Around The Web In ESL/EFL/ELL
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Ten years ago I began this regular feature where I share a few posts and
resources from around the Web related to ESL/EFL or to language in general
that ...
The Charter Money Trail
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Following public dollars through a traditional school district is, by
comparison, straightforward. District budgets are public record. Board
meetings are o...
ICYMI: Oh, September (9/6)
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I can always see the big May crunch coming from a mile away, but September
usually just sneaks up on me and suddenly--BAM-- I am up to my ears in One
Damn ...
Say a prayer for the Canadian River
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[image: Say a prayer for the Canadian River]f you hadn’t noticed, the
vegetation is looking a bit crispy out there. This summer has been a
scorcher in Ok...
Day 1 for the New Congress
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If Dems don't do this, they will have failed us entirely.
[image or embed]
— unpersoned.bsky.social (@unpersoned.bsky.social) September 5, 2026 at
5:5...
ICE Creates a NewData Base
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A new day, a new fascist plot by the Trump admin.
This time the threat is coming via ICE. And no, it’s not the threat DHS
Secretary Markwayne Mullin ...
Randi’s Weekly Report: ‘We Are Not Powerless’
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Watch now | In my new video, I share the findings from our new educator
survey, revealing a profession in crisis—teachers stressed about rising
costs and i...
Why Does Teacher Pay Matter?
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A recent story on America’s growing teacher shortage indicates a real
problem – nearly half a million teaching positions unfilled or filled with
temporary ...
Nasty, Uncontrollable, Hopelessly Feral
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"I really can't stand children."
It's a sentiment I occasionally encounter upon informing a stranger of the
work I do. It always rocks me back on my he...
Gary Rubinstein's Blog: By One Dishonest Measure
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Gary Rubinstein's Blog: By One Dishonest Measure
A loaded question that education reformers like to ponder is: Exactly how
many students in the boroughs o...
Which Honeypot Would Work on You?
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A honeypot feels like desire fulfilled, not danger approaching. I’ve been
binge-watching Lioness the past week, and I am finally caught up through
Season 3...
SPI Celebrates 1 Million CalKIDS Accounts
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California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond
celebrates 1 million CalKIDS accounts, highlights financial literacy in
Monterey County.
DOE presentation on their AI guidance
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The following slides were presented to the AI Moratorium Coalition steering
commitee on Sept. 1, 2026. The last slide has bullet points made up of
response...
How Do We Stop a Coup? We Organize
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Just like you, there are many people in this country who want to save our
democracy. And if we organize, we can, Many of us in the United States are
asking...
The Light She Left Behind
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“Those we love don’t go away, they sit beside us every day.” — Liane
Moriarty, Big Little Lies Forgive us if we are a little sad here in
Tennessee. We lost...
The Great and Irreplaceable Dolly Parton
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If the state of the world has you down, here’s a reprieve, two interviews
with the great Dolly Parton. The first is my extended interview with her,
13 yea...
Who Wants a Raise?
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Everyone. And if you are a UFTer (and not a retiree), you are getting one.
But get this. A new paraprofessional is getting a raise of $803/year. Man,
do th...
AI Bogus EdTech Scheme
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By Thomas Ultican 8/24/2026 Big technology oligarchs are pushing their
dangerous not-ready-for-prime-time artificial intelligence (AI) products
into Americ...
SQ 844: How is this better?
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In plain terms, the new language gives the Legislature the authority to
establish both the amount and methodology for distributing ad valorem
reimbursement...
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It's time to Revise Louisiana's
School Curriculum
Present standards do not allow for individual differences and life goals
For the last 15 years Louisiana'...
Time to change our Nation’s Diaper
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It’s time to change our nation’s diaper. Our national identity now reeks
due to our inability to clean out the mess caused by the Orange Turd.
Corruption i...
GLP-1 Meds for Kids? Some Info.
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Like many consumers of television and social media, I have been bombarded
with ads for GLP-1s (short for glucagon-like peptide-1). The ads are
everywhere. ...
By One Dishonest Measure
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A loaded question that education reformers like to ponder is: Exactly how
many students in the boroughs of New York City are trapped in failing
schools? In...
1776
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__________
“The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and
conduct of this army…. We have, therefore, resolved to conquer...
May’s Parent Engagement Resources
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San Diego Unified Created a System to ‘Empower’ Parents. It Unraveled is
from The Voice of San Diego. Why Those Disengaged Parents in Your School
Deserve a...
Reflections on America, the world, and life
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I acknowledge that I rarely post here anymore. Folks should remember that I
am approaching my 80th birthday in less than 9 weeks, I am still teaching
ful...
Shutting Down The Site
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Ten years ago, I ran for a seat on the LAUSD School Board of Education with
the goal to *Change the LAUSD*.
I am proud of the campaign we ran. We achieve...
Il Papa è Morto
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Francis brought a distinct pastoral outlook to his papacy. A simple man, he
lived in a small apartment in the guesthouse. He sought to make the church
acce...
AIN’T IT AWFUL
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As the terrible feelings of dread and angst spread across the world the
great majority of the American people feel powerless before the onslaught
of those ...
Vote NO on the UFT Contract. Here is Why:
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The best reason to vote no on this contract is this: UFT Unity* lied* to us
in 2018. They misrepresented that contract. It was predicated on deals we
wer...
There Is A Teacher Shortage.Not.
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THERE IS A TEACHER SHORTAGE. And just to be sure you understand, it’s not
that teachers don’t want to teach. It’s not that there aren’t enough
teachers cer...
Book Banning Turns to Dick and Jane
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Breaking News: Dateline February 4, 2022 - Parents in Dimwitty, Alabama
have asked the Dimwitty Board of Education to ban the children's primer *Fun
with...
Have You Heard Has a New Website
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TweetHave You Heard has a new website. Visit us at
www.haveyouheardpodcast.com to find our latest episodes and our entire
archive. And be sure to check out...
Follow me at Substack
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I've moved. Follow me at Substack
I'm now posting regularly at Substack. You can subscribe for free to my new
Edu/Pol blog at michaelklonsky.substack.com
...
I’ve moved.
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I’m on Substack now. You can continue to receive periodic posts for free.
Or you can read every post and comment for $5 a month, $60 a year.
fredklonsky.su...
Aspiring Teachers Get New Help Paying For College
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[image: colorful classroom pattern]
*; Credit: shuoshu/Getty Images*
Cory Turner | NPR
New rules kick in today that will help aspiring teachers pay for c...
Tips Akses Situs Judi Qq Tanpa Perlu Takut Nawala
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Kegiatan berjudi slot melalui situs judi qq online, sekarang sudah
dilakukan oleh banyak penjudi Indonesia. Tentu, Kamu yang sedang membaca
artikel ini a...
The Threat of Integration
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I have lived in the same house in the Miracle Mile section of Los Angeles
for over 30 years, where up until now I have had little or no interaction
with th...
The Passing Of Chaz 1951-2020 Age 69
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I am the son of Chaz and like to inform you that he passed away this
afternoon from the COVID virus. My father passed in peace beside his loved
ones. We ar...
The Fight For Our Children
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*The number of suicides among people ages 10 to 24 nationally increased by
56 percent between 2007 and 2017, according to a new federal report showing
the ...
Read to Self: Just a Kid and a Book.
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Date: Monday, January 5, 2020 Place: My classroom Student: Mrs.Mims, could
we start doing Read to Self again because I got this great book for
Christmas an...
Reminiscences
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I just finished dumping the rest of my lesson plans. I guess I held on to
the calculus ones for so long because I spent so much time working on them
an...
Just Asking for some Teachers I know.
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Recently Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers stated, We must … recognize that
part of supporting our kids in the classroom means supporting the educators
who t...
Cara Menang Bermain Judi Bola Online
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Bermain judi bola online tentu saja memiliki kesenangannya tersendiri baik
itu mendapatkan keuntungan maupun ketika menantikan hasil skor pada sebuah
perta...
The World According to Michelle Rhee
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The men behind the curtain fashioning the brave new world of corporate run
education in America! Michelle Rhee is the founder of StudentsFirst, The
New T...
Whose Opinions Matter in Education World?
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It's hard to identify education heroes and sheroes. And perhaps even harder
to pinpoint just whose work is slanted, paid-for and dishonest.
Lesson Plan: Rhyme and Rhythm in Poetry
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I’ve started a recent unit on poetry with my class. I’m not a poet, and I’m
not a poetry fan (I don’t hate it, but I’m a prose gal), so this makes it
harde...
Site News: New Home for Education News & Commentary
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Quick! Get over there! The daily education news roundup and education
commentaries that you're probably looking for are now being published over
at The Gra...
Should We Be Grateful?
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In an odd turn of events, and with little explanation, Michigan Governor
Rick Snyder has decided to return the state’s School Reform Office back to
the Dep...
An Open Letter to NC Lawmakers
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An Open Letter to NC State Lawmakers and NC State Superintendent Mark
Johnson: I am a NC native, voter, and public school teacher. I am
addressing you all ...
Farewell, Sleep
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Today is the official last day of my spring break. I've done a scientific
survey: My natural bedtime is 2 AM, and my natural wake up time is 9:41
AM. Tom...
Test Refusal = People Power
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In recent months, social media has been ablaze with talk of regular folk
taking action to resist the Trump agenda. Protests are a daily occurrence,
and ev...
Random Musings and Observations. . . .
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I’ve been gone a while from the blogging scene. Some of my more regular
readers no doubt noticed but did not hassle me about it. Thank you for
that. Sinc...
AB 934: A LEGISLATIVE FIX FOR VERGARA?
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By Michael Stratford | in the Politco Morning Education Report | via email
05/24/2016 10:00 AM EDT :: Two national education groups are backing a
Califor...
MY NEW BLOG
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My new blog will consist of fictitious headlines, meant to be a blend of
humor and satire. I apologize ahead of time if any other satirical site has
simila...
Thank you
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Dear Readers,
Thank you for visiting *The Perimeter Primate*. This blog is being retired
for the time being. Although I no longer post here, I do still s...
I am Retiring
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I have some news: I am retiring from the PBS NewsHour and Learning Matters.
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other
conte...
Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School
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*“With Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School closing, Newark families must
move on.”* The Star-Ledger (NJ), 6/25/2013
NEWARK — Bobby and Troy Shanks saw the...
Please consider responding to a new question-of-the-week at my Classroom Q & A column at Education Week Teacher: What is the best thing that has happened in one of your classes so far this year?
I’m making a change in the content of the regular feature. In addition to sharing the top five posts that have received the most “hits” in the preceding seven days (though they may have originally been published on an earlier date), I will also include the top five posts that have actually appeared in the past week. Often, these are different posts. You might also be interested in IT’S THE THIRTE
coyot / Pixabay As I wrote in FIRST QUARTER REPORT ON WHAT I’M DOING IN FULL-TIME DISTANCE LEARNING & HOW IT’S GOING , my ELL History class can be pretty hectic. I’m having student teachers, peer tutors and a bilingual aide do a lot of work with a small group of Newcomers during the class. As part of a weekly routine, every Thursday they read a fairly simple text. Getting any students engaged wit
OpenClipart-Vectors / Pixabay I have over 2,100 frequently revised and updated “Best” lists on just about every subject imaginable, and you can find them listed three different ways in three different places (see Three Accessible Ways To Search For & Find My “Best” Lists ). I’m starting to publish a series where each day I will highlight the “Best” lists in a separate category. Today, it’s on Tea
Nov. 19th is World Toilet Day , organized by the U.N. to bring attention to the need for public sanitation in developing countries. You might be interested in The Best Resources For Learning About World Toilet Day & The Issue Of Public Sanitation In The Third World .
As I indicated in my previous post, What Might The Results Of This Presidential Election Suggest That Teachers (& Others) Should Do Going Forward?, the work of Stacey Abrams and her colleagues provides a good idea of what we all need to do going forward. As Biden Inches Ahead in Georgia, Stacey Abrams Draws Recognition and Praise is a NY Times article which highlights the point I made in that ear
Peter-Lomas / Pixabay What a week it’s been, and it shows no signs of stopping…. I’ve published three posts related to the election this week, and thought it would be helpful to bring them all together in one place. I think it’s especially useful since I’ve done some updates since the first one appeared. Here they are: Ideas & Resources About What & How To Teach The Day After The Election – Pleas
Anemone123 / Pixabay The latest TED-Ed lesson and video is on “Do larger animals take longer to pee?” I’m adding it to THE BEST VIDEOS FOR TEACHING & LEARNING ABOUT – YES – “POOP”
Nine years ago, in another somewhat futile attempt to reduce the backlog of resources I want to share, I began this occasional “” post where I share three or four links I think are particularly useful and related to…ed tech, including some Web 2.0 apps. You might also be interested in THE BEST ED TECH RESOURCES OF 2020 – PART TWO , as well as checking out all my edtech resources . Here are this w
Clker-Free-Vector-Images / Pixabay I have over 2,100 frequently revised and updated “Best” lists on just about every subject imaginable, and you can find them listed three different ways in three different places (see Three Accessible Ways To Search For & Find My “Best” Lists ). I’m starting to publish a series where each day I will highlight the “Best” lists in a separate category. Today, it’s o
Wokandapix / Pixabay I have a number of regular weekly features (see HERE IS A LIST (WITH LINKS) OF ALL MY REGULAR WEEKLY FEATURES ). This is a relatively new addition to that list. Some of these resources will be added to The Best Advice On Teaching K-12 Online (If We Have To Because Of The Coronavirus) – Please Make More Suggestions ! and the best will go to The “Best Of The Best” Resources To
I’ve posted a lot about the potential dangers of being “data-driven” and that, instead, we should look at being “data-informed” (see The Best Resources Showing Why We Need To Be “Data-Informed” & Not “Data-Driven” ). In other words, let’s not be totally focused on the “numbers” because they may lead us to the wrong decisions. A new Guardian story that came out last week, In a data-obsessed world,
I’ve recently begun this weekly post where I’ll be sharing resources I’m adding to The Best Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Resources or other related “Best” lists. You might also be interested in THE BEST SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING RESOURCES OF 2020 – PART ONE. Finally, check out “Best” Lists Of The Week: Social Emotional Learning Resources . Here are this week’s picks: 3 Steps to Developing an A
NOTE: I’m republishing this post from 2017 since both of these lessons are always VERY popular in November leading up to Thanksgiving, and thought new readers might want to hear about them. (Editor’s Note: I originally published this post in 2015) I’ve previously posted about A Simple & Effective Classroom Lesson On Gratitude , one that I’ve done with my mainstream and Advanced ELL classes. I’m m
BiljaST / Pixabay Six years ago I began this regular feature where I share a few posts and resources from around the Web related to ESL/EFL or to language in general that have caught my attention. You might also be interested in THE BEST RESOURCES, ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS FOR TEACHERS OF ELLS IN 2019 – PART ONE and THE BEST RESOURCES, ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS FOR TEACHERS OF ELLS IN 2019 – PART TWO. A
geralt / Pixabay I have over 2,100 frequently revised and updated “Best” lists on just about every subject imaginable, and you can find them listed three different ways in three different places (see Three Accessible Ways To Search For & Find My “Best” Lists ). I’m starting to publish a series where each day I will highlight the “Best” lists in a separate category. Today, it’s on IB Theory of Kno
PublicDomainPictures / Pixabay Thanksgiving is coming up here in the United States. You might be interested in The Best Sites To Teach and Learn About Thanksgiving (I just went through it and cleaned up a few dead links).
Tumisu / Pixabay I have over 2,100 frequently revised and updated “Best” lists on just about every subject imaginable, and you can find them listed three different ways in three different places (see Three Accessible Ways To Search For & Find My “Best” Lists ). I’m starting to publish a series where each day I will highlight the “Best” lists in a separate category. Today, it’s on Teaching ELLs: A
geralt / Pixabay It’s early Wednesday afternoon and, despite President Trump’s authoritarian declaration of victory , the final results of our Presidential election are still in doubt. Earlier this week, I published Ideas & Resources About What & How To Teach The Day After The Election – Please Share Your Own Advice & Plans , which shared a variety of suggestions of how we teachers could handle t
12 Common Mistakes Made by Teachers of English-Language Learners is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Don’t assume students who are paying attention understand what’s being taught and, especially for young children, support learning in their home language. Those are among the ideas six educators share for helping ELLs. Here are some excerpts:
kalhh / Pixabay Here are new additions to THE BEST POSTS PREDICTING WHAT SCHOOLS WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE FALL : School Official On A Pennsylvania District’s Decision To Revert To Online Learning is from NPR. Parents in N.Y.C. Public Schools Now Face This Agonizing Choice is from The NY Times. Ds and Fs surge, attendance slips among L.A.’s poorest students amid distance learning is from The L.A Time
Don’t Make Assumptions About Your ELL Students is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Seven educators offer their nominations for the most common mistakes made by teachers of ELLs, including making background-knowledge assumptions and not providing enough scaffolding. Here are some excerpts:
November is Native American Heritage Month in the United States. I don’t have a specific “Best” list for the month. However, I have many related resources at: The Best Sites For International Day Of The World’s Indigenous People The Best Online Resources About Christopher Columbus (& ‘Indigenous Peoples’ Day’) The Best Resources For Teaching & Learning About The Standing Rock Protests A Beginning
OpenClipart-Vectors / Pixabay I have over 2,100 frequently revised and updated “Best” lists on just about every subject imaginable, and you can find them listed three different ways in three different places (see Three Accessible Ways To Search For & Find My “Best” Lists ). I’m starting to publish a series where each day I will highlight the “Best” lists in a separate category. Today, it’s on Soc
Maklay62 / Pixabay I, like many of us, am feeling stressed by tomorrow’s election – I just can’t fathom how our country would re-elect Donald Trump. Of course, I couldn’t fathom how he could be elected the first time, either. But, in terms of my classes, the reality is that it’s not about me. It’s about them. And I have to have a plan about what to do on Wednesday. I’m not too concerned about wha
18371568 / Pixabay Here are new additions to THE BEST RESOURCES FOR TEACHING ABOUT THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION : How Can Teachers and Students Discuss the 2020 Election? is from The Teaching Channel. Is Voting Too Hard in the U.S.? is from KQED. Lesson of the Day: An Election News Game is from The New York Times Learning Network. GOOD DESIGN IS THE SECRET TO BETTER DEMOCRACY is a NY Times inte
geralt / Pixabay I’ve just mailed out the November issue of my very simple free monthly email newsletter . It has over 3,000 subscribers, and you can subscribe here . Of course, you can also join the eighteen thousand others who subscribe to this blog daily. Here Are 8 Ways You Can Subscribe For Free…
Prawny / Pixabay Here’s my regular round-up of new “The Best…” lists I posted this month (you can see all 2,206 of them categorized here ). THE BEST FUN VIDEOS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS IN 2020 – PART TWO THE BEST ONLINE LEARNING GAMES – 2020 (PART TWO) THE BEST ONLINE LEARNING GAMES TO PLAY DURING DISTANCE LEARNING – SHARE YOUR ADDITIONS! THE BEST SOCIAL STUDIES WEBSITES – 2020 THE BEST RESO
geralt / Pixabay I have over 2,100 frequently revised and updated “Best” lists on just about every subject imaginable, and you can find them listed three different ways in three different places (see Three Accessible Ways To Search For & Find My “Best” Lists ). I’m starting to publish a series where each day I will highlight the “Best” lists in a separate category. Today, it’s on Social Emotional
stevepb / Pixabay Here are new additions to THE BEST POSTS PREDICTING WHAT SCHOOLS WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE FALL : In San Francisco, Virus Is Contained but Schools Are Still Closed is from The NY Times. Why Is Europe Keeping Its Schools Open, Despite New Lockdowns? is from The NY Times. Lessons from Estonia: why it excels at digital learning during Covid is from The Guardian. In Michigan, Undocument
Teachers Must Create Ways ELL ‘Students Can Show Us What They Know’ is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Four educators share common mistakes made by teachers of English-language learners, including not being creative in how ELLs can show us what they know and by translating “everything.” Here are some excerpts:
geralt / Pixabay Our first quarter of full-time distance learning ends this week, and I thought it would be interesting to some readers, and helpful to me, to take some time to reflect on what I’ve been doing and how it’s been going. I’m dividing this post into several categories: Summary, Concerns, and then specific discussions about what’s happening in each of my classes (ELL History, ELL Inter
As regular readers know, at the end of each week I share the five most popular posts from the previous seven days. I thought people might find it interesting to see a list of the ten most popular posts from the previous thirty days. You might also be interested in It’s The Thirteenth Anniversary Of This Blog – Here Are The Forty All-Time Most Popular Posts. Not to mention A LOOK BACK: 2020’S BEST
Valiphotos / Pixabay I have over 2,100 frequently revised and updated “Best” lists on just about every subject imaginable, and you can find them listed three different ways in three different places (see Three Accessible Ways To Search For & Find My “Best” Lists ). I’m starting to publish a series where each day I will highlight the “Best” lists in a separate category. Today, it’s on The Seasons
I’m making a change in the content of the regular feature. In addition to sharing the top five posts that have received the most “hits” in the preceding seven days (though they may have originally been published on an earlier date), I will also include the top five posts that have actually appeared in the past week. Often, these are different posts. You might also be interested in IT’S THE THIRTE
Alexey_Hulsov / Pixabay Here are new additions to A BEGINNING LIST OF THE BEST RESOURCES FOR LEARNING ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS : A room, a bar and a classroom: how the coronavirus is spread through the air is
