It is worth a thought. Is it time to shrink Central Office staffs? I think so. I think many need to go right back into the classroom where they can carry out the very policies which they are implementing. There are some serious questions posed by Mcmul Claud in this […]
Category: Education Policy and Opinion
The Anthem of Rebellion
I hope that as you read this blog you will maybe see a better way to educate children. Maybe you will find yourself momentarily free of the current, restrictive processes which plague many of our school systems – processes which restrict creativity, which restrict freedom of thought, and which force-out […]
Should central office employees be required to return to the classroom during each school year?
I think people across this country are sick and tired of dealing with central office employees who dictate practices to their kids’ schools and then have zero accountability when their policies fail! They just disappear when scores flop as a result of their interventions. And let’s be real, most of […]
Repetition, Review, and Reteaching: The BEST Educators Utilize These Strategies
Mastery comes through repetition, review, and reteaching. How often should one utilize repetition, review, and reteaching? Those three strategies should be indelibly embedded into every aspect of the teaching-learning cycle. My next question is this, and it is an important one… Does your school system’s pacing guide allow for plentiful […]
Podcast Review: Ethan Thornton w/ Mike Rowe
I talk A LOT about innovation on this site. I think innovation is so important that I incorporated the term into the title of this blog. Today, I am going to share a real world example of why critical thinking and creativity must be cultivated in our public schools. Folks, […]
If you are gonna talk the talk…
You better walk the walk. In other words, if I walk down the street looking for a candy store, see a candy store sign, and go inside…and find a hardware store. That is a false advertising. The store just wants to lure you in with a false store front. Every, […]
A Quick Note on the BOE Vote
I will not be voting for a single, incumbent Kingsport BOE candidate on August 6th. In reality, that is only a symbolic protest on my part, but feel free to join me! Barring a monumental upset by the independent, many don’t realize those elections are already(mostly) decided as the Republican […]
Parents: What do you do when faced w/ aggressive assessment calendars by public schools?
I think that is a question many of us are asking in Kingsport lately. What do you do when your local school system exchanges developmentally appropriate, experiential instruction for canned instruction which is almost entirely founded in test prep and critical thinking is jettisoned? What do you do when you […]
Transparency by Government Agencies
I am always a little bit astounded when government officials are surprised or even angered that I know something about what is going on behind closed doors. I have news for them. Government “by the people and for the people” is not supposed to be done in secret. Things shouldn’t […]
Public Education is Failing Men
Public education is failing men, both young and old. Truly, as a general rule(there are exceptions) it is failing all of our children. The current conceptual approach is out of touch and out of date. And more of us need to start talking about this. I am more convinced than […]