Many educators and parents have expressed concerns about Eva Moskowitz or Michelle Rhee becoming Secretary of Education. Moskowitz has declined the post, but Ivanka Trump visited her charter school, and some fear she is still being courted. They seem to value her input. From a teacher’s viewpoint, I wanted to document why so many resent […]
The Loss of Special Education Services: An Update
Every day I check the education news and am appalled to see more stories about children being denied special education services. Where is the federal government? Where’s the state? And how does the local school district get away with this without being sued? It is as if students with differences of any kind are being […]
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 […]
Digital Vocabulary Hijacked from Special Education
Isn’t it interesting how those who idolize digital instruction have hijacked vocabulary from special education? Unfortunately, self-directed learning is significant to them because the more you can get students working on their own the less they will need real teachers. Individualized learning doesn’t mean getting more attention. It really means working alone. Morna McDermott recently […]
Special Ed. Irony: CT Gov. Malloy and Judge Thomas G. Moukawsher
In every state we see an erasing of services for students with disabilities. Consider how Texas managed to omit an appropriate education for students with special needs. My guess is that in whatever state you live, special education is in trouble. How many children will not get the schooling they need to realize their dreams? […]
The Devil is in the Details, Utah
Some Utah parents are worried about afterschool Satan Clubs. I don’t blame them. However, and I’m no religious expert by any means, if there is a devil, I think it is always sneaking into town when and where you least expect. Utah, in my opinion, has some devil-like programs designed to eliminate public-schools. First, there’s […]
A Pompous, Demoralizing Letter for Teachers, Students, and Parents
One of the old education reformers is Chester E. Finn, Jr. of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. He referred to himself as aging–not me. But he is old, and my point with this is that the push to destroy public schools, as we know them, started a long time ago. Finn just wrote a letter […]
The Dangers of Eliminating Teacher Preparation
Wisconsin is thinking about letting anyone teach. No degree will be required to enter the classroom and work with students. Isn’t it bizarre to encourage young people to go to college but claim their teachers don’t need a college degree? Surely this is quackery. But I thought it would be a good time to do […]
4 Reasons Why Charter Schools Should Not Do Special Education
A common complaint about charter schools is that they don’t provide special education. This makes charter schools much different from traditional public schools which provide services to all children. Charter schools should not get district special education funding for services they do not provide. But I don’t think charter schools should provide special education. Here’s […]
Donald Trump’s Education Mirage
Donald Trump’s education agenda is puzzling. Where does he stand and what does he know about public schools, teachers and students? Pam Vogel for Media Matters in America, Eric Robelen in The Atlantic, and Valerie Strauss from the Washington Post questioned Trump’s education agenda. And charter school and No Child Left Behind promoter Nina Rees […]