Vergara Wasn’t About Tenure! Among all the hoopla surrounding Vergara v. California and the loss of so-called teacher tenure, I noticed some strong voices yesterday that rose above the fray. They argued, essentially, that Vergara wasn’t about tenure. California teachers never had tenure to begin with. It was only about due process. This claim is […]
The Educator Called Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou, the educator’s voice rang out loud and it rang out clear. Though not a credentialed teacher, she educated all of us about life’s challenges and the ability to overcome life’s difficulties. She was an inspiration to all of us. She left us with so much that can be used to teach young people […]
Arne Duncan—This is What’s “Pretty Scary” to Parents, Teachers and Students
Posted on November 18, 2013 and updated for April 2, 2014 by Nancy Bailey Last November I wrote about why parents worried about Arne Duncan, who stands in support of Common Core State Standards. It was after he said, in reference to the standards, “It’s fascinating to me that some of the pushback is coming […]
Why the Education Reformers Worry about Special Education
Posted on November 12, 2013 with updated changes by Nancy Bailey I heard someone, a parent or teacher, blurt out at an informal education meeting that education reformers are afraid of special education. I think that person is right. Many of those currently in charge of condemning public schools don’t understand anything about students with […]
High-Stakes Testing, Common Core and Students with Disabilities—What Now?
Originally Posted on October 28, 2013 by Nancy Bailey I changed the title of this old post to include high-stakes testing because it reminded me of the word “appropriate” and the situation in Florida surrounding The Ethan Rediske Act. I think it is important to revisit some of these court cases. What meaning do they […]
Common Core State Standards Don’t Rhyme With Individual Educational Plans
Originally Posted on October 3, 2013 by Nancy Bailey Think about it. Common Core State Standards do not rhyme with Individual Educational Plans. Say it slowly. Listen to the words. They don’t go together. The whole point of CCSS is for everyone to get to the same standard. It is the same goal. You can […]
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, […]
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 […]
The NEA’s Band-Aids for Common Core are Not Good Enough!
It’s not looking good for Common Core State Standards—one would think. The recent flurry of activity could trick educators and parents into thinking something is going to happen to rid schools of the standards. Even the NEA’s Dennis Van Roekel, spoke out. But if you read closely enough, the standards are not considered to be […]