Amidst all the furor (Did I spell that right?), the derisive snickering, and those silly pink cat hats that surrounded the water coolers during these first few days of the new administration, it went virtually unnoticed that the Trump administration’s greatest triumph thus far is the end of the Achievement Gap. It’s sooooo over. Over…. Read more »

The Spectre of Fascism “Fascism is capitalism in decay”, said Lenin. We’ve seen this before. When the traditional capitalist system is failing, there are cracks within the ruling class, and its accompanying political structures are in turmoil, a section of that class backs a strongman for its own protection. These strongmen have a populist appeal,… Read more »

“the exposure to trauma has a profound impact…” , writes AISHA SULTAN The Limitations of Teaching ‘Grit’ in the Classroom http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/12/when-grit-isnt-enough/418269/ High-achievers segregated. The New ‘Education Segregation’ Hurting the U.S. http://www.forbes.com/sites/haroldsirkin/2015/12/03/the-new-education-segregation-hurting-the-u-s/   Gold for corporations! TS Gold – A Child’s Report Card http://www.pegwithpen.com/2015/12/ts-gold-childs-report-card.html Get BustED Pencils Trending News to come right to your in-box! Enter your… Read more »

Boring to students and teachers.  Type of bullying.  Follow the rules, do what you are told, ignore the interactive part.  Keep BUSTING PENCILS Barry!! The Sad Art of Closed Reading http://www.barrylane.com/2015/12/closed-reading/ RTI raises MANY concerns! “Response to Intervention”—An Excuse to Deny Services to Students with Learning Disabilities? http://www.livingindialogue.com/response-intervention-excuse-deny-services-students-learning-disabilities/ Smoke in Mirrors!!! Success Metrics Questioned in… Read more »

…”a much needed student centered redesign of public education”, writes Jamaal Bowman Principal to N.Y. Gov. Cuomo: Stop spreading a false narrative about public education https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/11/27/principal-to-n-y-gov-cuomo-stop-spreading-a-false-narrative-about-public-education/    Can the Kahn Academy “personalize” karate? Education is broken — but this entrepreneur has a stunningly simple idea to fix it http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-fix-education-khan-academy-ted-video-2015-11 The things we know that help children develop are… Read more »

        170 teaching vacancies in early November! UNPRECEDENTED for Detroit Public Schools. DPS facing surge of midyear teacher departures http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2015/11/26/dps-teachers-leaving/76311802/       Sick schools, air unfit to breath, teachers fear being fired if reported, Asthma (in some schools) reach epidemic levels. Crumbling Schools Add Health Problems to Classroom Stress http://news.yahoo.com/crumbling-schools-add-health-problems-classroom-stress-190223653.html   “As future… Read more »

“Less school, (way) more play” 5 Reasons Finland Has More Effective Schools Than The U.S. https://www.facebook.com/HuffingtonPost/videos/10153486502541130/?fref=nf   Freedom and creativity in the classroom squashed by drilling and excessive state Standards testing. Burnt out: teachers overwhelmed and resigning http://www.dailycommercial.com/news/article_0fa3f74b-508b-54c1-8e96-e565c3d8fbe4.html   If this isn’t ass backwards… IEPs Must Be Aligned to Grade-Level Standards, Says New Federal Guidance… Read more »

    “We may have reached a tipping point.”  We thought AFT already had strong teachers. Why the hell would AFT sign on to TeachStrong? https://medium.com/@rweingarten/why-the-hell-would-aft-sign-on-to-teachstrong-682acc9df9e7 If this amendment passes we may be stuck with another pro-basketball player telling teachers what to do! State Superintendent Constitutional Amendment Introduced https://wasblegupdate.wordpress.com/2015/11/10/state-superintendent-constitutional-amendment-introduced/   How easy is it to push… Read more »

Hey Melinda and Bill Gates, here is a MUST READ for ya! We can’t believe Melinda and Bill Gates are calling their “dismantling” of public schools across the entire country as “philanthropic work”!  Let me remind you what the definition is for “philanthropic” – The difference commonly cited is that charity relieves the pains of social… Read more »