"We should not be contemplating for whom “no excuses” schools are appropriate because “no excuses” schools are not appropriate for any children in a free society." – Paul Thomas, an associate professor of education at Furman University writing in The Answer Sheet Under-resourced students, those who live in poverty, don’t lack ability. They lack learning [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Change leadership’
Focusing on What is Important
July 3rd, 2011
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by Stuart Singer, The Teacher Leader Teaching is a tough, time consuming job. I knew a high school English teacher who would periodically have to take a day of sick leave for the purpose of grading an overwhelming amount of student work. With a pair of grocery bags crammed full of essays in hand, he [...]
Rivercrest: The Miracle on the Mississippi
June 23rd, 2011
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A small miracle occurred in Rivercrest High School, which is located in Wilson, Arkansas near the banks of the Mississippi River. Due to an apparent lack of experience and a degree of naïveté, a second-year English teacher, Lindsey Kelley, decided that it was time to "give students a say in their own education" (student voice) [...]
Extra Duties for Teachers: It’s Not About the ABCs
June 23rd, 2011
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Background: The Washington Examiner reports that "Fairfax County (VA) Superintendent Jack Dale is planning to tell principals to ease teachers’ workloads outside the classroom, following months of complaints from school employees who say they’re overworked and overwhelmed." I was attending a principals’ meeting held in a neighboring high school. When the meeting ended, I walked [...]
NHL MVP on Principal Evaluation
June 22nd, 2011
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I could have sworn that goalie Tim Thomas was talking about the evaluation of principals when he met with the press following the Boston Bruins victory in the Stanley Cup Finals. Thomas, whose meteoric rise from minor league obscurity to Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the National Hockey League Finals, had a reaction that reminded [...]
Sometimes in Education, the Majority Should Not Rule
June 19th, 2011
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by Stuart Singer, The Teacher Leader The Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) exams, which are representative of many of the end-of-course assessments utilized as barriers to graduation throughout the country, have plenty of room for improvement. In previous posts I have made a number of specific suggestions for upgrading the SOLs. That said, I must [...]
More Rigor, Not More “Honors”
June 12th, 2011
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In a recent post on this blog, Stu Singer, The Teacher Leader, writes, "Jay Mathews has proposed a plan that he believes would increase rigor in schools. In a recent Washington Post article “Why not honors courses for all?” he addresses a concern of some parents that their school district is moving away from the [...]
Education Needs to Strengthen the Basics
June 9th, 2011
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by Stuart Singer, The Teacher Leader The academic goals of educational leaders are virtually identical. They all want to create programs that will produce high school graduates who, as a result of a rigorous sequence of courses, will clearly and measurably exhibit mastery of all of the core subjects—English, Math, Science and Social Studies—in addition [...]
Interviewing and Hiring New Staff
June 7th, 2011
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Budget shortfalls are forcing major reductions in the teaching staff in many schools and districts across the country. At the same time, some schools are fortunate enough to be filling vacancies. For those fortunate few, I have compiled a list of posts from this blog that relate to interviewing and hiring teachers. Hiring Teachers: Control [...]
Press Asks: Will kids blackmail teachers over standardized test scores?
June 5th, 2011
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Is the title of this Washington Post article a rhetorical question? Of course students will blackmail teachers and schools. I know they will because they already are holding teachers and schools hostage all over the country and the so-called experts don’t have a clue. Why? Because, while many states are perfectly willing to close schools, [...]
