“Were these magic grits? I mean, did you buy them from the same guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans?”- Vinny Gambini Ahhh…. grit. The magic elixir of the corporate education reformer. That vague ideal the gritty American, able to overcome all odds through gritty perseverance. The Rooster Cogburn, all-American hero True Grit. (Did you… Read more »

“The great enemy of freedom is the alignment of political power with wealth. This alignment destroys the commonwealth – that is, the natural wealth of localities and the local economies of household, neighborhood, and community – and so destroys democracy, of which the commonwealth is the foundation and practical means.” -Wendell Berry The long term… Read more »

Okay, Nerd Herders- this is for you: “When you think of schools as an infrastructure project, local control presents a unique problem: it’s inefficient and inequitable.  It’s inefficient because you’re asking every local school board in the country to borrow millions of dollars to construct or renovate school buildings. Inevitably, when a tiny school board… Read more »

“In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, such as ‘right-to-work.’ It provides no ‘rights’ and no ‘works.’ Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining…. We demand this fraud be stopped.” – Martin Luther King Jr. Oh charter schools, the National… Read more »

On August 10th I posted a blog detailing the breakfast situation at my former school, Jewell Elementary. Feel free to read to catch up. Within less than 24 hours of posting the blog the breakfast policy was changed. Poof. Gone.  Social media is very useful in exposing bad policies, which then require people to acknowledge the… Read more »

I really don’t think I can express how tired I am of hearing teachers tell me how they are required to use the standards, go back to the standards, write down the standards, test the standards, and state the standards. Seriously FUCK the standards. There is NO research to demonstrate that standards improve student achievement…. Read more »

I am a white privileged girl living in the suburbs. That being said, I have my own experiences with power structures, and many that have occurred via my activist work, in my personal life, and via my teaching in the public schools. I want to share a few today in the hopes that thinking through… Read more »

Yes, now you too, Incredibly Educated Houston Teaching Professional, can build confidence and competence with PowerUp! PowerUp is a new district-wide initiative that will transform teaching and learning! Earn micro-credentials through our unique competency-based professional learning model! Created in conjunction with the University of San Diego, the Houston Independent School District wants YOU to take… Read more »

“With tablets and the right software, this approach is possible on an individualized basis: after every five minutes of individualized tablet-based instruction, students would be presented with a brief series of questions that adapt to their skill level, much as computer-adaptive tests operate today. After that assessment, the next set of instructional material would be… Read more »

  Social Justice, Critical Pedagogy The social fibers in our society seem to be unraveling and the ruling class is scrambling to keep it together, as they fight over how to handle gaping social conditions. Historically oppressed minorities and immigrant groups are reminded daily how little they are valued by this society. We are in… Read more »