Why schools are forcing some kids to ‘sit and stare’ for hours
A new policy is being enacted in some school districts across the country known as “sit and stare.” What is that? “Sit and stare” policies are enforced on those students whose parents have opted them out of taking a high-stakes standardized test but who are still required to be in the school building when the […]
Netflix’s Reed Hastings has a big idea: Kill elected school boards
There seems to be no end to the expertise that America’s billionaires possess and are happy to share with the rest of us about public education. Apparently making a fortune in the business world makes them experts on how to educate children. Bill Gates, Eli Broad, Mark Zuckerberg, various Waltons — these are just some […]
How ‘platooning’ and data walls are changing elementary school
You may have heard about the increasing use in schools of data walls on which teachers often post children’s names along with their test scores and other academic information that too often humiliates kids who don’t do well and violate federal student privacy laws. But have you heard about “platooning?” In this post three education […]
3-13-14 The Answer Sheet
The Answer Sheet: How to make school important in places that it isn’tAll of the reforms pushed onto public school districts in recent years fail to take into account that in many parts of the United States, going to school just isn’t very important. In this post, Joanne Yatvin, a past president of the National Council of Teachers of English who now supervises student teachers for Portland […]