It was the great American Writer E.B. White who said Omit needless words. Think about this as you read all the useless jargon now babbled about in reference to school lessons and Common Core State Standards. It is time to revisit my list of weird education terminology. I have added some new words and phrases […]
Do Students Have to Do Common Core Now to Get into Heaven?
It should be important to everyone, that the other day College Board president and the Common Core creator, David Coleman, met with Catholics—The Cardinal Newman Society which promotes and defends the faith—to allay their worries about Common Core. One Newman member snapped at Coleman and said: We don’t open Catholic schools to get kids into […]
Who’s Accountable for Students with Disabilities When Things Go Wrong?
Now that the Every Student Succeeds Act has passed, and the power to run public schools has shifted to the local school districts and the state, will that mean more accountability on their part when things go wrong in the classroom? Consider the Peck Community School in Holyoke, Massachusetts, a public school for students with […]
Hoverboards and the Every Student Succeeds Act
Last night on NBC News, I waited to hear about the Senate’s overwhelming passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act. Perhaps I missed it, or they are waiting to say something about it now that President Obama has signed the bill into law. Instead, one of the news items Lester Holt told us about involved […]
TeachingWorks (or Doesn’t) at the University of Michigan: The Corporatization of Teacher Education
It is with concern that I write about the Gates influence on the University of Michigan’s College of Education and the new program called TeachingWorks. The Gates Foundation is giving $6.8 million to the U of M to influence how they will transform teacher preparation. The Helmsley Charitable Trust Grant also provided $1.1 million. This […]
ESSA and the Dismantling of Programs for Students with Disabilities and/or Gifted Students
Sign the petition to stop the reauthorization of ESEA. HERE! __________________________________ What are the problems with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and students with disabilities and/or gifted students? First, A Little History Politicians have never wanted to pay for special education. Everything you see today in the way of policy and rhetoric concerning the […]
Where’s Recess in the ESEA Reauthorization?
We are losing a lot in terms of kids’ innovativeness and creativity. Frankly, I am worried about the next generation. Olga Jarrett, professor and recess advocate, Georgia State University While there has been some good news on the recess front, every single public school needs to offer several recess breaks each day to children. How […]
Concerns about the New ESEA Reauthorization
Arne Duncan and others are bragging that both political parties get along when it comes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization. It is one big happy family when it comes to education. There was bipartisan agreement over No Child Left Behind too, and look what a colossal disaster that was. Now, with […]
If Thankful for Teachers, Return Trust to Them
How much trust do parents place in their child’s teacher? Maybe more than you think. The BATS were celebrating Thanksgiving this week with Thank You tweets about teachers and other school personnel. As a nation, I hope we can return to the time when we trusted teachers to be the good and decent professionals they […]
Students with Serious Behavioral Disabilities and Inclusion: Effect on Students WITHOUT Disabilities
Contrary to Arne Duncan, and the latest DOE report claiming IEPs should be written the same for everyone, students with behavioral/emotional disabilities–should have the right to services to address their problems. If their difficulties go unaddressed, left to the general education teacher with a class of 30 students, it could affect not only the student […]