An archived stack of papers: 'Reform'
America And Europe: Faulty Comparison 1
In a stack of papers called Reform.
- Feb
- 24
- 2006
American Public Schools Versus The World
Many times, I’ve read or seen or heard comparisons between America’s public schools and a few other education systems. Comparing America’s public schools to other countries, private schools, and charter schools are the most common things I’ve seen, though comparisons to homeschooling are on the rise.
I do not believe the... read more
What Schools Need, But Don’t Get
In a stack of papers called Reform.
- Feb
- 23
- 2006
Schools need dedicated staff to make sure its halls retain a hallowed sense. Students need their school to be a safe place. Teachers need their school to have the facilities necessary to teach in the 21st century. Parents need an easily navigated school, one that looks striking from the outside and can be a source of pride in the community. Schools need visitors to make all these things... read more
What We All Need, But Don’t Get
In a stack of papers called Reform.
- Feb
- 22
- 2006
We all need breaks from our job, time to do other things or to do nothing at all. The job of a teenager is to be a student and, I’ll say again, we all need breaks from our job.
I’d really be upset if my principal gave work to complete over the vacation (in fact, when grades are due the day we return from a 4-day weekend, that’s exactly how many teachers feel). You’d be... read more
What Education Needs, But Doesn’t Get
In a stack of papers called Reform.
- Feb
- 21
- 2006
Talking with a friend and fellow teacher today, I realize that education needs a fair. I’m not talking Tilt-A-Whirls, cotton candy, and Ring Toss games, but a place where people involved in education get together and talk about our work, perhaps serving as a catalyst for real reform by those people who know directly what needs to change. From sharing concerns about the job to working toward... read more
What Parents Need, But Don’t Get
In a stack of papers called Reform.
- Feb
- 20
- 2006
Students need power; teachers need support; parents need communication. Schools need to establish an open-door policy early in the academic year. Teachers need to work with parents to raise students’ awareness. Students need to respect the authority their parents bring to the equation. Everyone needs to be prepared to sit down at one big table to discuss issues from time to time. To do that,... read more
What Teachers Need, But Don’t Get
In a stack of papers called Reform.
- Feb
- 19
- 2006
Teachers need support from fellow teachers, parents, and administration. Students need to realize that (most) teachers are really just trying to help. Everyone needs to recognize the complexity of the seemingly simple system in which we all work. Schools need to value the tasks teachers perform and make that value obvious to all. Teachers need respect, not lip service.
Peer... read more
What Students Need, But Don’t Get
In a stack of papers called Reform.
- Feb
- 18
- 2006
Teenagers need control. Adults need to help them not make stupid decisions. Everyone needs to realize that some things are only learned through experience. Schools need to help students find their vocation. Students need power.
Teenagers often don’t know what to feel passionately about. They live in a dusk of life, a transition time where things are not well defined as day or night. Are... read more
SLC: A Sloppy Experiment
In a stack of papers called Reform.
- Feb
- 14
- 2006
So my school sits in the midst of spending the money provided by a grant for Smaller Learning Communities (SLC). Come next year, SLC haunts the hallways and likely grows to encompass the sophomores, whether the program works or not.
SLC and NCLB
Ah, yes. A match made in heaven, NCLB spells out SLC’s purpose. ED.gov’s... read more
We Have The Numbers (And We’re Voting Yes)
In a stack of papers called Reform, Unorganized.
- Feb
- 09
- 2006
Stumbling onto a news report of an education poll, the glaring problem of differing expectations in schools across the nation (world?) stands almost untouched. I’ll just say at the outset that I’m not sure I feel too confident in anything with AOL’s initials attached to it,... read more
WASC And Professional Development
In a stack of papers called Reform.
- Feb
- 01
- 2006
I’m off to a staff development meeting where we will be discussing our Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) visit.
If any of you have gone through the WASC process, you know that it’s really no fun. If you haven’t gone through it, realize that you actually have whenever you had to put together a project for school: a big assignment with lots of little due dates and... read more