The arts are critical for children and how they learn. Doing art, learning about great artists, and exploring different kinds of art medium is what all children should experience in their public schools. It makes a child’s learning complete. Most students love the arts. It motivates them to enjoy school. It also often helps them […]
Common Core State Standards—Ignoring Strengths and Differences in America’s Students with Disabilities and All Students
In America, one way of helping students with disabilities blend in with their non-disabled peers is to consider differences in ALL students. Every child has strengths and weaknesses. Even students who are multi-talented have areas they lean more towards than others. Lifting students up from their weaknesses is important, of course, but I would argue […]
Common Core State Standards–Private School and Homeschool–Here, There and EVERYWHERE
Many parents think if they put their children in private school or homeschool they will all be able to hide from the Common Core State Standards. Sorry folks. David Coleman, who said no cares about your student’s narrative writing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu6lin88YXU, wasn’t only the architect of the standards, he moved over to become president of the […]
Oregon’s Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Rob Saxton Calls Himself an SOB: I Concur
While many of us focused on New York’s Ed. Commissioner John King this past weekend, I also watched two YouTube videos that were deeply disturbing from the other side of the country. They both involve Oregon’s Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Rob Saxton. Saxton’s background consists of being a teacher (I can’t find what he […]
Are they “Special Interests” or Voices of a Democracy?
The blogger buzz this past weekend concerned an angry audience voicing concerns about Common Core Standards (CCS). It took place at a Poughkeepsie, New York town hall meeting with the state’s Ed. Commissioner Dr. John King. Indignant parents and teachers listened to King for 1 hour and 40 minutes then, with their meager left-over 23 […]
Twenty Ways to Break a Child’s Spirit—The New School Reforms
Part II 11-20 Here are the last of the 20 ways current school reforms could break a child’s spirit. Sadly, you probably will be able to think of others. Share them all with those who think the current reforms are going well. 11. Children are forced to take tests at an early age. http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/kindergarten-tough-multiple-choice-tests-article-1.1481197. 12. […]
Breaking a Child’s Spirit—Twenty Harshly Negative Effects of Today’s School Reforms
Part I 1-10 These are not easy to read. But I’m sure you will find that many, if not all, have been used to negatively change public elementary schools in recent years. And you will recognize why they break a child’s spirit. Here are the first ten. I will post the others later. 1. Children […]
Don’t Sit Alone and Cry in Your Soup! Let’s All Advocate for Students!
One of the pleasures of starting a blog is to hear from parents and teachers. Some post. Some don’t want to put information online, but they want to be heard. Others comment on Facebook. The stories are often heart wrenching. Teachers recognize they can’t teach the way they know they should because they are pushed […]
Isn’t It Time for Some Class Action Suits Against Common Core–For Students with Special Needs and Young Children?
This past weekend’s post about Common Core not rhyming with Individual Educational Plans brought over 1,000 Facebook likes. For a relatively new Blogger this jumped out at me as a sure sign that people, especially parents with students who have special needs and their teachers, are fed up with Common Core State Standards which have […]
A Big Thank You to the Shelby County PTA
I enjoyed speaking to the Shelby County PTA and Administrators last Wednesday at their luncheon about my book. I would like to thank Terri Harris, Shelby County PTA president, for the invitation. I am impressed by how savvy parents are about the harmful reforms that are taking place. Parents are the real drivers of school […]