Category: Uncategorized
-
Film Recommendation: The Right To Read
“The Right To Read” is a must-see (and-take-action) documentary about how reading is and isn’t taught in America. If you are a parent who is wondering why your child doesn’t know how to read, or if you are an educator who has come into contact with a child who should know how to read or who
-
Equity Shmequity
Equity begins with making good decisions about educating all children. By “decisions”, I mean planning and implementing alongside the community to make sure all children in that community have the skills they will need to become successful, working professionals in the future. In the conversations around equity in schools, there is a lot of crying
-
It’s The Teacher’s Fault, It’s the Parent’s Fault, It’s the Government’s Fault, It’s the System…
It’s the Teacher’s Fault There are good teachers and there are bad teachers. Some teachers may be very knowledgeable in their subject, but that doesn’t mean they are able to teach it effectively. I’m going to state the obvious: there is no such person as a teacher who lacks expertise in a subject but has
-
School Choice in California?
The community that I work with is under a court-ordered school desegregation program that grants historically underrepresented students of color the ability to attend school in the more affluent districts that surround their own, provided their parents apply between kindergarten and second grade. Every year, the county office for this program sends its information out
-
California’s Teacher Preparation Programs, Whomp…Whomp
US News and World Report publishes an annual ranking of graduate programs in education. In 2023, #3, #9, #10, #21, #32, #41, #52, #71, #76, #89, and #100 are spots held by California schools. Every year, this list states that California produces high-quality educators, education researchers, and other change-makers in education. What is not so
-
Give real grades in elementary school!
What happened to ‘A’ for “Excellent!” and ‘F’ for “You don’t know this and you need to study it again”? These days, elementary school report cards are anything but elementary. I understand that there are philosophical reasons for not wanting to give elementary students the “old school” grades. I once attended an equity meeting where
-
Some thoughts on the teacher shortage in California…
How many undergraduate teacher training programs exist in California? California requires a bachelor’s degree before the teacher credentialing program, then even more credentialing classes to “clear” the credential. Who has the money, energy, and time for that? Can’t undergrads just take linguistics, literature, math, history, etc. courses along with courses such as “how to teach
-
The COVID Slide? Nah Fam…
Let’s Do Our ABCs: ELA in California 2018-2019 Sources: https://caaspp-elpac.cde.ca.gov/caaspp/DashViewReportSB?ps=true&lstTestYear=2021&lstTestType=B&lstGroup=1&lstSubGroup=1&lstSchoolType=A&lstGrade=13&lstCounty=00&lstDistrict=00000&lstSchool=0000000 California 2018-2019 ELA, All Students CA 2018-2019 ELA, Blacks, African Americans CA 2018-2019, ELA, Hispanic, Latino Let’s Do Our 123s: Math in California 2018-2019 Sources: https://caaspp-elpac.cde.ca.gov/caaspp/DashViewReportSB?ps=true&lstTestYear=2021&lstTestType=B&lstGroup=1&lstSubGroup=1&lstSchoolType=A&lstGrade=13&lstCounty=00&lstDistrict=00000&lstSchool=0000000 California 2018-2019 ELA, All Students CA 2018-2019 ELA, Blacks, African Americans CA 2018-2019, ELA, Hispanic, Latino It was bad
-
Pleasure to have in class?
“This student is such a pleasure to have in class.” As I glanced at report cards, concerned about how poorly the students who attended my after school program for academic help were doing in school, I kept coming across this comment: “Pleasure to have in class”, “…such a pleasure to have in class”, “…such a
PTHIC.CA 