When I left the no-excuses charter school that I wrote about, I promised myself that I would never again work in a school setting where the students are referred to as “scholars”. Sure enough, in the district I work at, it’s all “scholar this” and …
Read MoreNot what it all seems
I recently read an article about the no-excuses charter school I wrote about that was published in a conservative newspaper owned by a very wealthy donor to the school. The Great Founder of the school seems to be able to publish more op-ed pieces in …
Read MoreWhiskey Girl
Today we had a girl show up to summer school wearing a shirt that said “Whiskey Girl” written in a font reminiscent of what appears on a bottle of Jack Daniel’s. My colleague and I were struck by the fact that that a nine-year-old girl …
Read MoreWhen it’s time to change
I’ve been chatting a bit with my summer school partner-in-crime about next career steps. She is ready to go and has been rather open about this. I’m of the generation that plays ’em close to the chest but she’s been pretty transparent about her plans. …
Read More“It’s go time!”
It’s the time of year that experienced teachers learn to loathe – state testing season. In my state, we’re about halfway done. A recent article by Nancy Bailey does a great job of reminding us just how ridiculous the whole thing is. At my last …
Read MoreHere we go….
It’s been a while since I wrote 12s Can’t Get 3s. I live far away (both physically and emotionally) from Exemplary Charter Schools. I’m now a special education teacher in a Title 1 public school. From this vantage point it’s easy to see just how …
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