Originally Posted on September 22, 2013 by Nancy Bailey. This was posted last September and I have included some changes and updates. Talking about children and lead poisoning can quickly make you look like a harbinger of bad news–a real Debbie Downer. Lead poisoning is probably not a problem for most children, but it is […]
Growing a New Website and Book this Spring!
I am going to stop posting new posts for a while on my blog (probably for some of you sighs of relief!), while I work to improve my website. I am adding links to activism sites—including more material. And I am including some new features which I hope will be more interactive. In the meantime, […]
Mayors Go Looking for Bill Gates’ Education Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow
US mayors went to Washington DC the other day to talk about education issues with Bill Gates—the richest man in the world. Struggling to fiscally keep their cities alive, mayors will do anything to draw in the Gates’ dollars. And you wonder why he is in charge of education in America. It’s like Leprechauns finding […]
The Lawsuits Students Really Deserve in New York City and the Rest of the Country!
Aren’t there some fine lawyers who would, preferably with pro-bono work, support families who have children with disabilities, all kinds of disabilities, or children who have second language hurdles, or the really really poor children, to sue the charter operators and their rich donors for denying these students a slot in their elite charter schools? […]
Platooning—Another Weird Education Word and Common Core Strategy for Elementary School
Since I already have a list of weird education words here’s a new one to add. How many of you have heard of “platooning”—which, in reference to education, means moving elementary students, subject-to-subject, teacher-to-teacher, to meet the new Common Core State Standards? Instead, of one primary teacher, students move around—subject to subject. This idea has […]
SAT Scores Damned Public Schools and Teachers for Years—Why a Facelift NOW?
We’re told the SAT needs a facelift to level the playing field and make the test more relevant for disadvantaged students. Whoa! Let’s rewind that tape a bit shall we? The SAT has been used for years to damn public schools and teachers who were unjustly accused for not preparing all students well enough for […]
Could it End High-Stakes Testing?—The Bizarre Practice of Irrelevant Testing of Students with Severe Disabilities
Could the odd practice of using high-stakes testing to test students with severe disabilities put an end to America’s obsession with high-stakes testing overall? There is nothing that speaks to individual differences more than students like Ethan Rediske. America may have lost Ethan, but his mom, Andrea Rediske, and Orange County Public School board member […]
How to Teach Good Students to Be Criminals
Seventeen year old Chaz Seale could have been any of us. In a hurry to get out the door he accidentally grabbed a beer instead of a can of soda out of the fridge and put it in his lunchbox. Upon arriving at school, he realized his mistake and told his teacher what happened. Now […]
Do You Want a Small Class Size For Your Child OR a Good Teacher? The Bogus Dilemma
It is well established that lowering class size, especially for K-3, can have a positive effect on students. The argument being made around the country, and illustrated well last night on Nashville’s Fox 17 news, is, do you want a small class size, or do you want a quality teacher? In How to Win Every Argument: […]
Florida Teachers Get VAMED Only a Week After the Death of Ethan Rediske
Floridians get to look up their teachers’ test scores now, courtesy of The Florida Times Union (they actually went to court for this), even though it is just a week after the death of Ethan Rediske. Tell me, Times Union Editor Frank Denton, how did his teacher do? If you aren’t one of the many […]