By Guest Blogger Chris Gleason The instructions for living a life, according to great American poet Mary Oliver, are: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. Recently, I had an opportunity to put Mary Oliver’s declaration in action when I attended the NEA Foundation’s Keeping the Promise of Public Education Symposium. Many speakers shared their stories…
Category: Testing
Thurmond widens lead over Tuck in race for California schools chief
In latest tally, Thurmond leads Tuck by 74,000 votes as counting continues November 15, 2018 LOUIS FREEDBERG In what may be a pivotal moment in the race, Assemblyman Tony Thurmond, D-Richmond, has maintained his lead over Marshall Tuck in the contest for California’s state superintendent of public instruction based on the ongoing tallying of millions…
Teachers Are Serving As First Responders To The Opioid Crisis
By Rebecca Klein 11/03/18 WAR, W.Va. ― Middle school teacher Greg Cruey can explain the most harrowing details of his students’ lives with matter-of-fact precision. That smart sixth-grader who had her hand raised last period? She’s homeless and has, in the past, been suicidal. That middle school student who seemed on edge during class? As a…
When a school goes, so does the community around it
By Renée Graham OCTOBER 27, 2018 ANDERSON GUERRO has one question for Mayor Marty Walsh and Laura Perille, his interim Boston Public Schools superintendent: “How would it feel if we took your house and family away?” That “house” is McCormack Middle School, now proposed for closure and extensive renovations after the 2019-20 academic year. For students like Guerro, a…
School closings are a necessary part of the rebuilding process at Boston Public Schools
The McCormack School in Dorchester is slated for closure. NOVEMBER 13, 2018 JESSICA RINALDI Each and every Boston student should go to school in a building that’s safe, comfortable, and compatible with learning. Getting there is the problem. The Boston Public Schools system — where two-thirds of the buildings were constructed before World War II…
Seattle Public Schools makes progress but doesn’t meet most improvement goals in latest scorecard
November 14, 2018 Seattle Public Schools’ latest performance report shows the district only met a third of the goals it planned to achieve by the end of the 2017-2018 school year. By: Dahlia Bazzaz The state’s largest school district just got its final grades back. By Seattle Public Schools’ own standards, the results aren’t improving fast enough….
Voters raise school taxes in St. Paul, Minneapolis, suburban districts
By JOSH VERGES November 6, 2018 St. Paul Public Schools easily won a property tax increase Tuesday that will boost annual per-student funding by $475. The 10-year levy won the approval of 66 percent of voters. St. Paul property owners now will pay $1,180 per student each year in special funding for the city’s public schools….
A Public School Teacher Just Beat the Pants Off Scott Walker
A Democrat in the governor’s mansion will also put an end to Wisconsin’s role as a national petri dish for right-wing policies promulgated by the Koch brothers and the American Legislative Exchange Council by Mary Bottari State School Superintendent Tony Evers defeated incumbent Governor Scott Walker 49.6 to 48.4 in a late night finish that…
Louisiana Department of Education releases public school grades
By Chandler Watkins | November 8, 2018 at 5:59 PM CST – LAKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) – The Louisiana Department of Education has released its 2018 report cards for public schools across the state. This year, the Louisiana Superintendent of Education John White announced the department would be using a new way to grade the state’s school…
Voters approve millions for schools in IPS referendum
NOV 6TH, 2018 INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) – Voters have provided approval on a multi-million dollar tax referendum for Indianapolis Public Schools. With the majority of ballots counted late Tuesday, questions about capital and operating budget increases are projected to be well on their way to approval. There is a $220 million operating referendum. IPS says this referendum would…
Standing Strong for Public Education! 