Coronavirus cases are surging in this country and worldwide, yet in many places, schools remain open. Why? Whether or not to send students to school has been a continuous balancing act. Children miss out if they stay home. Their health, education, and safety could be in jeopardy. But they can also get sick by going […]
PDK Gallup Polls and The Election: The Nation Needs Great Teachers!
If V.P. Joe Biden is elected, there will be a chance for public education to survive and teachers to get the support they need to serve America’s children. Reelect President Trump, and chances are public schools may end. Teachers who have been prepared to teach may leave the field for good. Gallup Polls show how […]
Alien School Invasion and Reformers With Erased Memories
They don’t recall the alien invasion, or recognize those who had part in it. The school reformers and their friends condemn public schools, mortified by senior NAEP scores (how could those teachers not teach reading?). They’ve forgotten the rotten changes to remake public schools. Parents once liked their public schools, and few were interested in […]
Kindergarten Pandemic Learning Fears Should Not Be Tied to Screen Time and Rigid Drilling
Kindergartners and their parents and teachers struggle with the pandemic. When the focus is on problems with children learning online, whether a child will succeed, it might help to revisit what’s developmentally appropriate for a kindergartner. Many reports are raising concern about learning loss in kindergarten. “What Kindergarten Struggles Could Mean for a Child’s Later […]
Closing University Education Schools: A Bad Omen
The University of South Florida (USF) has announced the end of their education school due to a $36.7 million university budget cut. The change will save $6.8 million over two years. They’re using the coronavirus as the reason at a time when teachers are struggling to teach students safely. This loss is a bad omen […]
Selling Charter School Class Size as “Innovative Medical Experimentation” During Covid-19
Efforts to destroy public schooling in America have not disappeared during the pandemic. While Education Secretary Betsy DeVos displays her hatred for public education, especially with Fairfax County public school teachers, DC Charter Schools are advertising innovations during the pandemic. They’re promoting smaller class sizes as innovative medical experimentation. Their innovations, however, are not ingenious. […]
15 Strange and Scary Goings-On Surrounding Covid-19, Schools, and Teaching
How to handle a pandemic is a new territory for school officials and educators. Here are some observations of odd and downright scary practices surrounding the disease and school attendance. Adults online. Students are in-person. School board members meet online to discuss business. They’re worried about catching the virus, but they determine it’s best to […]
A Reply to an 8th Grader: 11 Reasons Related to Schools Why Citizens Argue
During the Vice Presidential debate, an 8th grader asked why American citizens can’t get along. She said all she sees is arguing between Democrats and Republicans, citizens fighting citizens and two candidates trying to tear each other down. She asked if they can’t get along, how do we [children] get along? I taught eighth-graders and […]
Public Schools and School Libraries: The “Hub” of Democracy During a Crisis, Is Facing Its Own Crisis
A public school is the hub of the American community, and school libraries provide students the knowledge to better understand their world. But public schools and school libraries face a crisis at this time in history, and it’s important to question what has happened with CARES Act funding. Americans in crisis recognize that public schools […]
Learning Management Software: Necessary Tool, or Wasteful Cash Cow in the Time of Covid-19?
By Darren Victory One thing is clear: Teaching in the age of COVID is no picnic. Teachers, students, and caregivers are struggling to navigate the ongoing crisis in ways that preserve their emotional and physical health. It all feels so chaotic, so disorganized, and at times so… impossible. No wonder wine sales have shot through […]