An unlikely clash between a superintendent and a community
Suburban school districts are not usually the place where clashes develop over standardized test-based school reform policies, but that’s just what is happening in Montclair, N.J. Here’s a post on what’s going on by LynNell Hancock, the mother of two Montclair High School graduates, grandmother of a Montclair fifth grader, and professor of journalism at Columbia University.
By LynNell Hancock
When my family moved to Montclair from the Bronx more than two decades ago, the contentious issue involved a high school course–World Literature and Global Studies—that aspired to integrate culture, race, fiction and history in all-inclusive classrooms. Some ugly arguments erupted, over politics, content, and tracking. It was democracy in action, wrangling with core values and learning — the heart of the matter.
What a difference two decades make. Today’s disputes have little to do with enriching life and learning in the classroom. Instead, the discussions are about management
Strauss: China’s 10 new school reform rules: Reduce standardized testing, homework
How school districts are affected by Supreme Court’s DOMA ruling
The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down the federal Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, has implications for U.S. school systems, which collectively employ more than 6 million people. A new report was released on Wednesday providing advice to school districts about how they are affected by the decision. It was issued by the […]
Strauss: China’s 10 new school reform rules: Reduce standardized testing, homework
Earlier this year China began a major education reform initiative designed to increase student engagement and end student boredom and anxiety. Curbing standardized testing was one aim. Scholar Yong Zhao wrote about it first in this post, and, now, below, gives us the latest developments. Yong Zhao is the presidential chair and associate dean for global education at the University of Oregon’s Coll
A dozen basic guidelines for educators
Do we really need education policies and practices to cover everything that goes on in the classroom? Author Alfie Kohn says “no” and, below, offers basic guidelines that can really help teachers. Kohn is the author of 12 books about education and human behavior, including “The Schools Our Children Deserve,” “The Homework Myth,” and “Feel-Bad […]
‘Forgetting would be a terrible mistake’
The largely poor and rural state of Mississippi suffers from the highest rate of childhood poverty in the country, along with some of the lowest scores on standardized tests. A legacy of racism and segregation are among the roadblocks that keep the children of Mississippi from reaching their full potential. The Hechinger Report, an independently […]