focus on the real risk. Covid-19 is not going to discriminate between schools. It […]