Long ago, it was common practice for shepherds to hang a bell around the neck of one sheep in their flock, thereby designating it the lead sheep. This animal was called the bellwether. ~Mirriam Webster Dictionary Bellwether Education Partners is one of several nonprofits working with school districts around the country to determine how to […]
Slow Learners in the Age of Hyperlearning
Who decides what slow learning is in this country? Every student deserves a free public education with teachers who understand their educational needs. Not only are corporate reformers slamming slow learners, they’re pushing children to grow up faster than is humanely possible. All our children are expected to be hyperlearners! Slooooowly! There is nothing wrong […]
“Stop, Thieves!” DeVos & Company Drive Deregulation and the End of Public Education
Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather blackberries; But Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight away to Mr. McGregor’s garden, and squeezed under the gate! First he ate some lettuces and some French beans; and then he ate some radishes; And then, feeling rather sick, he […]
Social-Emotional Learning: The Dark Side
Why would parents and teachers, tired of high-stakes testing in their public schools, wish to sign onto more assessment that tests, tracks, and profiles their child’s behavior online? Good teachers have always built social skills into their classes. Helping children behave and work with each other is second nature to teaching. One can find nice […]
Worries about Tech and the Chan/Zuckerberg $30 Million Support of “Reach Every Reader”
Reading is essential for learning, yet students across the U.S. are completing elementary school with inadequate reading abilities. So begins the announcement in The Harvard Gazette telling us about the new $30 million grant Chan/Zuckerberg will hand over to Harvard’s School of Education and MIT’s Integrative Learning Initiative (MITili). Learning to read, all of us […]
Class Size and Its Impact on Inclusion
Parents want teachers to address their child’s individual needs. Teachers want this too. They want to be able to work with and understand the students they teach. They especially want to help the students in their classes who have exceptional differences. This is difficult to do when class sizes are too large. If elementary teachers […]
America’s Students are Brilliant! The Cynics Can No Longer Claim Otherwise!
Beyond the sadness over the terrible event at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, still unimaginable, there was something that stood out last week. America’s kids are smart! Really smart! They’re smarter than the school reformers who have said ugly things against them for years! President Trump referred to public schools in his Inaugural Address as an education […]
IEPs for All Students? Hold On!
A discussion about IEPs for all students seems to be trending. In an interview with The Nation during the presidential campaign, Jane Sanders talked about IEPs and public schools. It was likely the most we heard about public education at that time. Here are her words. It’s interesting, because we’ve made progress with IEPs [Individualized […]
Special Education Mess in Texas: Stonewalling to End Public Schools?
Texans are still understandably upset about their children losing out on special education services. Texas education officials look like they are stonewalling to keep special education services from students. Here’s the most recent information on the Texas special education boondoggle. You have to hit the links to get the real picture, and even then it […]
USDOE Special Ed. Director Nominee’s Ties to Common Core and Personalized Learning
President Trump recently nominated Johnny Collett from Kentucky to be the assistant secretary of education for special education and rehabilitation services for the U.S. Department of Education. Collett once taught high school as a special education teacher, though it is unclear if his college major is special education. But, unlike Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, he […]