Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post published a nice review of American Schools today. Check it out at http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/civics-education/how-to-build-real-american-sch.html.
Category: Voice
Good Review of American Schools
The prolific Ken Bernstein, aka “Teacher Ken,” just reviewed my book for Teacher Magazine. See what he has to say here.
Rethink Learning NOW
This fall, as young people across the country settle back into the rhythms and requirements of a new school year, the rest of us might want to heed the words of a former U.S. president and ask ourselves an old question:
“Is our children learning?”
The answer, of course, is that we can’t know for sure, since our education system isn’t even being asked to measure whether or not young people are learning – only whether they are demonstrating progress on basic-skills standardized tests in 3rd and 8th grade reading and math.
As everyone knows, learning involves more than basic skills and regurgitating information. It requires higher-order skills and the capacity to digest, make sense of, and apply what we’ve been taught.
We can do better. We can have schools in every neighborhood that teach children both basic- and higher-order skills, that allow creativity and innovation to flourish, and that lead all children to discover how to fully and effectively participate in our economy and democracy.
Before that can happen, however, we need to start having a different conversation. We need to restore the focus of public education reform to its rightful place – on learning, and on the core conditions that best support it.
Click here to read more.
USA Today Covers Launch of Rethink Learning Now
Greg Toppo of the USA Today covered today’s launch of the Rethink Learning Now campaign. See what he had to say.
Our Children Deserve Democratic Schools
A few years ago, a reporter in Columbia, South Carolina asked local elementary school children why America celebrates the Fourth of July.
Most of the answers were predictably personal. To eat hot dogs, said one boy. To watch fireworks, a girl answered. Another child thought we all celebrated the Fourth of July because it was his brother’s birthday.
One student, a fifth grader from Nursery Road Elementary School named Vante Lee, gave a different answer. “We celebrate the 4th of July,” he said, “because we celebrate our freedom and the chance to make our own decisions.”
Click here to keep reading.
Will We Do What it Takes to Improve Public Eduication?
Want to imagine a different path to improving public education in this country? Take my 15-minute challenge.
We’re Pursuing the Wrong Set of Standards
With $100 billion to spend in the next two years, the Obama administration means business when it talks about reshaping the public education system. Why, then, is it ignoring some of the business community’s best insights when it comes to core questions of how to spark systems change?
There’s a disconnect between what the administration is promising – a set of voluntary national content standards – and what we the people will receive – a standardization of the public school system.
Click here to keep reading.
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