A Word to Fellow Teachers
From a teacher, who read this advice and added more:
Dear teacher sister/brother, as I read and absorb your advice, and wish you well for all of it, may I respectfully add one more idea for your consideration? It’s a big part of my school year:
“I will be mindful that next door, down the street, and across the country thousands and thousands of teachers like me are trying to do the same thing, for the same reason. Because children are our focus. Because we love and care about them and their families and our communities. Because we have to protect them from the suits, who are trying to spread darkness over the areas where we are devoted to bringing light. And since there are far more of us than of them, despite their billions and their government support, when we join together, we can turn
Dear teacher sister/brother, as I read and absorb your advice, and wish you well for all of it, may I respectfully add one more idea for your consideration? It’s a big part of my school year:
“I will be mindful that next door, down the street, and across the country thousands and thousands of teachers like me are trying to do the same thing, for the same reason. Because children are our focus. Because we love and care about them and their families and our communities. Because we have to protect them from the suits, who are trying to spread darkness over the areas where we are devoted to bringing light. And since there are far more of us than of them, despite their billions and their government support, when we join together, we can turn
What Happens to Charters That Recruit Needy Children?
When the charter idea was first proposed, in 1988, the idea was that charters would enroll the students who were failing, for whatever reason, in regular public schools. The charters would enroll the dropouts, the about to dropout, the students who were unable to function in a regular environment. The charter would come up with workable ideas and share them with the public school, to make the public schools better.
Things haven’t worked out that way. Now charters compete for higher test scores, and it is risky to enroll high-needs students because they will drag down the school’s average. The charters run by hedge fund managers
Things haven’t worked out that way. Now charters compete for higher test scores, and it is risky to enroll high-needs students because they will drag down the school’s average. The charters run by hedge fund managers
A Parent’s Letter to Frank Bruni of the New York Times
I just received this comment. This parent should be invited to appear on NBC’s “Education Nation,” on Morning Joe, on Rachel Maddow, on CNN’s “Newsroom,” and on any other talk show, most of which put people on camera who have never been public school parents or teachers or principals. She is more knowledgeable than Michelle Rhee or Bill Gates or any of the other “reformers”:
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The Goodness of Which We Are Capable
Thanks to my brother for calling my attention to this remarkable woman, Irene Sendler.
I had not heard of her before.
She rescued 2,500 children from certain death in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II.
It is always important to remember that there are ordinary people who rise to do extraordinary things, who show courage at great peril to themselves, on behalf of others.
I had not heard of her before.
She rescued 2,500 children from certain death in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II.
It is always important to remember that there are ordinary people who rise to do extraordinary things, who show courage at great peril to themselves, on behalf of others.
The NY Times on the Parent Trigger
I am not going to write anything substantive about the movie celebrating the so-called “parent trigger” until I have seen it.
But the stories about it continue to miss the point about why parents and teachers think it is a corporate-conceived and corporate-driven idea, for the benefit of corporate charter chains. Why not mention the Florida parents’ fight to stop this so-called “parent empowerment”? If it really empowered parents, why did parents oppose it?
Here is the latest example. Frank Bruni, usually a thoughtful writer, has an article in today’s New York Times. He sees the movie as part of the ongoing (and at least partially justified) critique of teachers unions. He never
Good Advice for Teachers
But the stories about it continue to miss the point about why parents and teachers think it is a corporate-conceived and corporate-driven idea, for the benefit of corporate charter chains. Why not mention the Florida parents’ fight to stop this so-called “parent empowerment”? If it really empowered parents, why did parents oppose it?
Here is the latest example. Frank Bruni, usually a thoughtful writer, has an article in today’s New York Times. He sees the movie as part of the ongoing (and at least partially justified) critique of teachers unions. He never
Good Advice for Teachers
This teacher explains how she will deal with the new school year:
I have been practicing mindfulness as a way of combating much of the stress I anticipate for the coming year.
I’m not going to overthink the coming year. It will unfold itself. No point in stressing what hasn’t happened yet.
One doesn’t know what’s coming. I’m starting my 13th year in pre-k in the same school. No one is going to push me out before I’m ready to go.
What I noticed at the end of the school year last year and over the summer is that the suits have no clue what they are supposed to do. They are working in the dark almost as much as we are. I will insist that they provide guidance for every initiative they want me to do and ask them to model for me. I will document every discussion we have. I intend to have a long paper trail.
And I will teach my students as though we are at Sidwell Friends.
More on Voucher Schools with No Standards
I have been practicing mindfulness as a way of combating much of the stress I anticipate for the coming year.
I’m not going to overthink the coming year. It will unfold itself. No point in stressing what hasn’t happened yet.
One doesn’t know what’s coming. I’m starting my 13th year in pre-k in the same school. No one is going to push me out before I’m ready to go.
What I noticed at the end of the school year last year and over the summer is that the suits have no clue what they are supposed to do. They are working in the dark almost as much as we are. I will insist that they provide guidance for every initiative they want me to do and ask them to model for me. I will document every discussion we have. I intend to have a long paper trail.
And I will teach my students as though we are at Sidwell Friends.
More on Voucher Schools with No Standards
So now we know what true education reform looks like.
It means sending kids to schools that are no better or worse than their local public school.
It means sending kids to schools that teach them that the Bible has all you need to know about the origin of the
Before the Craziness
It means sending kids to schools that are no better or worse than their local public school.
It means sending kids to schools that teach them that the Bible has all you need to know about the origin of the
Before the Craziness
This teacher, now retired, reflects on the madness of giving standardized tests to students in special education. She sees hope in the determination and unity of the teachers of Chicago. She also reminds us why retired teachers must stay involved and speak up for their colleagues in the classroom, especially those whose lives are being heedlessly destroyed by pointless reforms:
| I was a special ed. teacher who was there before–and when– this craziness started. (Although there were always problems {& NOTHING even compares to the present-day intimidation, harassment}, I was lucky enough to be teaching when one could really teach. To get to the point–as a special ed. teacher, I had a front row seat to the suffering caused by the high-stakes tests. We had no business whatever making some of these |