The implication of all this for early education is clear. Although a teaspoon of Mozart may not make a child a better mathematician, there is little doubt that regular exposure to music, an especially active participation in music, may stimulate development of many different areas of the brain—areas which have to work together to listen […]
Gifted Students are Short-changed with Common Core State Standards
Today I am going to write about gifted students and the Common Core State Standards. There is plenty to write about this neglected area of special education without discussing CCSS. The needs of gifted students have never been fully addressed because, in general, people think gifted students learn fast and school will be easy. Parents […]
Why Do Catholics Care About Common Core?
And every student deserves to be prepared for a life of the imagination, of the spirit, and of a deep appreciation for beauty, goodness, truth, and faith. Gerard Bradley and Catholic Scholars October 16, 2013 Valerie Strauss’s post about Catholic scholars rejecting the Common Core is an important read http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/11/02/catholic-scholars-blast-common-core-in-letter-to-u-s-bishops/. That so many Catholics find it necessary […]
Advocacy Groups for Parents of Children with Disabilities
On Monday I wrote about two significant class action suits that steered the course for students with disabilities to receive a more “appropriate” education in their public schools. Today I am providing lists of some advocacy groups for parents to contact if they are dissatisfied with the Common Core and/or other issues negatively affecting their […]
Don’t Sit Alone and Cry in Your Soup! Let’s All Advocate for Students!
One of the pleasures of starting a blog is to hear from parents and teachers. Some post. Some don’t want to put information online, but they want to be heard. Others comment on Facebook. The stories are often heart wrenching. Teachers recognize they can’t teach the way they know they should because they are pushed […]
Common Core State Standards Don’t Rhyme With Individual Educational Plans
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 argue that students with disabilities might get to the […]
Students Miss Out On Today With Common Core Standards and PARCC
Last May a book came out called Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending. The authors discuss how people work hard so they will be happy later in life. Some put themselves through great drudgery in jobs they can’t stand, commuting and working long hours. They also stay in awful jobs much longer than they […]