Learning loss complaints and teacher blame for school closures could be because the Covid-19 disaster plan to reimagine schools failed. Technology replacing public schools and teachers appeared to be the “leave no crisis wasted” plan, but it backfired. After Hurricane Katrina, the late privatization guru Milton Friedman coordinated replacing public schools in New Orleans with […]
15 Ways to Help Teachers During Covid, Instead of Turning Them Into Scapegoats and Making Them Quit
Teachers are continually being made into scapegoats over a virus not under their control. Here’s a list of classroom problems from the beginning of the pandemic. Here’s a checklist on how to quit scapegoating teachers and help them instead. Suggestions from teachers, parents, and students, especially teachers currently teaching, are welcome. 1. Doctors Since the […]
14 Scary Monsters Children Face On Halloween and Beyond, Affecting Their Schooling
Teachers and public schools might be blamed when children have trouble learning. But many variables affect how children do in school, and most are out of a teacher’s control. Support public education and teachers to help families and children make schooling a worthwhile experience. Schools should be an anchor in the community for children and […]
President Biden’s Ideas About Schools and Covid-19 Miss the Mark
I watched President Biden’s CNN Townhall. I like President Biden and feel that he is sincere and wants to do a good job. He is well-focused on helping the country move forward. His kindness shines through. But his school plans for Covid-19 are worrisome. As expected, Covid-19 dominated the Townhall conversation. A whole segment could […]
8 Concerns and What’s Positive About The President’s Plan for Schooling During Covid-19
The Biden-Harris administration faces huge challenges. Addressing school safety during Covid-19 is at the top of their list. This is welcome news. Goals are important for clarity and to give us hope. President Biden wasted no time getting out his National Strategy for the Covid-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness. Schools are specifically addressed starting on […]
Business Terms Used to Privatize Public Schools
Privatizing public schools involves changing school words to reflect a business-like environment. There’s nothing wrong with these words in general, but when applied to schools, they change the nature of schooling and the way we look at teachers and students. Business-like terms used with schools increased during the 1980s and 1990s. They are so frequent […]
Halloween and The Value of Make-Believe to Reading and Emotional Development
It is not mere childish escapism. There is a political aspect to it – we won’t try to change this world unless we are able to imagine another reality. One could say all change starts with fantasy. ~Cornelia Funke, German author of children’s fiction. Here comes Halloween! Parents and teachers sometimes dread Halloween, the candy […]
Learning and Happiness: The Problem with Social-Emotional Learning
Happiness is a real factor when it comes to learning. It’s important to a child’s identity formation and how they relate to their environment (see study below). But can you teach happiness? There’s a push for social-emotional learning (SEL) which leads some to think that happiness can be taught. But SEL is not what it […]
Missing Socialization in Today’s Public Schools
How do democratic public schools address the socialization of students? How are children brought together to make a kinder world? Does anyone even ask that question today? This past weekend I read “My Pedagogic Creed” by John Dewey (a little light reading on a Sunday afternoon), and I was struck by how far our public […]
New Social-Emotional Standards to Complement Common Core
If you thought Common Core State Standards were bad, look out! Here come the new social-emotional standards to complement Common Core—because nothing says children have feelings more than benchmarks! Today’s Common Core State Standards are aligned to high-stakes testing that closes schools and pushes good teachers out. Of course, many parents have not been happy […]