At school there’s Miss Trunchbull, two hundred menacing pounds of kid-hating headmistress. Get rid of the Trunchbull and Matilda would be a hero. But that would take a superhuman genius, wouldn’t it? From Matilda by Roald Dahl Does Bill Gates hold a vendetta towards teachers? Does he see them as Trunchbulls and is he planning […]
Lessons From M. Mouse: Or, How I *BELIEVED* Disney Could Help Public Schools
A forest of thorns shall be his tomb! Borne through the skies on a fog of doom! Now go with the curse, and serve me well! ‘Round Stefan’s Castle, CAST MY SPELL! ―Sleeping Beauty’s Maleficent casting her spell to stop Prince Phillip In 1991, I obtained credit for renewing my teaching certificate by attending an […]
Why Unionizing Teachers In Charter Schools is a Bad Idea
In California, the new NEA leader Lily Eskelsen García is working to gather charter school teachers to unionize. HERE. She appears savvy and smart and gave an uplifting, firery introductory speech to teachers upon her election. As a retired member of the NEA, I wish her well. But she has thus far claimed, like AFT’s […]
It Isn’t Over in Lee County or Elsewhere! And About Common Core…
The Lee County School Board has backed out and students will get tests and tests and more tests. But I know parents will not give up. I’m hoping they will hold their Superintendent accountable for stating that she wanted to devise a plan. This plan should include parents. Perhaps there are some parent lawyers who […]
Striving Towards Local Control of Public Schools—A Proposal for Lee County and Beyond!
I would like to put forth a proposal. What could the Lee County School Board do to make everyone happy or at least happier? I have an idea. Patricia Levesque, CEO of Tallahassee-based Foundation for Excellence in Education, Jeb Bush’s group, put out a long statement expressing “deep disappointment” in “abandoning” the tests. She mentioned […]
Pediatricians, Common Core and the Meaning of “Pushing” Early Childhood Literacy
Be careful using the word “push” when it comes to reading. There is always the fear that Common Core State Standards are behind it. A recent Memphis Commercial Appeal had an Op Ed entitled “Pediatricians Push Early Childhood Literacy.” They were referring to the American Association of Pediatricians (AAP) recommendation that pediatricians should remind parents […]
Who Owns Your Schools? In Lee County, Florida They Belong to Parents and Children
For years now, I’ve wondered who owns school boards. Venture philanthropists come into cash-strapped districts and suddenly parents and citizens find their voices no longer matter. Anyone with the right amount of money, well-meaning or not, can take over how schools in that district will be run and what students will learn. Is that about […]
Do Public School Students Need Special Ed. Anymore?
Do we need special education anymore? Some parents might say no—that a regular class with high expectations, possibly some support, is all that is necessary. Arne Duncan has stated that students with disabilities should rise to the same level as other students. He has called for a “major shift” in how special education students are […]
Testing Kindergartners and a Rise in Disabilities: Is There A Connection?
Why are children, no matter rich or poor, showing up with more disabilities—especially ADHD? Here is USA Today telling about the report in Pediatrics. Could it be because they are being pushed harder than ever before, with less, if any, recess or breaks? Perhaps they’re tired of school, or all that Common Core stuff is […]
Rating Common Core Math Textbooks—Isn’t THIS a National Curriculum?
A new report in Education Week discusses a “Consumer Reports-like” nonprofit group that will now evaluate math textbooks from different companies online. If you are teaching math and want to know which books are best—books aligned to the Common Core—you can go to Edreports.org and they will apparently tell you, eventually, which books, or book, […]