Recent NAEP reading scores show students have made negligible improvement in reading. While there could be various reasons for this, it’s critical to recognize that the curse of NCLB policies has driven public education for almost 25 years, and changing course and reevaluating what isn’t working is essential. NCLB led to Common Core State Standards, […]
The Public Ed Threat Behind the Knowledge Building Curriculum
Knowledge Building is used to market curriculum programs, many of which are online, but what does it mean? It seems that Knowledge Building highlights technology and moves children to a place where they won’t need teachers or public schools, at least not the kind we are familiar with. Knowledge Building makes some sense, making it deceptive. […]
Is Mississippi Shifting to Online Teacher Education with Reading Universe?
Switching from face-to-face, in-person public education to computer screens is concerning. It’s happening in K12 and appears to be driving privatization with teacher education at the university level. The Science of Reading lends itself to this, but there’s little proof online instruction makes better students or teachers. So far, research supporting this is hard to […]
What I Believe Emily Hanford Misses About Reading
Emily Hanford has brought attention to reading, including several new podcasts, Sold a Story, claiming children have been harmed for years by reading instruction. She singles out programs she says failed. The stories about children are compelling. But she leaves out some history, and I don’t think she’s ever critical of any of the many […]
Special Education and School Choice: Not Great Choices, If Any
Years of school reforms have stripped public schools of disability services, creating problems for parents (See Carl Peterson’s recent Exterminating Special Education). Parents may turn to charter, parochial or private schools, online learning, or homeschooling, only to find choices lacking, or the school may not want their child, leaving parents in the lurch. Charter Schools […]
Public School “Reimagine” and “Revolution” Hypocrisy: Put Them Out to Pasture!
Teachers and parents on the frontlines of this pandemic should be given control of how their schools are reimagined in the future. When this crisis ends, they should be given the voice on how to bring back democratic public schools and make them their own. Any revolution surrounding schools is theirs. Those who foisted unproven and […]
Will Online Instruction Replace Brick-and-Mortar Schools After the Covid-19 Crisis?
While parents shelter-in-place maintaining a sense of normalcy for their children, those critical of public education won’t stop criticizing public schools. They believe that technology should replace teachers and brick-and-mortar schools. They imply that after this difficult period ends, we will move from brick-and-mortar schools to online instruction. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos In her recent […]
Without Professional Teachers, Special Education is a Joke!
How do school districts bypass special education services and get away with it? One way, is to make it look like special education services are being restored, but due to a teacher shortage, the district must rely on teachers without classroom experience. Special education, all teaching really, but special education, especially, demands teaching qualifications. To […]
Nebraska: The Online Worm in the Apple
Nebraska’s Great Public Schools When you get to feeling bad about awful school reform, it’s nice to reflect on Nebraska. It has been a shiny, organic apple. But now it has a worm in it when it comes to online instruction. The state has been mostly immune to draconian reform. Probably this is largely due […]
12 Reasons Why Digital Personalized Learning is Not Special Education
A recent article in Business Insider describes how Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg got their idea for digital personalized learning from special education. A light bulb lit, and they realized that students placed according to their academic level online is needed for every child—not just students with disabilities. They liked the way special education teachers […]