Projected challenges often seem far in the distance, hazy visions of bad things to (maybe) come. In education, we’ve been talking about the assault on public education for so long that we’ve grown to accept future hazards as the norm. A
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Growing Your Own: Fostering a Viable Mentoring Program
When I left the military, I immediately pursued a career in teaching. When I first began my teaching journey, I did not have a mentor teacher, and even before attending pre-service training, I started working at an alternative charter school
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Physics Teachers Are Endangered Species
In a few short weeks a new school year will begin. However, what are the odds that Arizona kids will be taking upper level science and math classes. The answer is less than half the national average. High school physics,
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Back To Schools #2: Got an Issue?
Where’s the tissue? This personal series of blogs is about what should be the next steps in funding for Arizona schools. But first, a brief side note. I just learned it is going to be especially hard to find new
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The Promise of a New Year
Recently, I listened to one of my favorite educational podcasts, Kids Deserve It! I love these podcasts because they speak to the positivity, innovation, and solutions for the work that is done by educators, from the building administration to the
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Dear Experienced Teacher:
Many of my blogger colleagues have posted back-to-school letters to new teachers – and rightfully so given the often-cited exodus of those newer to the teaching profession. Our newbies certainly need some overt love and cheerleading as they embark on
Read MoreUnintended Consequences
In the already unsexy world of education policy, I’d like to dabble in a subtopic that is even less so: education finance. Before you frantically pound the escape button on your keyboard to back out of this blog, stay with
Read MoreStudents vs Scholars
Students vs. Scholars Last year our school culture shifted away from “I have to do this.” “I have to teach these kids.” “This is my job, I have to be here.” “I have who, that student.” TO, “I get to
Read MoreWhy Differentiate in Class if We Don’t Differentiate in the Real World?
At an event the other day with a group of teachers I had just met, one made the offhand comment that the real world doesn’t differentiate. Her opinion was met with general agreement by the other teachers. The undertone of
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Back to Schools
The #NowItStarts hashtag in May was intended to be a reminder to all stakeholders in Arizona that Prop 123 was only a beginning to the process of properly funding Arizona schools. Part of the consensus on Proposition 123, with the
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