Sometimes you nod in agreement with a writer until you reach a “Ya, but” point. Then your nod turns into a shake of the head. I read “Do Evaluations Penalize Teachers of Needy Students?” by Stephen Sawchuk (Education Week, August … Continue reading
State Report Cards: How Good Is Good Enough When Good Enough Is Not Good?
If someone said “You are a good person,” what exactly are they saying about you? Would you feel good about it? Or, if they said, “You are a good enough person,” what are they really saying? We have lost our … Continue reading
Primary Education: All Children Ready to Learn Regardless
Teaching children in the primary grades presents two humongous challenges: close the background knowledge gaps that children bring to their school-based learning and create a foundation for life-long learning. These two goals do not have to be competitive or counter-productive, … Continue reading
Is Your District a Leader or a Laggard?
Reports galore. It is easy for a reader of educational literature to be swamped by the hundreds of reports that are published each year. Some should be scanned. Some should be shredded. Some should be taken to heart and used … Continue reading
Coaching: How to Effectively Increase Effectiveness
The world of the classroom teacher is not what it once was. Use all three tenses of the word change – past, present and future – and you are describing the status of a teacher in any classroom in the … Continue reading