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End Suspensions, and Bring Play Back to Kindergarten
By Sara Lahm. Is there a crack forming in the anti-child world we have been subjecting our children to for far too long? I ask this question on the heels of Minneapolis Public Schools Superintendent Bernadeia Johnson’s announcement that, effective immediately, preschoolers, kindergarteners, and first graders will no longer be suspended for non-violent infractions while in a Minneapolis Public Scho
SEP 02
Back to School Advice: Opt Out of High Stakes Standardized Testing
By Denisha Jones. As many parents prepare to send their child(ren) off to school this year they are hopeful that their children will return home each day with reports that they learned something new or made a new friend. Unfortunately for many parents their children will come home and report that they spent the day preparing for tests. The days will turn into weeks, and in some cases, students wil
SEP 01
Deborah Meier: On Leisure This Labor Day
Deborah Meier from Schoolhouse Live on Vimeo. This Labor Day small schools founder Deborah Meier reminds us of the need for leisure time to practice the art of democracy. Learn more about Deborah here. The post Deborah Meier: On Leisure This Labor Day appeared first on Living in Dialogue.
Do Our Schools Need a New Accountability System?
By Anthony Cody. A new report from Marc Tucker is gaining some support for its supposedly new approach to holding schools accountable. But I am afraid his plan makes many of the mistakes that previous such systems have made. Here is the core of his proposal: Instead of testing all of our students every year with low-level, cheap tests, our students would take high stakes tests only three times in
Edu-Politics 101, Part Two: The High Cost of Pleasing the Powerful
By John Thompson. I twice supported Barack Obama for president. Throughout President Obama’s first term, I asked what we teachers might have done to provoke him so. Were his anti-teacher policies the avoidable result of teachers and unions being too slow to address conditions in Chicago schools? By now, it is clear that teachers were in the wrong place at the wrong time. President Obama was search
AUG 31
Politicizing the Common Core as Candidates Plan Their Next Moves
Across the country, politicians are reacting to the Common Core debate. Some are sinking and others are swimming in their support or condemnation of the national standards. The post Politicizing the Common Core as Candidates Plan Their Next Moves appeared first on Living in Dialogue.
AUG 30
Will the Teaching Class Take the Lead?
By Anthony Cody. The teachers of America have been learning some very deep lessons about the nature of 21st century capitalism. And these lessons may turn teachers into a political force to be reckoned with in the years to come. Those who have studied Marxist theory know that he predicted that the exploited working class held the key to political and economic change. It is the workers that generat
AUG 29
Arne Duncan’s Edu-Politics 101
By John Thompson. National and local reporters who cover the Education beat already know the full story behind Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s retreat from his demands that states comply fully and immediately to everything on his corporate reform wish list. Most have displayed balance and excellence in reporting on the second tier issue that is public education. The press has ably documented
Aixa Rodriguez on Racism: We Must Connect What We Teach to Real Life
by Aixa Rodriguez. 1. In terms of a response to the Michael Brown shooting, what is our responsibility as educators and citizens who care about social justice? Educators are on the front line when it comes to dealing with the effects of tragic events. When it comes to the Michael Brown shooting the the subsequent protests and militarized police response, teachers who care about social justice, sho
Lucianna Sanson: Move Past Discomfort to Learn About Racism
By Lucianna Sanson. 1. In terms of a response to the Michael Brown shooting, what is our responsibility as educators and citizens who care about social justice? Our response as educators should be to speak up about these issues and raise awareness about the institution of racism in America. White people, especially, should be educated about racism and prejudice and privilege in America. Until we l
Xian Barrett: Confronting Racism Cannot Wait
By Xian Barrett. 1. In terms of a response to the Michael Brown shooting, what is our responsibility as educators and citizens who care about social justice? We must acknowledge the fact that if our students feel as if we don’t care if they live or die, there is literally no way we can engage them in an academic or any human way. It is our responsibility to weave the study of the inequities shown
Yohuru Williams: Discussions of Race Can be Thorny
by Yohuru Williams. 1. In terms of a response to the Michael Brown shooting, what is our responsibility as educators and citizens who care about social justice? One of the most important things to remember is that the Michael Brown shooting, like any teachable moment, is an opportunity for students to think about and apply their academic studies to real issues. The Brown shooting, for example, is
Adam Bessie: Our First Step in Discussions of Race is to Listen
By Adam Bessie. In terms of a response to the Michael Brown shooting, what is our responsibility as educators and citizens who care about social justice? Without doubt, there is a cone of silence around race in the education dialogue from white teachers – and I include myself in this. Part of this is because there are very real institutional and political pressures keeping all teachers fro
Denisha Jones on Discussing Race: Meet People Where They Are
By Denisha Jones. 1. In terms of a response to the Michael Brown shooting, what is our responsibility as educators and citizens who care about social justice? I think our responsibility is to help our colleagues and neighbors understand why the death of Michael Brown and the response in Ferguson is an educational issues. I have heard from many teachers and parents that this has nothing to do with
