By Jim Gifford I recall from my youth the cliché “Duck and Cover”. This was the catch-phrase created for our nuclear war drills which were designed to prepare all children at school to hide or “duck” under their own desks in order to survive a hydrogen bomb. Yes, survive a nuclear holocaust. No bombs were […]
6 Concerns: Are “Community Schools” Paving the Way for School Choice and Digital Instruction?
Here is how the Coalition of Community Schools defines their concept of community schools. A community school is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources. Its integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development and community engagement leads to improved student learning, stronger […]
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 […]
The Sad Impact of Corporate School Reform on Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities
We have a lot of troubled kids. As of 2016, approximately 1 in 5 youth aged 13–18 (21.4%) experiences a severe mental disorder at some point during their life. For children aged 8–15, the estimate is 13%. HERE. Schools should be on the front line to assist children and adolescents with mental health difficulties. But […]
Missing an S for Science in the STEM Frenzy
In the midst of the hype about STEM, what happened to science in public schools? Two recent reports in Education Week bemoan the stunning loss of both chemistry and physics in high schools across the country. Three out of five secondary schools don’t offer chemistry! When they do, there’s disparity. Poor African Americans and Hispanic […]
The “Education Revolution”=Chaos!
The Education Revolution—we hear these words a lot lately referring to public schools. Public schools have always incorporated changes to the curriculum. Some have worked and some have not. But the overhaul to make technology-driven charter schools is unproven and drastic. Here’s a list of Silicon Schools. They are charter schools. Groups like the Relay […]
The Best Gift for Children: Saying NO to Summit Online Learning
During this holiday and Christmas season, salute the fine parents of Cheshire, Connecticut who said NO to Summit online learning! Theresa Commune said her 11-year-old son just wanted more attention from teachers than he was getting. “They need teachers to get them to love learning at this stage,” she said. Especially great is that parent […]
Robots for Students with Autism vs. Real Therapists and Teachers
Helping a child on the autistic spectrum with communication is important. A new trend appears to be the use of robots for social instruction. But what are the ethical concerns when it comes to using robots with our most vulnerable students? Will robots take the place of teachers and therapists? It is important to note […]
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 […]
“Personalized Learning” is NOT Working for High School Students
Backed by major philanthropists and investors such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, the ed-tech industry has aggressively pushed the idea of “personalized learning.” But on the ground, the concept remains nebulous, and research evidence remains thin. ~Benjamin Herold. Education Week, September 21, 2017 Will students graduate high school with what they need to go […]