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 MoreThe girls of summer
Today was the last day of summer school. When I woke up at 5:15 AM, my tired bones let me know that I was ready for my actual summer break. Overall, it was a rather easy time. The “worst” of the behavior issues were from …
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 MoreNot all kids are the same
I’m halfway through summer school and to be honest, these kids are way easier to deal with than the kids at my regular school. This morning at arrival, I was watching a few of the girls from my class eating breakfast and socializing. I was …
Read MoreAnyone out there that actually wants to be a teacher?
I’m currently at the midway point of summer school. To be honest, I wasn’t crazy about the idea but I couldn’t pass up the money. I’m at a different school than my home base and as it turns out, the kids are a lot better …
Read MoreGovernor, leave those kids alone
In my state, a social studies textbook was rejected because it had the audacity to note that Rosa Parks was denied her seat on the bus because she was Black. The approved version of this book notes only that Rosa Parks was denied her seat …
Read MoreMaybe not so fierce after all
Today was the last day of school for us as we start in mid-August. Yesterday, we held the graduation ceremony for our 5th graders. To be honest, I had mixed feelings about the whole thing. For one thing, I noticed that, just like last year, …
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 MoreI (dis)love you
In the state where I work we are approaching the end of the school year as we start in the beginning of August. Our 5th graders are heading off to middle school. Many of us staff members will breathe a sigh of relief as this …
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