As someone who cares about the nuts and bolts of educational equity, it pains me that so many of those conversations are only focused around urban areas like Louisville and Lexington. That’s why I use my platform here to to argue for things like rural representation in teacher leadership and opportunity gaps in Applachia. Obviously, I was thrilled when I came…
Month: June 2019
What It’s Like to Attend School in Rural America
Hey y’all, here’s a piece from guest blogger Jennifer Wahl, who was also the 2018 Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year. She may not teach in Kentucky, but her views here on rural education are something that some of of us here in the Bluegrass may relate to. -GS On a rainy day in May of 2018, I toured a public…
Want To ‘Fix America?’ Public Education Is Where We Begin.
I’m back from a two-week hiatus. Much to my wife’s chagrin (she tells me I’m on my phone too much), I had ample time from all of the flight delays and such to keep up with the latest controversies in education reporting. Let me tell you, this op-ed from The Atlantic entitled “Better Public Schools Won’t Fix America” takes the…
Teacher-Led Advocacy Isn’t a Choice, It’s Just What We Do
Historically, Teacher Appreciation Week has included cute coffee mugs stuffed with candy and treats for beloved teachers. Apple themed gift baskets, Starbucks cards and handmade gifts from students and parents abound. I’m sure in many classrooms across the country, this will continue to be the case. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll never turn my nose at a thoughtful gift! However,…
Kentucky Is Replacing Common Core With… Common Core
When Kentucky became the first state in the nation to adopt the Common Core standards in 2009, America suddenly developed curriculum fever. Viral “Common Core math problems” baffled parents. Questions of local vs. centralized control lingered in statehouses around the nation. Shortly after forty-one states and the District of Columbia had adopted the Common Core standards, public resistance had reached…