As schools begin to implement the Common Core State Standards, many have begun to look ahead to how those standards will be assessed and whether adopting them will truly lead to gains in student achievement. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, thinks educators should hold off on implementing Co…
Driver’s Ed – Why Not Cyber Ed?
Jim Dillon has been an educator for over 35 years, including 20 years as a school administrator. While he was the principal of Lynnwood Elementary in New York, he developed the Peaceful School Bus Program, designed to prevent and reduce bullying, and subsequently published The Peaceful School Bus (Hazelden, 2008). The program is now being implemented in schools across the country. He is the author of No Place for Bullying: Leadership for schools that care for every student (Corwin, 2013). Jim is currently an educational consultant for Measurement Incorporated. He makes presentations and conducts workshops on a variety of educational topics, including instruction, classroom management, leadership, and supervision. Jim has presented at many local, state and national conferences…
States Consider Stricter Entry Requirements for Teacher Education Programs
In an era of increased teacher accountability, states and teacher education programs have begun to look at how they can demonstrate/quantify the quality of teachers who enter the classroom. However, as states consider increasing the grade point average (GPA) and licensure-test score requirements, they fear they may keep minority teachers, particularly African-American and Latino teachers, out of the classroom, as these groups statistically have weaker GPAs and test scores than other prospective teachers. While states want to place high-quality teachers in the classroom, they also want to attract teachers who represent their student populations. In districts with high concentrations of African-American and Latino students, African-American and Latino teachers ar…
Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast by Jim Dillon
Jim Dillon has been an educator for over 35 years, including 20 years as a school administrator. While he was the principal of Lynnwood Elementary in New York, he developed the Peaceful School Bus Program, designed to prevent and reduce bullying, and subsequently published The Peaceful School Bus (Hazelden, 2008). The program is now being implemented in schools across the country. He is the author of No Place for Bullying: Leadership for schools that care for every student (Corwin, 2013). Jim is currently an educational consultant for Measurement Incorporated. He makes presentations and conducts workshops on a variety of educational topics, including instruction, classroom management, leadership, and supervision. Jim has presented at many local, state and national conferences. Ji…
Louisiana’s Voucher Program Grows
Louisiana’s taxpayer-funded educational voucher program takes students from Louisiana’s poorest performing schools and gives them vouchers to attend high-performing private and parochial schools. It is designed to impact low-income families who could otherwise not afford to send their children to a private school. Of those chosen for the program, 91 percent are minority students and all have a family income that is less than 250 percent of the federal poverty line.
The voucher program is set to grow from the 5,000 students who participated during the 2012-13 academic year to 8,000 students in 2013-14. Despite the controversy surrounding the program, more than
Looking Ahead – Eight Tips for Successful Closure to the School Year
This blog was originally published on Wonder of Children on May 26, 2011.
Lisa Wells has taught for 20 years in independent schools in MA, NY and MD. She currently writes a blog on child development, teaches yoga and tries to spend as much time with her two high schoolers as they will allow. Lisa’s committed to knowing each learner as an individual, creating a classroom community where the social curriculum is interwoven with the academic fabric and sharing her work with yoga and meditation with teachers and students. A…