Betsy DeVos is gearing up for another tour, this time in the South. Chalkbeat shared the questions she is asking about schools. Here I try to interpret her questions with answers to what she is really getting at. I believe her questions are related to technology and “disruption” in education. The drive is to transform […]
The Reading Wars? Who’s Talking About Reading and Class Size?
…extensive research in the reading difficulties of children show that large classes are the basic cause of failure in reading as well as in other subjects. ~Professor Arthur I. Gates, nationally known authority in the field of reading instruction. Elementary School Journal; February 1937. When parents and teachers debate phonics and whole language, they might […]
What’s Behind TIME Magazine’s Teacher Hate Turnaround?
The recent TIME Magazine article about teachers describes beaten-down, courageous individuals, struggling to remain in a profession where they are not honored like they deserve. TIME seems to suddenly love teachers. It had those of us who support public schools and teachers scratching our heads. TIME hasn’t been kind to teachers in the past. Remember […]
A Student’s Mental Health Could Depend on Putting the Arts Back into the Public School Curriculum
Safety commissions, school districts, PTAs, and other groups and individuals have discussed school safety. One smart move would be to ensure that every school has a legitimate arts program including visual arts, music, drama, and dance. Students who struggle with mental health problems might benefit from the arts. Every child should have access. Students should […]
Despite F Ratings, Dyslexia Charter School Has Gotten Repeated State Approval
Interest in charter schools for students with disabilities is on the rise. Will such schools destroy the Individuals with Disabilities Act’s (IDEA) rights of children? IDEA is the reauthorization of the 1975 Public Law 94-142. While parents might be dissatisfied with dyslexia programming in public schools, how can they be assured charter schools will provide […]
Finland’s Sad Embrace of America’s Corporate School Reforms
For years, Americans have repeated a mantra when discussing public schools, “Look to Finland!” Now, we see the same dangerous reforms happening in Finland’s schools that are happening in America’s schools! Prominent leaders believe that teaching is still a strong profession in Finland. And certainly using technology can be useful. I guess, like most reforms, […]
Those Who Seek to Privatize Public Schools are Working WITHIN the System!
Since the anonymous New York Times Opinon piece claiming there’s a critic in the White House, at least one comedian has referenced the 2006 remake horror movie When a Stranger Calls. The babysitter contacts the police to get threatening phone calls traced. The bad guy turns out to be in the house! On a similar, […]
What’s Better than Grit? Reading Books and a Good Teacher
Angela Duckworth graces the Costco Connection this month talking about the character grit that she says made her who she is today. She wants America to teach children to have grit too, so they will be successful. She has a Grit Scale. HERE. And she runs a character lab. Her grit goals for children include […]
School Safety: Include Teacher and Student Support!
What’s being done to improve school safety? There’s much discussion about school violence and “core values,” and dealing with horrific events once they occur. Suggested solutions are often controversial. Reducing class size isn’t mentioned. Yet how teachers carry out school safety training would seem to be contingent on manageable class sizes. By supporting teachers as […]
What Have DeVos, Trump, Congress, and the Wealthy Oligarchs Done to Improve School Safety?
Children are entrusted to us. Students rely on parents and adults in the community to keep them safe. That’s still the case as children grow into teens and beyond. There have been 288 school shootings since 2009. That’s 57 times any other industrialized country. Some question how many shootings actually take place as in this recent […]