Ah yes, the public likes lists. We like to quantify even the unmeasurable and know where we stand. Hence the annual ranking of school districts by a publication in the Buffalo area that no one ever reads, except when it publishes a list of “top school districts”. What a great marketing ploy. And it works. […]
*Revised 5/30: As a result of some comments here and on Facebook, I need to be a little more specific on why I wanted to share these homework pages. I was packing up, getting ready to go to my second grader’s youth baseball game, when I saw him head outside with a yardstick. I asked […]
= tablet time instead of : play time discovery time creative time nap time sharing time outside time … Follow the author on twitter @stoptesting15
Every day that passes we get more proof that the Common Core is really a corporate money grab. From Barnes and Noble: Thank you to Kristen G from the NYS Opt Out group!
Western New York has been a hot bed of high-stakes testing resistance this year. This media report from our local CBS affiliate is the most comprehensive look at assessment issues I have seen anywhere in the “mainstream media”. Thank you to @RachelKingston4 for the detailed research. Follow the author on twitter @stoptesting15
The Common Core promoters are always in constant motion, but something has really struck a nerve with me lately. Does the Common Core motivate and inspire teachers? Two items have come my way recently that caused me to ask that question. The Common Core cheerleading started with an email from Commissioner John King linking to […]
So I come across this Buffalo News article discussing the dirty little secret that most schools in New York State (and the nation?) are not meeting the minimum requirements of Physical Education for our children. The lack of compliance would not surprise most educators, but are parents aware? What stuck me as I read this […]
This button appeared in my school mailbox this morning. We received an email to wear our buttons and dress in blue to support the AFT’s new “Do what it takes before high stakes” campaign. I always participate in solidarity “dress days” for local and national education issues. Today was different. My state-wide union NYSUT is […]
Here is a letter to NYSED Commissioner King from Western New York educator Ronald Tonelli Jr. I have seen a few of these “Dear John” letters recently and anticipate more as educators and parents question the policies of the New York State Education Department. _______________________________________________________ Dear Commissioner King: Being an educator, I have always been […]
Teachers and administrators across New York State were told to sign this “Confidentiality Agreement” before scoring the recent ELA and Math State Assessments. Are the exams that are used to judge students, teachers, and schools top secret? Should the public have the right to see the entire test? State Education bureaucrats keep repeating the importance […]
New York Parents, Field testing is coming to your child’s school soon. If your child is in grades 3-8 they just finished 6 days of grueling assessments, yet NYSED and Pearson expect your child to waste more time in test mode. High School students are also impacted with field testing, taking away valuable time as […]
A colleague of mine shared this letter from her child’s beloved principal here in Western New York. Kathleen Knauth’s “early retirement” is another example of how the current education reforms are driving dedicated, child-centered leaders out of our public schools. With Mrs. Kanuth’s permission, I would like to share the letter to the parents at […]
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