If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
Reaching across the aisle to help close this early opportunity gap would help restore public confidence in our federal lawmakers, and lay a strong foundation for smarter, more comprehensive education reform.
I believe Common Core goals are useful for teachers because they help define what students should be able to do at different stages in school. But the Common Core does not detail what students should actually know about content and concepts or how they should be taught.
I kept peering over the rims to see if I was seeing was what was really up there or did those who didn't have their super specs on miss something I was seeing? You know what I mean. Things are different depending on the prescription you have, or rather the perception you have.
We won't solve the education problem till we solve the "Day One Problem" and acknowledge the simple fact: on day one of first grade, we need better kids, not just better teachers.
I work in education because I believe there are signs all around me telling me to do so. They are in the friendships I make, the TV shows I watch, the political commentary I hear on the radio, the people I network with, where I was born (Bangladesh), how I was raised.
Needs are growing at the same time that funds are shrinking, so every dollar has to work harder or else we risk losing ground in spite of our efforts. On some level, all of us in the nonprofit world understand that good intentions are no longer good enough.
I support the right of the fast food workers to organize, and I believe whole-heartedly that Americans deserve to make a living wage. But I also hope for a day when we have an education system that fulfills its promise to provide a quality education for everyone.
While the Common Core State Standards in two subjects represent a groundbreaking step forward, we cannot wait another twenty years for American schools to focus on the broader subjects and skills that are necessary to prepare students for success in our changing world.
The federal government now requires states to formally test their teacher candidates before certification is granted to assure parents that their kids' teachers are "highly qualified" to teach. Makes sense... except almost every test-taker passes every state's teacher test.
Good teachers have long known the importance of knowing their students, both as learners and as individuals. But building and strengthening the relationship between teachers and students has become central to efforts to improve teaching.
Usually when I speak or write about edupreneurship to others, I'm immediately corrected: you mean entrepreneurship. Then begins the long explanation of what I mean by edupreneurship.
The days of unequal access to high quality educators, schools in crisis and communities feeling powerless to support them are soon coming to an end.
As we transition into the data-driven, digital era -- the opportunity to optimize each student's experience is unparalleled. Helping children understand why they are in school is crucial.
It's been said that Jean-Jacques Rosseau "discovered" the child, as far as something to study. Perhaps it is time for us to rediscover the child, and make sure the student is always the focus of our efforts in education reform.
The authors of Parent Trigger Laws will say their intent is to empower parents. But, as with so many things, good intentions alone do not translate into good actions.
Tens of millions of Americans turned out to vote for a New New Deal in 2008. We turned out to vote against the nefarious budget-slashing of Mitt Romney in 2012. And what did we get?
