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 […]

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 […]

Here is another terrific guest post from Bianca Tanis, Hudson Valley Parent and Educator. An Open Letter to NYS Parents, I’m sure that you have heard about some of the drama that is going down in public education and I’m sure that you have been overwhelmed by the mixed messages from teachers, reform groups, anti-reform […]

Here are the thoughts from a colleague, John Borden, after the first day of the New York State ELA Assessment last week: On Tuesday, the ten and eleven year old children in my class began taking the 2013 Grade Five Common Core English Language Arts Test. The students had 90 minutes to read a number […]

From Sophia in Upstate New York: * for those who may not be aware, the young lady who created this excellent commentary used the exact look and format of the New York State ELA Assessment. (Click to enlarge the images)

I have been very fortunate to have worked with Eric Mihelbergel the last few months on education advocacy in Western New York.  Eric has been a bundle of energy and a trusted source of information and research.  His passion to to fight the high-stakes testing madness is truly appreciated by parents and educators across New […]