Stop the Fight: Let’s Understand Critical Race Theory

Photo: https://www.redandblack.com/athensnews/athens-speaks-on-controversy-behind-critical-race-theory-in-k-12-schools/article_a68cc008-ea9f-11eb-a478-abd1f1143943.html Critical race theory. Just three words, they have taken on a life of their own, wielding the power to evoke anger, discomfort, and even fear simply by being spoken. Yet few people who so ardently oppose it actually understand it. That’s the irony of the matter. Having been enticed into extreme emotion by …

Are Students Really “Losing Learning” And “Falling Behind”?

Photo: https://www.the74million.org/article/gizowski-adopting-a-new-curriculum-heres-what-districts-and-teachers-can-do-to-make-it-work-for-their-students/ You’ve heard it. Throughout this long, rough school year, there has been a worried undercurrent, much murmuring about “learning loss” and students “falling behind.” Seemingly overlooking the fact that students have continued to learn the entire time, whether in person or remotely, the running commentary would have us believe that students have done …

Let’s Agree, Finally, to Stop Whitewashing Dr. King

Photo: https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/history/info-2020/civil-rights-leaders.html It’s time to hear the “I Have a Dream” speech again. After all, it’s the third Monday in January, the date set aside to celebrate Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And that speech, delivered during the 1963 March on Washington, has come to epitomize everything that most people want to remember about …

My 2021 Education Wish List

Photo: https://www.howtogeek.com/229419/how-to-create-and-better-manage-amazon-wish-lists/ As this new year begins and everyone is busy making resolutions, I’m not. Instead, I’m considering the educational changes I’d like to see. While some are the sole province of education’s power brokers—decisions that impact education on a broad scale—others are changes within educators’ grasp. They’re the kind we can enact in our …

A New Day Dawns in Education

Photo: https://www.gettingsmart.com/2018/09/why-students-should-co-create-the-classroom-from-day-one/ Education is the only profession that everyone has seen daily, up close and personally, for years. Unfortunately, that gives many the false impression that they know all there is to know about it, that it's actually quite easy to undertake and that virtually anyone can do it. Perhaps that partially explains the previous …

George Floyd Is in Your Classroom

Photo: https://education.utexas.edu/departments/curriculum-instruction/research Viewing the horror of George Floyd’s murder stunned the nation, galvanizing international protests in a collective demand for justice. Now, whether you experienced the searing pain of combined grief and outrage or simply saw it as a tragic incident, one truth remains for all educators: George Floyd will be in your classroom this …

What Does the CDC Really Say About Reopening Schools?

It’s funny the way a document intended to be supportive and helpful can be misinterpreted. The meme shown above supposedly lists CDC guidelines for reopening schools. However, it’s actually riddled with inaccuracies. Seemingly unaware of that fact, many people vented their anger and dismay on social media over the past week, seeing the guidelines as …

Education Inequities in the Pandemic Spotlight

Photo: https://www.politico.com/video/2020/09/24/the-abc-of-racial-inequality-in-education-091860 Can we talk? Virtually every educator seems to have an opinion on the pandemic’s impact on education. It makes it harder; it makes it easier; it requires too much technology; it boosts creativity over technology. And on it goes. However, what few people are talking about is the glaring spotlight this pandemic has …

A Salute to Teachers During the Pandemic

Photo:https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/2020/03/31/10-uplifting-stories-of-tampa-bays-creativity-and-kindness-amid-coronavirus/ It’s been several weeks now. And some parents have begun to complain quite audibly about their children having to learn at home. As one parent put it to me a few days ago, “too bad they couldn’t switch to virtual classrooms, keeping kids in the same daily routine and receiving direct instruction.” Essentially, she …