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 […]
Kindergarten Reading Push: Still Problematic During the Pandemic
Parents and educators, convinced that kindergartners must learn to read, might purchase unproven commercial online reading programs during the pandemic. The best solution for kindergartners currently is for school librarians and teachers to get interesting picture books and reading material into the hands of young children. Standardized testing made pushing children to read in kindergarten […]
The Gamble: Reflections Concerning School Openings During Covid-19
Covid-19 is a trial when it comes to public schooling. Everyone wants their public schools to open safely, for students to socialize, learn about wonderful subjects, play sports, and work with teachers who care for them. It’s been vividly displayed during this pandemic; how much parents rely on public education. Schools are where children are […]
Poor Air Quality in Schools: During Covid-19 and Before!
For years this country has ignored school infrastructure due to attempts to privatize public education. This includes indoor air quality (IAQ). It has been a part of the overall disinvestment in America’s public schools. We’re told by the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and others, that schools should ensure clean air during Covid-19. […]
Seeking SOLUTIONS to Help With Schooling During Covid-19: Here’s 18!
How can we help students learn at home during this school crisis? Many parents and teachers are still uncomfortable with plans to reopen schools. Some school districts are postponing school re-openings. Remote learning and Internet connection should be available to all children, but how can we help students learn without relying on screens? Everyone’s struggling to find […]
Betsy DeVos’s Education Freedom Plan for Covid-19: My Way or the Highway!
Take the highway! For four years, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has worked to destroy democratic public schools and the teaching profession while touting her Education Freedom plan, vouchers. But Americans should be asking what she really means by educational freedom after this past week. The freedom to determine what safe schooling means in your community […]
24 WRONG Reasons to Reopen Schools
The reasons for returning to school might sound good, but those reasons always bump up against the enemy, the coronavirus. Here are concerns that deserve attention, but they are the wrong reasons for schools to reopen. 1. President Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos say SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL! Neither the President or […]