When then-candidate Barack Obama was still seeking the Democratic nomination back in 2008, one of his most notable gaffes of the primary campaign trail was an ill-worded assessment of blue-collar culture. Speaking to a wealthy fundraiser crowd, Obama suggested that rural residents of Pennsylvania were bitter, and that they were inclined to “cling to guns or religion” as a result…
Month: May 2018
If The Boys Really Aren’t Alright, We Have Work To Do
When Michael Ian Black published an op-ed entitled “The Boys Are Not Alright” for The New York Times back in February, it garnered a lot of attention from educators, parents, and advocates of young people. Black’s analysis of young men and masculinity didn’t pull any punches. He referenced the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida, where 17 high school students…
This Teacher’s Twitter Thread Went Viral, And For Good Reason
If you were on the Twitterverse yesterday, you may have seen this amazing thread that’s going viral. (I was one of the first to retweet, just saying.) It’s from Monte Syrie, a high school English teacher in Washington State. I’ve “storified” the thread he shared about his student, Meg, with his permission. It’s a great read that I think you’ll…
Inside the Project-Based Program That’s Turning Refugees Into High School Grads
Innocent is one of the fastest students in the class. When I need to get something somewhere in a hurry, he is the man for the job. I call his name, explain the task and hand him the book to return to the library or the cord to the computer needed in a room one floor below. He accepts the…
Kentucky’s ESSA Plan Was Just Approved. Here’s What That Means.
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has just approved Kentucky’s new education plan under Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). For Kentucky schools, that means new changes in accountability, school ratings, and student success are coming. Kentucky’s Interim Commissioner of Education Wayne Lewis was optimistic about what the new plan means for Kentucky students. In a statement released May 7, Lewis said,…
This Is Why State Testing Matters
We’ve arrived at that point at the end of the school year where everyone and everything is moving at a frenetic pace, and if you didn’t know any better, you might think there was some sort of natural disaster about to nail your local public school. That’s right, it’s testing time. Thousands of Kentucky students are gearing up to take…
Citing Low Performance and Student Abuse, Interim Commissioner Lewis Calls For JCPS Takeover
Jefferson County Public Schools is facing a takeover. Referencing the low performance of several Louisville schools as well as abuses in student discipline, Interim Commissioner of Education Dr. Wayne Lewis stated on Monday that he will attempt to give control over the JCPS district to the state. JCPS is one of the nation’s largest school districts, and the largest in…
You Think Racial Bias Is Worrisome At Starbucks? Try the Classroom.
I have fond memories of my first trip to New York City, which I took with my family one summer back in high school. We were sweltering from the Manhattan heat and couldn’t find a taxi to save our lives. Remember, this was back before all of those ridesharing apps became popular, so I think we walked around the same…