Some of us imagined a public school system that would drop special education labels and look at all children individually and collectively for their strengths and what they need to learn. We thought of it as Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) for everyone. You will likely hear about “IEPs for All” in the future, if you […]
The Black Hole of Gifted Education and the What Ifs We All Live With
In 2008, I lost my only brother, six years my junior, to pancreatic cancer. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t remember his warm smile and how he could make me laugh. While out and about, I sometimes spot the back of a head and a body built like his, when he was healthy […]
Student Socialization in Public Schools
Socialization you could say is how a child interacts with their peers. There are many definitions, but in school, socialization mostly involves how children play and get along with each other. We think of recess when considering socialization. We wonder how much socialization children miss when they don’t get recess. Public schools can go a […]
Teacher Concerns about Age Discrimination and the Teacher Shortage
Many teachers raised concerns about age discrimination relating to the current teacher shortage after a recent post. I gathered what I had learned and I have added additional information. I also provide links at the bottom to other important articles about this topic. It is important to state that older teachers want to encourage young […]
Destroying Special Education through Common Core Testing and Funding Cuts
How are things going with these special education cuts after time has gone by? I’m looking at what’s happening currently. Let me know of any program cuts in your school district and I will write about them. This was originally posted August 25, 2015. ___________________________________________ Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and […]
School Choice v. Local Control—Oil and Water!
Republican Presidential candidates claim to be for choice, including vouchers, charters and opportunity scholarships, and they also claim to be for local control of schools. But school choice and local control are like oil and water. You must choose one or the other. For example, Brandon Wright, in “Donald Trump Quotes about Education” from The […]
Capstone—Should Middle and High School Students Do a Thesis?
A good parent, who cares about her kids and is savvy about what is happening with school reform, asked me if I knew anything about capstone projects. She’s concerned and I don’t blame her. For years, the Great Schools Partnership has been pushing middle and high school students to do a capstone project much like […]
Teacher Age Discrimination During a So-Called Teacher Shortage
While I wrote this post ten years ago, I’m still getting heartbreaking comments and emails from veteran teachers with good records and credentials who cannot find teaching positions, despite claims of a teacher shortage. When I first wrote this post in 2015, Jeb Bush was 62, Hillary Clinton was 67, Donald Trump was 69, and […]
Got Art? How Much Art Do Students Get in School?
I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for. Georgia O’Keeffe The new school year is starting and I’d like to hear how much art students get? Do children in preschool do art? Kindergartners—how much art will they find between […]
Georgia’s Problem with Students with Behavioral Disabilities is Everyone’s Problem
How does one teach a student who shows up at school angry, defiant and/or sullen and depressed, who might hear voices—who acts so atypical that there is worry they might lash out at other students or hurt themselves? When they throw a chair, strike another child, or teacher, or hit their head repeatedly against the […]