2014 - Page 5 of 7 - STORIES FROM SCHOOL AZ

I Went to the Crossroads

June 18, 2014Mike Lee Uncategorized

I just returned from a road tour of the famous Blues Highway, which stretches from Memphis to New Orleans, with a mandatory stop in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The history was remarkable, the sites stunning, and the eery sense of difficult days

Salary and the Teacherly Mystique: My 25% Raise

June 12, 2014Amethyst Hinton Sainz Education, Education Policy

A year in a new position kept me on my toes, but overall my morale this year is very good. I could name five or six major factors that have increased my morale this year. Reason #1, though? Salary. I

The Problem with Curriculum Maps

June 3, 2014John Spencer Education Policy

The term “map” conjures up images of open spaces and daring adventures. At a young age, children sketch out pirate maps in search of treasures that they can barely imagine. At an older age, the map is a chance to

Common Core and David Beckham

June 2, 2014Mike Lee Assessment, Education, Education Policy

I know what you are thinking. In Arizona, they aren’t called the Common Core Standards, they are called the Arizona College and Career Readiness Standards (ACCRS). The name change was part of an effort to disconnect the standards from conspiracy

Ta DAAAA!

May 21, 2014Eve Rifkin Uncategorized

It's our annual Exhibition Week at City High School, during which every single student must successfully present on their learning in order to advance to the next grade level. The presentations are called "gateways" and for most students, the audiences

Matriculation and Metaphor: The Mother of All Core Skills

May 13, 2014Amethyst Hinton Sainz Life in the Classroom, Literacy

I had a lovely Mother's Day, thank you. A word root for "mother" is embedded in much language surrounding education: matrix, matriculation, alma mater. To begin to reflect on this phenomenon, one must retreat into a bit of metaphorical thinking.

This Feels Like a Slap in the Face

May 5, 2014John Spencer Current Affairs

For a second year in a row, the White House has taken Teacher Appreciation Week and added a privatized twist to it. It is, yet again, National Charter School Week. So, while parents are sending cookies and principals are setting

Parents: Please Look Beyond the Snapshots to Look at the Core

May 3, 2014Amethyst Hinton Sainz Current Affairs, Education, Education Policy, Elementary, Literacy, Mathematics, Parent Involvment, Professional Development

In the past many months, I’m sure many of you who are on social media have noticed a certain brand of posts related to the Common Core. Most of them begin with a photo of a third-grader’s math homework. Usually,

7 Observations About Defining Expert Teachers

April 28, 2014Sandy Merz Assessment, Current Affairs, Education, Education Policy, National Board Certification, Teacher Leadership

My teacherpreneur work includes working on diverse teams tasked to do everything from describing the state of early childhood in Arizona to determining the skills that make a new teacher safe for the classroom to delineating the continuum of growth

Character Education

April 8, 2014John Spencer Education

I sat in a room filled with private school teachers meeting to talk about character education. Some talked about giving badges and rewards for students that are caught showing great character. Others described the need for teachers to model great