State statutes authorize a school board to determine district curriculum. The role of governance is rejected when groups of the dissidents highjack board meetings. Continue reading
Highjacking School Board Governance
“Soft” Proficiency of a Pandemic Graduate
A high school pandemic graduate may not demonstrate the same educational outcomes as a pre-pandemic graduate. Academic may be softer while college prep life skills were strengthened. Continue reading
Shifting from Extra-ordinary Connecting with Children to Extra-ordinary Instruction of Children
Schools are called to do extraordinary work during the pandemic. First was connecting with children. Second was developing new delivery systems. The third extraordinary work will focus on making all children whole in their 2019-22 curricular content and skills. Continue reading
Improving Reading is like “Trouble With The Curve” – Current Players Are Not Prepared To Do It
Assuring all children are proficient readers requires both early reading readiness assessments AND teachers who are skillful in using the science of reading in their instruction. AB 446 will install the assessments. The President of the US-System needs to improve teacher preparation. Continue reading
Veteran Professional Teachers Don’t Grow On Trees
Veteran professional teachers are the motors that make a school effective in in causing all children to learn. Know them. Support them. Get out of their way. Continue reading
Kix And School Are For Kids
Politics, economics, and the pandemic have made school very adults-oriented. Most issues today are adult issues. This contradicts a school’s mission, goals, objectives, and programming. School is for kids and should be about kids, not adults. Continue reading
School Choice and Enrollment Leverage in the Pandemic
School choice was purposed to improve student access to educational equity, equality, and opportunity. Choice in the pandemic is economic and political leverage when parents disagree with school protocols. Continue reading
Perspectives – Seeing Micro-Differences Blinds Us To Our Macro-Agreements
Contention is understood when we consider the validity of different perspectives. Contention also is accepted while we agree on many more issues. Continue reading
“When You Know What Is Right, Try To Do It” – A Mantra For Leadership
Conflicting special interests complicate decision making. However, when the right thing to do becomes apparent, leadership should try to do it. Continue reading
Civility – Another COVID Casualty
The pandemic is a medical/health crisis of planetary proportions. It also is a crisis to our community and its civility. When disagreements about the virus become angers and angers color what we say and do, the pandemic claims another casualty. Continue reading