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 […]
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 […]
How About a Broader, BOLDER Approach to Education?
I am adding a national campaign to the Early Childhood section of the website although it could be applied to Adolescence and Educators as well. It is associated with the Economic Policy Institute and is called the Broader, BOLDER Approach to Education (BBA). The BBA is described as “a national campaign that acknowledges the impact […]
Should Teach for America Have Recruiting Happy Hours?
So what’s wrong with Teach for America advertising their get-together—uh—recruiting Happy Hour party? Why did parent, Jennifer Proseus, PTA mom extraordinaire, even bother calling it into question on Facebook? I like to socialize and as a teacher I found it helpful to meet after school to talk about issues or just kick back. Almost always, […]
To Watch NBC’s Education Nation or to Not Watch NBC’s Education Nation…That is the Question
It is almost time for…drumroll…NBC’s Education Nation! If you are like me, I like many of the NBC hosts. They are personable. I even think Brian Williams should be a regular on Saturday Night Live. If I have a chance to watch TV in the morning I am torn between the Today Show and Morning […]
Check Out the Philadelphia Declaration of Play and Cheer!
Here is a breath of fresh air for Philadelphia which has seen its share of public school closures. The following is from the Philadelphia Declaration of Play which I am adding to my website under early childhood. Check them out and cheer! The Philadelphia Declaration of Play is an ongoing collaborative project created by local […]
Revisiting “A Strange Ignorance…” LEAD Poisoning and Student Achievement
Today I add a new link to what I believe is an important organization for early childhood education. CLEAR Corps: Protecting the Potential of Children (CC) addresses the serious issue, which I write about in Misguided Education Reform: Debating the Impact on Students, addressing the harmful effects of high blood levels of lead in children […]
Sixty-Three Superintendents Who’ve Had Enough
I guess it’s a good thing 63 Tennessee superintendents are “pulling the reins in” on Tennessee education commissioner Kevin Huffman. I’m not exactly sure what that will mean in the end, or what direction they’re going to steer Huffman once they obtain those reins. They will have to giddy yap past Tennessee’s Gov. Haslam, who […]
Sucking the Joy Out of Reading—Fluency/Timed Reading for Homework
A parent I recently met, who is positively involved in her child’s education, noted her distain of having to document the amount of time her child and the family spend reading. There is nothing that sucks the joy out of reading more than the homework assignment of timing how many minutes a child and the […]
We All Know What Real Recess Looks Like
Lately there is a lot of talk about students getting fit after two decades or more of eliminating recess. With obesity, diabetes and ADHD on the rise, adults thought, hmm, maybe there could be a connection with inactivity. The conundrum is how to squeeze physical fitness in because no one wants to let go of […]