Here’s Some Suggested Reading for Our Trash-Talking Secretary of Education
You hear a lot these days—especially in the Trump era—about how broken, antiquated and just generally messed up public education is in our country. Just last night, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy...
View ArticleEducation Reform Isn’t Just for Cities
School reform advocate Derrell Bradford and policy writer Andy Rotherham hit on it. Illinois education writer Tracy Dell’Angela has a blog focused on it. Teacher/education writer Robert Pondiscio said...
View ArticleWill States Hold Their Schools Accountable Under ESSA? A New Report Sheds...
The ever-reliable edu-wonks over at Bellwether Education Partners, along with the trusted folks at Collaborative for Student Success (CSS), have put together a comprehensive review of the 17 school...
View ArticleI Almost Didn’t Graduate High School Because My School Wouldn’t Change a...
Recently, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said she believes local and state governments should be allowed to set their own rules when it comes to discrimination, and the kinds of students they let...
View ArticleWe’ve Known for Years What Makes Teachers Better: It Isn’t Sexy or...
As school reforms go, it’s not sexy, it’s not new, and it’s not at all controversial. So it probably won’t get as much attention as Betsy DeVos being voted Donald Trump’s worst cabinet member by...
View ArticleWithout the Office for Civil Rights, My High School Would Have Continued to...
You may have seen the news. On July 11, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos responded to a letter written by Senator Patty Murray, which questioned the secretary’s dedication to maintaining civil rights in...
View ArticleIllinois’ School Accountability Plan Doesn’t Work for Our Kids and the Feds...
It’s comforting to learn that the feds (i.e. The U.S. Department of Education run by Secretary Betsy DeVos) has some serious concerns about Illinois accountability plans. When I first saw Illinois’...
View ArticleJust Because Trump and DeVos Like Charter Schools Doesn’t Mean You Can’t, Too
A while ago school choice policies were gaining steam across the country. Charter schools and vouchers were still somewhat controversial, but more and more people on both sides had started to see the...
View ArticleWhether You Call Them ‘Vouchers’ or Not, It’s Time to Ask Some Tough...
Recently, the negatively-charged term “voucher” has been morphing into the more positive term “scholarship program.” In the case of my home state of Illinois, before the public could get used to the...
View ArticleHey, Rick Hess, Know Your History on White Supremacy
Last week, Rick Hess lambasted not only the Harvard protesters who greeted Betsy DeVos with a banner reading “White Supremacist,” but all the progressive education reformers who stayed silent about it....
View ArticleDeVos Will Recommend the Removal of Civil Rights Protections for Students of...
Any day now we’re going to hear the news that Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and the Trump administration are removing guidance meant to reduce racist discipline practices that run rampant in...
View ArticleYes, I’ve Been Hit by Students, But I Still Believe Suspensions and...
Betsy DeVos wants to end the Obama-era discipline guidance that addresses the over-suspension and expulsion of students of color. Betsy DeVos is wrong. And I say that as a special educator serving...
View Article11 Inspiring Stories That Got Us Through 2018
We made it through 2018, perhaps a little bruised but as energized as ever to tackle the challenges in education in the year to come. But before we do that, let’s look back at how our network of...
View ArticleBetsy DeVos, The Grinch That Stole Civil Rights
Outrage: The White House Doesn’t Care About Black Kids I wanted to go into my vacation and the holidays on a high note. But, leave it to Trump and his people to kill a dream. Why are we surprised by...
View ArticleWe Have to Treat Every Student Like They’re Our Own, That Includes...
Our job is about a promise to every parent who leaves their child with us. We promise to watch over their children and teach them. We promise to do no harm and to stand in harm’s way to protect them....
View ArticleDeVos Is Planning to Rollback Guidelines That Protect Students From Sexual...
As the parent of a high school sexual assault survivor, I’ve seen how pervasive sexual harassment and assault in our K-12 schools can shake entire communities. That’s why I’m sounding the alarm about...
View ArticleHere’s Why Homeschooling Isn’t Just the Latest Fad, It’s the Next Wave of...
What do inner-city Black cultural enthusiasts, suburban Catholics and Silicon Valley techies all have in common? Almost nothing, except that they choose to homeschool their children. For mother April...
View ArticleBetsy DeVos Wants Larger Class Sizes and Fewer Teachers
In our society, there are so many hot takes offered each day that it’s almost impossible for any single statement to cut through the clutter. As a result, these hot takes can be taken as truth and fact...
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While Betsy Was Trying to Throw the Special Olympics Away, Democrats Were...
I’m on a mission to call everybody out who’s not working in the best interest of kids, all 2019. On this week’s list is Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and the Democrats. Strange bedfellows but...
View ArticleBetsy DeVos Wants Larger Paychecks For Teachers Who Deliver Results for Kids
In a recent statement to Congress, Betsy DeVos, the nation’s education chief, made the following statement: Students may be better served by being in larger classes, if by hiring fewer teachers, a...
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