I, rarely, watch movies about teachers – mainly because it drives my husband nuts when I yell at the screen because a teacher has pulled a karate move with inner city students, has placed chains on doors to lock out crime, or is connected
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Elections, Squirrels, Teaching, and Shiny Things.
An old adage suggests that if one wishes to understand why something truly happens, the question“why?” must be posed at least five consecutive times. This allows the questioner to get below surface-level influences and arrive at the root cause. I
Read MoreMr. Weatherbee is So 20th Century
Was I destroying the fabric of our democracy by being a fair and sensible principal? Will the kids would grow up to assume that most decisions made by adults were equally fair and sensible? YIKES!
Read MoreNot-So-Strange Bedfellows
As co-founder of a small charter high school, I decided to interview Mike Klonsky, Chicago-based leader in the modern small-schools movement. Mike and I have a lot in common: we agree that small schools offer a more humane and functional alternative to big schools. We also share the belief, as evidenced by research and our own experiences, that small schools have lower teacher turnover, experience less violence, and allow for greater teacher autonomy.
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Sorry, Superman.
You can keep waiting for Superman, but he’s not coming. I find the title of a certain highly controversial documentary to be ironic, because it is problematic in its symbolism, alone. To invoke such iconography during the debate over
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Coffee Talk
One of my favorite skits on Saturday Night Live was “Coffee Talk,” in which a Mike Meyers-inspired character, Linda Richman, praised the likes of Barbara Streisand, said everything “looked like butta,” and encouraged viewers to “talk amongst themselves” with a one-word command: “discuss.” Yes, the characters on this
Read MoreSo a kid without a head walks into a school…
According to the US News & World Report Data:
* The number 1 school has only 1% of its students eligible for free and reduced lunch.
* The number 2 school has only ONE STUDENT eligible for free and reduced lunch.
* The number 9 school, an AZ charter, has not one single student eligible for free and reduced lunch.
Svegli e L’odore del Caffé
At the end of this year, House Bill 2281 will likely be signed into law. This bill will effectively outlaw ethnic studies classes which have been especially meaningful for our Mexican-American, African-American and Native American students. These classes have provided an important setting for students who have not been able to see themselves or hear their stories in the traditional curriculum. We learn best when we can form a personal, relevant connection to what is being taught. And when we can’t, we shut down.
Read MoreAdding Credits to My Man Card
Two weeks ago, Nancy Flanagan wrote an interesting blog about the proclivity for men to employ sports metaphors while framing education debates. I was thrilled to see that my first K-12 Center blog had actually been referenced, and thus ran
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