Five years ago, I left a failing school. Having taught in struggling schools for my entire career, the choice was difficult because I left a school that eventually closed, for a high-achieving one. Some people told me I was a sellout. One person said, with good intentions, that my talents would be wasted in this new environment. I didn’t disagree…
Category: School Quality & Reform
No surprise that Kentucky comes up short in new parent choice index
The Center for Education Reform’s Parent Power! Index is an annual assessment of the educational opportunities afforded to parents across the country. By looking at each state’s charter school laws, school choice programs, teacher quality, and digital learning pathways, the CER aims to inform and empower parents to make decisions about their children’s education. Arizona, Florida, and Indiana claimed the…
With KTIP Gone, Here’s How Kentucky Can Support and Retain New Teachers
For too many young people, teaching is not an attractive profession. Even the dynamic few who are called to this profession fall prey to heavy workloads, disrespect, and eventual burnout. Perhaps no statistic is more condemning than the fact that almost half of all new teachers now leave the profession within five years. Programs like KTIP, the Kentucky Teacher Internship…
Successful Schools Have Teachers Who Lead
I’ve been in a lot of schools in my time. Whether as a student, a staff member, or a casual observer of Kentucky’s public schools, I’ve always commented that each school has its own personality, created by the unique community both inside it and surrounding it. And yes, while it’s true that administrators are responsible for setting the tone and…
Should teacher evaluations be tied to student growth data?
Teacher quality is widely acknowledged as the most crucial school-wide factor impacting student learning. There’s nothing that benefits students more than having an effective teacher in the classroom. Naturally, when the recent “State of the States” report from the National Council on Teacher Quality revealed that several states like Kentucky have backed away from research-supported teacher evaluation practices, it’s no…
Kentucky’s accountability system looks set to change again
Trying to keep up with all of the changes to a state’s accountability system is a little like drinking from a waterfall. Thanks to this new bombshell from the Courier-Journal, it appears that Kentucky’s accountability system is looking more and more like Niagara Falls every day. The debacle du jour deals with Kentucky’s identifying labels for schools. If you aren’t…
Could early graduation in Kentucky lead to more equitable outcomes for students?
For thousands of students across America, high school follows the same path of four years, full of classes, courses, and conversations, all to prepare for what we call “the real world.” For some students, however, this traditional path is not what they need or want. Differing circumstances create an environment where the traditional high school system can become inconvenient or…
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…
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…
So You Really Wanna Know What’s Wrong With Ed Reform?
It seems like every week I come across another article that tries to point out where “school reform has gone astray.” Many of them are penned by teachers, angry and confused by the adoption of charter school laws and rapid changes to their state’s accountability systems. Others are written by reform-minded folks with legitimate concerns about the direction that the…
Coal Helped Shape Our Rural Community’s Schools. Now, Everything Stands to Change.
My family roots have been here in Muhlenberg County for as long as I can remember. This is coal country, and for decades, local mines and industries like TVA have provided economic security in a community where not many other opportunities exist. The mark that coal has left on our local school system is indelible. In addition to providing jobs,…
There’s An Obvious Way To Improve Teaching Quality, But Getting There Won’t Be Easy
As conversations on school quality rage on, the authors of a new study from Education Next tackle a question that seems so obvious, you would never think to ask: “Do smarter teachers make smarter students?” Based on research in math and reading performance across 31 different countries, it appears that they do, and the relationship is much stronger than some…
Students Need Deep Exposure To Content Knowledge. This New Project Can Help.
Some of the best teaching advice I ever received came from an undergrad professor I really admired. “Don’t try to teach the standards,” she instructed me. “Teach to the standards.” Hidden within that pearl of advice was an important caveat. State standards only tell us what students should know and be able to do at each grade level, but they…
Kentucky Third-Graders Would Have Been Held Back Under This Proposal. Here’s What Changed.
Last week, Kentucky found itself playing a high-stakes game of “Would You Rather?” But this time, it affected a much different demographic than we’re used to: third-graders. Following the lead of states like Ohio, Indiana, and Florida, Kentucky considered adopting a real catch-22 of a policy that would require struggling third-graders to be held back for failing an end-of-the-year reading…
No Matter Where They Live, Kentuckians Want Better Schools
Lately, there has been much ado about the “war on public education” in Kentucky. I have my own thoughts on that, but if there really is a battle worth fighting for, I say it’s improving our state’s public schools. I’m not alone on that. According to a study that was just released by the good folks over at the Prichard…
These Students’ Black Panther Reactions Show Us Why Black History Matters Every Month
Most of us are familiar with the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta. It’s an insanely awesome, student-centered school that has an intense commitment to students’ cultures. Teachers at RCA use highly-engaging, culturally responsive teaching methods to reach their students. Their lessons are so engaging, in fact, that many of their students’ projects end up going viral on social media. Like…
What If School Reform Is What’s Best For Kids?
It’s no secret that the Bluegrass State is embroiled in a battle for for the souls of our schools. We’ve witnessed one commissioner resign and another rise from relative obscurity. We’ve seen the state’s largest school district narrowly avoid a takeover. In a matter of months, we’ve watched as perennial policies were repealed and replaced overnight. The whirlwind of changes…
Donald Trump Wants Your Kids To Read The Bible
Or at least, he thinks they should have the choice. No, this isn’t #Fake News. On Monday, the Donald himself weighed in on the controversial movement to introduce Bible literacy in schools. Numerous states introducing Bible Literacy classes, giving students the option of studying the Bible. Starting to make a turn back? Great! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 28,…
Kentucky Upgraded Its Ancient School Report Card Site. You’re Going To Love It.
Of all the soundbites we’ve heard about Kentucky schools over the past few years, this one from the Cincinnati Enquirer still resonates with me: “If you’re a Kentucky mom or dad hoping to crack open this year’s report card to see how your school stacks up, you’re going to be disappointed. It’s not that your school is doing poorly –…
Reforming the Teaching Profession
A public school teacher in the United States of America is not a very attractive career. The pay is not acceptable. The training is not sufficient. The professionalism of the career is in the gutter. Schools are underfunded and understaffed. Tenure has destroyed any motivation for improvement and advancement. Leadership and most significant decisions trickle down from state or federal…
Knowledge Still Matters, Even In the 21st Century
As someone who usually subscribes to the all-things-in-moderation philosophy, I think there needs to be a healthy balance between the whats and hows of education. But anymore, it seems like all I hear about is the latter. By whats, I mean the content being taught; the texts, the essential concepts, and so forth. As for the hows, I’m talking about…
Kentucky’s Proposed Graduation Requirements Strike The Right Balance
If you’ve ever wondered why conversations about improving schools often resort to people talking past each other, there’s a reason: Public K-12 education means different things to different people. On one end, there’s the “college-for-all” mentality, the philosophy of those who argue that the aim of public K-12 education should be to prepare all students for success at a college…
It’s No Wonder Kids Aren’t Learning When Our Schools Are Filled With Myths Like This
As a kid of the early 2000s, I still remember the old-school “Hooked on Phonics” commercials that encouraged children to sound out words phonetically to increase their reading speed and proficiency. Even though my family never bought the program, this was in essence the same approach that my parents and teachers used when I was learning how to read. I…
What Parents Should Know About Kentucky’s New School Ratings
If there’s one thing Kentucky teachers and administrators have had on their mind this past week, it’s our new school rating system. We just got our first look at last year’s state test scores and our new accountability system, per the Kentucky Department of Education. Teachers and administrators are already in the know about Kentucky’s school ratings, but with all…
Rural Schools Need Equity Too
I just got home from a convening with the rest of the Kentucky State Teacher Fellows, where we had some long, tough conversations on equity in our schools. We’re preparing for later this fall, when schools across the Bluegrass are going to witness a major data collection blast from education groups and teacher leaders. The reason is simple: Kentucky is…
Education Reform Isn’t A 4-Letter Word
If you didn’t know any better, you might think there’s a civil war brewing right now in school systems across the country. It’s called education reform. Education reformers typically support things like school choice and accountability for public schools. Reformers are passionate about closing achievement gaps and building better public schools, but don’t necessarily believe that the conventional methods of…
Personalized Diplomas Would Keep Education From Becoming An Effort Grade
In light of graduation scandals and state policy changes happening across the country, there’s a burning question right now among education circles: What does a high school diploma even mean anymore? Ideally, a high school diploma should suggest to universities, technical and community colleges, or employers that the graduate has been successfully prepared to transition to the next stage of…
Move Over Boomers, Millennials Are Here And We Want Equity In Schools
Millennial life is like being a responsible teenager. You do all your homework, you hold down a couple part-time jobs, and you only have friends over late on the weekends. Yet the elderly neighbors down the street still complain about having to live next to a bunch of kids. (“Hey punks, get off our yard!”) Because no matter how you…
Elon Musk’s Next Challenge: Education Reform?
It’s no secret: Elon Musk is a titan of industry. It’s not just that he’s the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, he also has a brain that’s hard-wired for innovation. Just look at his Hyperloop idea, for example, which may eventually make it possible to travel from New York to DC in 30 minutes flat. A transit system like the…
#KYEdUpdate: Hal Heiner, JCPS Takeover, and EPSB Overhaul
While teachers and students across the Commonwealth are holding on tight to their final days of summer, the action in Frankfort and beyond just keeps coming. The Kentucky Board of Education has a new chairman, but he’s no first-timer in Frankfort. Interim Education Commissioner Wayne Lewis has a deal for Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS), one of the largest districts in the…
Matt Bevin’s War
When Louisville businessman Matt Bevin ran for governor in 2015, he did so on the platform of fiscal responsibility, school choice, and conservative reform. Armed with Tea Party rhetoric and the funding to match it, Bevin did the unthinkable by knocking off establishment candidate James Comer in the GOP primary. His margin of victory was just 83 votes. Shortly after…
Kentucky Has A Slew of National Board Certified Teachers, And That’s Great For Students
I tend to find that a lot of conversations around education reform focus on the work we have left to do instead of celebrating the progress we’ve already made. But a couple weeks ago in Frankfort, there were a lot of reasons to celebrate. 3,601 reasons, as a matter of fact. That’s how many National Board Certified Teachers are currently…
This Is What It Means To Be #MarshallStrong
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…
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…
We Need To Talk About Teacher Turnover in Rural America
I came across an article last week about the schools in rural McDowell County, West Virginia, where daily school life is grinding. Teacher and substitute shortages there are chronic and turnover is high nearly every year. Poverty is widespread, and it’s not uncommon for students to lose parents and loved ones to drug abuse. For the teachers who manage to…
Teachers Are More Supportive of Education Reform Than You Think
I’m a science teacher, so it’s in my nature to be curious about how and why things work the way they do. Since I’ve been on an education reform kick lately, I decided to do a little experiment. I asked public school teachers from different organizations across the state to play a little word association game with me, giving me a short,…
Rural Kids Need Better Schools Too
I didn’t really think much about rural representation until I first got involved in educational leadership. For the first time, I learned that there was an entire world of organizations, social media campaigns and professional-development sessions all dedicated to improving schools and closing achievement gaps in Kentucky. “Wow!” I thought. “How awesome to see so many educators who had dedicated…
We Can’t Keep Doing The Same Thing In Schools And Expect Better Results
“School reform” is such a misunderstood concept in the education world. That misunderstanding, of course, leads many people to dismiss useful improvements. But we need those changes, and quick, because nothing can so profoundly impact our children’s lives as much as receiving a good education. Any parent could agree with that. Sometimes, though, I worry that our attempts to make…
Achievement Gaps Are Just the Symptom. Opportunity Gaps Are the Real Problem.
We hear a lot of talk about achievement gaps these days, and rightfully so. America has only grown more diverse, but the gaps have barely closed at all. When we discuss achievement gaps, we need to understand that they’re more than just percentages on a screen. The gaps we see in achievement for different groups of students are just symptoms…
Want to Close Achievement Gaps? Know Why They Exist in the First Place
There’s a sad reality in our education system today: Some students just don’t do as well as others. I realize I’m not breaking news here, but the fact that there’s such a disparity between students from poor families and communities and students from solid middle-class families is bad for everyone. The fact that minority students historically fall far behind their…
Banning ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Because It Makes You Uncomfortable Isn’t How You Learn
Biloxi, Mississippi made news when its public school district pulled Harper Lee’s classic “To Kill a Mockingbird” from its eighth-grade reading list earlier this month. When pressed, the Biloxi School Board stated that the acclaimed Southern novel was pulled because some parents and students felt uncomfortable with it being taught at the eighth-grade level, given its themes of inequality and racism and…