Today I want to talk about the choices, I believe, parents want for their students with exceptionalities or students in general. “Choice,” today, in the eyes of the ed. reformers means having a lot of charter schools, and I am particularly speaking about those designed to make a profit. The owners want to stand on […]
The ASVAB: Are You Handing Your Student’s Information Over to the Military With Out Knowing?
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery Career Exploration Program, otherwise known as the ASVAB-CEP, or ASVAB, is an admissions and placement test to determine student career interests, strengths, and qualification for the military. The ASVAB is not new. It has been around since 1968. But there are new privacy concerns about the way the test […]
Quality Teachers for Poor Students: Another Missed Opportunity to Address Real Change
This past week President Obama sat down to a lovely salmon dinner with a few teachers with inspirational stories, to discuss his new program to get excellent teachers for children in poor school districts. The problem of poor children in school is critical. Educational Week reported last fall that almost half the students in America […]
Michelle Obama’s Fight Against Childhood Obesity: Where’s The Recess—Etc.?
I’m going to fight until the bitter end to make sure that every kid in this country continues to have the best nutrition that they can have in our schools. First Lady, Michelle Obama We have a childhood obesity problem in America. Obesity can lead to diabetes, heart problems and sometimes even cancer. It can […]
Why We MUST Support Teachers Running For Elected Office: By Opt Out Orlando
Today my post comes from the hard-working, good folks at Opt Out Orlando who did a wonderful job researching candidates from across the country who are teachers running for elected offices. It was suggested to me that this post related well to my previous rally for school boards. I agree. Click on the candidate’s name […]
Freedom and America’s Public Schools and School Boards: They Belong to All of Us
It is difficult to find a more patriotic day than the 4th of July. While many problems face the country, and there are plenty of differences, most of us look forward to celebrating the birth of our nation. While we are free to hold different beliefs, Americans enjoy waving their flags and they love their […]
President Obama Does Not Stand with Teachers: What He Didn’t Do and What He Could Have Done
I believe in collective bargaining, and I believe that at any time you’re talking about wages workers have to be at the table. President Obama July 2007 Campaigning for President Perhaps the first problem with that statement is that collective bargaining is not only about wages. If you are still deceiving yourself about the Democratic […]
The Real Meaning Behind the Duncan/Huffman Tough Special Ed. Compliance Talk
What are they really doing? Everyone who cares about students with disabilities is troubled by Arne Duncan’s latest NPR blathering over the Obama administration’s plans to get even tougher on special ed. and to test these students more and include their scores in the National Assessment for Education Progress known as the Nation’s Report Card. […]
Should We Love Our Principals Like CEOs? Heavens No!
The Atlantic has an interesting article entitled “Should Principals Be Treated Like CEOs?” I think a more appropriate title for the article would have been, “Should Principals Be CEOs?” To me that is what they are really getting at in their report. Since this “school-to-business” ideology was foisted on public schools years ago, we have […]
STEM Preschool and Common Core—Too Much Too Soon and the Wrong Message
A friend of mine told me about STEM preschools the other day. At first I thought she was kidding. But I didn’t have to look hard. They’re everywhere! It seems that if parents are intent about making sure their children understand Science, Technology, Engineering and Math all they have to do is sign up for […]