Teachers As Scapegoats–And in Defense of Them
Teachers have been in the cross-hairs (Dare I make another gun-related reference?) for years not, not just by parents and students but the federal government, too, which tends to blame teachers for problems that to well beyond their control. The list includes...
The SAT Essay on the Chopping Block
Is abandoning the essay portion of the SAT yet another indication of dumbing down when it comes to students and what's expected of them? Is this the latest move to help kids feel better about themselves and making college acceptance less challenging? It would...
The Generation Gap Widens–And Not for the Best
According to a Pew Research Center study, compared to older generations, it seems that Millennials--the 18- to 34-year-olds among us--don't seem to think all that much about themselves. In fact: 59% feel they "self-absorbed" 49% view themselves as "wasteful" 43% call...
In Crisis Mode: Excessive Absenteeism and Truancy
Under President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan, billions of tax dollars have been spent “reforming” public education. Their efforts include the Race to the Top ($4.35 billion all by itself), charter schools, the Common Core State Standards, the Common...
Early School Start Times Jeopardize Kids’ Well-Being and Academic Performance
Those yellow school buses are rolling again, and, in many cases, that translates into many parents having to drag their older kids out of bed—sometimes long before the sun has had a chance to rise. The reason: early school start times, coupled with the fact that most...
The 2015 Suicide Epidemic Even Among the Young: Stats, Facts, and Resources
Know the signs and become part of the solution. Dreamstime #14914661 On September 20, a nineteen-year-old boy rode a Philadelphia hotel elevator up to the fourth floor and got out. He then grabbed hold of a nearby trashcan, used it to break the window at the end of...
Education News Flash: August 12
Many folks--especially parents--have long bemoaned the ubiquitous presence of technology in our lives. Who doesn't own a cell phone, let alone a smart phone nowadays? Ditto for laptops and tablets. Even our cars and televisions are "smart." And most research over the...
Headlining Education News
Virginia's Fairfax County is home to one of the nation's largest school districts and some 187,000 students. Like many other districts, however, it too is facing a financial crunch with a potentially maximum shortfall estimated to hit $80 million! That figure assumes...
Headlining Education News
The Common Core-related online assessments have taken yet another hit. As you may already know, state participation in the PARCC has now dropped from 23 to 11, but now comes word that Connecticut is dropping the SBAC Common Core standardized test for all of its 11th...
Education-Related Websites to Visit
*** www.scholastic.com ~ This Scholastic site offers 50 Washington D.C. virtual tours, so you can explore the capital from your computer. *** www.centennial of flight.net ~ The main focus here is to predict the weather conditions for the Centennial of Flight...
Recently in Education
1) The number of high school equivalency tests (GED) taken this year dropped by 50% and with a 62.8% pass rate, down from nearly 76% in 2013. 2) Currently, 70% of teachers assign homework that requires Internet and broadband access. 3) K-12 IT spending is expected to...
Quotable Education Quotes
*** "'There''s a wide range for learning to read. If we make students feel pressure so that they shut down, then that light bulb is not going to be as likely to come on, and they aren't going to develop the confidence that they need to become successful readers later....
Do Your Homework: Early Bird 2015 Back-to-School Shopping
There are school-related bargains to be had even now. 123rf #7492635 If you can’t beat them, join them—at least that’s what loads of retailers are hoping you’ll do this back-to-school season, and the earlier the better. Advertising circulars are already flooding...
Sometime around the Bend, an End to Drunk Driving
.…An end, not because we’re abstaining but because technology in our smarter and smarter cars is going to one day take away the option of putting our foot on the gas pedal when intoxicated. Personal responsibility assumed by a machine… The research represents a...
Harvard’s Making Caring Common Project
For the Making Caring Common Project, Harvard University surveyed some 10,000 middle and high school students from 33 schools across the country in 2013 and 2014. They also interviewed hundreds of parents, and the results may very well trouble you and force you out of...
Education-Related Websites to Visit: 6/18/2015
*** www.scholastic.com/mck ~ This "Money Confident Kids" Scholastic site is presented by T.RowePrice and helps teachers and parents talk about "spending, saving, and setting smart financial goals with their kids." *** www.netsmartz.org/training ~ This site by the...
It’s an Education Fact: 6/17/2015
1) A recent survey of more than 30,000 teachers found that 89% were enthusiastic about teaching when starting out but only 15% still were today. Plus, 70% said they "often" feel their work is stressful, and 80% recently feel exhausted mentally and physically at the...
Making Education News: 6/16/2015
1. The federal government shelled out $3.3 billion to launch charter schools over the past 20 years but never monitored how those monies were spent. 2. The Common Core-aligned PARCC assessment will be 90 minutes shorter next year thanks to mounting opposition to...
Education Talk: 6/14/2015
*** "Sure, it's not perfect, but this Senate proposed rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) [aka No Child Left Behind] could do a lot of good--even if it includes some bad. Imagine it. States would be in control of their own public schools. The...
Self-Esteem, Shunned Guest Speakers, and College Trigger Warnings
Here it is in a nutshell: Self-esteem comes from true accomplishment, or, at the very least, a strong effort to succeed, to attain a goal. It cannot be handed to children by well-meaning parents and educators who put every scribble on the fridge door or bulletin...
