Higher Ed for Higher Standards is a relatively new group funded in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (of course) to advertise the importance of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). They have another similar group, Complete College America, where they also point to poor student performance of beginning college students. Bill Gates […]
Happy Father’s Day to Dads Who Speak Out: Keep Up the Great Work!
As a teacher, I once arrived at my classroom early in the morning to find a father of one of my students quite upset. I shakily ushered him into the classroom where he proceeded to lecture me about what his son had missed out on in school, up to that point, and what he believed […]
Can You Hate Tenure and Love Your Teachers?
The Los Angeles Superior Court has struck down teacher tenure and protections in Vergara v. California. This, by the looks of venomous comments in newspapers, seems to delight some people. Arne Duncan, who represents the Obama administration’s viewpoint, apparently loves it too. See here. Great isn’t it? That the President of the U.S. thinks so […]
Common Core Camps of Confusion and Strife—What’s For Dinner?
There has been a lot of confusion and controversy over different camps and what they think about Common Core State Standards (CCSS). While everyone is posturing and arguing who is right and which political group is shaking hands with which other group, or who we shouldn’t shake hands with, students continue to be tested to […]
Can We Afford to Lay Off Public School Guidance Counselors?
Is there a movement to lay off guidance counselors, even college and career counselors, in public schools? With the “everyone should attend college” movement, you wouldn’t think so. In fact, the need would seem to be to hire more counselors. Still, there are signs…. See here in Michigan for example. Or here in California. Or […]
The Continuing Bizarre Message That We MUST Test Students with Severe Disabilities—Say NO!
I wish I were a judge and had some of these ed. reformers who believe tests are more important than children come before me. Honestly. I’d send them to jail. Mandates written to play Gottcha with children’s services, intentionally designed to get rid of services and teachers, are wrong. America shouldn’t be the place to […]
The Little Engine That Derailed—How Aligning Books to Skills Kills the Joy of Reading
It is one thing for a child to read The Little Engine That Could for the pleasure of the story and quite another for her to comprehend the inner workings of a locomotive. ~Joanne Yatvin, former public school educator, a past president of the National Council of Teachers of English, and a former member of […]
Why Teachers Quit and What Administrators Would Do if They Wanted to Keep Them
A parent I know who is a strong crusader for goodness and public schooling told me about a Forbes article, “The Top 8 Reasons Your Best People Are About to Quit – And How You Can Keep Them.” How does this list apply to teachers? How do the negative business reasons described by Forbes affect […]
Louis C.K.’s Comments—Good For Public Schools—or Not?
There seems to be two camps in education. One is happy that Louis C.K. spoke out about Common Core and testing. They have posted and re-posted on Facebook his stint on David Letterman. The other side is not happy about the attention celebrities get if the topic is education. They believe the celebs only distract […]
In Honor of Teacher Appreciation Week—Who Are They Kidding?
Get ready teachers! The country is priming for that once a year period where you are venerated by America for the work that you do—for all the children you just finished testing the heck out of—through little fault of your own. It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! Want to see how so-called leaders and the media are […]