It’s been nearly a month since the shooting at Marshall County High School, but in the wake of national conversations on gun control, mental health, and school safety, it’s not getting any easier for us Kentuckians to shake the memories. In the past weeks, we’ve witnessed a tragedy beyond comprehension. I teach just two counties over from Marshall, but I…
Month: February 2018
The Pension Bill Dropped This Week. Here Are The Quick Facts.
After months of speculation, we’ve finally got a pension bill. And it’s a doozy. Senate Bill 1 was introduced this past Wednesday by Sen. Joe Bowen (R-Owensboro), who says the 30-year plan will effectively save the state’s public pension system. It differs wildly from Gov. Bevin’s proposal back in October, which would have raised the retirement age and switched teachers’…
Personalized Learning Could Help Save Rural Schools, If We Let it
Personalized learning is all the rage right now for those of us who speak education. The idea is basically that teachers can use educational technology to tailor a students’ learning experience to focus on their abilities, interests, or prior knowledge in ways that traditional teaching methods simply can’t. So, if a student already has a pretty solid understanding of a…
Trying to Talk About the Achievement Gap? Try This.
Politics and education are two of my favorite subjects. It’s neat when I have an opportunity to combine them. I recently listened to a speech by Gloria Ladson-Billings that did just that. I recommend you read or listen to it to catch all the specifics, but the premise is that, in many ways, our national debt and our national deficit can be…
That ‘Homework Gap’ Study Never Happened, And I’m Calling the IES Out On It
We’re living in the digital age, a time where the Internet world seems intertwined with our daily lives. Or at least, that’s the way it seems to many of us. It’s not always like that out here in the country. I teach in rural Kentucky, and I have to think long and hard before I give assignments that require an…
The US Is Falling Way Behind in STEM But Kentucky’s Powering the Comeback
Maybe you’re already aware, but the United States isn’t exactly globally competitive in science education. As of 2015, we ranked 24th out of 71 countries included in a major international study. If you’re only concerned with beating out countries like Kazakhstan and Albania, then I’ve got great news. If you want the U.S. to lead the world in science, a lot…