Teacher appreciation among Americans has become an oxymoron, and teachers have known this for years. It’s not that teachers don’t appreciate luncheons, little trinkets, and notes that say, “We love our teachers,” or that they don’t pile up those heartfelt gifts (poems, pictures, and letters of appreciation from students and parents) to review forever. The […]
RFK Jr. Eliminates Biden’s Progress to Protect Children From Lead Poisoning
The Trump administration is “saying let them drink lead.” ~Tom Perkins, The Guardian, February 3, 2025 How much lead will your child drink today? RFK Jr. espouses many backward and harmful conspiracies about children’s health. Sadly, one issue he casts aside that hurts kids is the lead pipes distributing drinking water in homes, schools, and other […]
Separation of Church and State: Critical for Public Schools and America!
The Supreme Court may be poised to erode the Separation of Church and State further when it comes to public education, with St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond. This involves Oklahoma’s St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School’s attempt to become the nation’s first publicly funded religious virtual charter school. St. Isidore is […]
RFK Jr., Autism, and Education: The Wrong Person for Progress
Never underestimate the abilities of those with disabilities. ~Eunice Kennedy Shriver Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent comments about autism, including describing it as a “disease,” created an uproar. Kennedy seems to be on a fishing expedition for a cure; one gets the feeling he still wants to blame vaccines, and his stigmatizing comments that autism […]
The Seamy Side of CTE
Vocational education, now called Career Technical Education (CTE), emphasizing STEM, has always been important for students who are not college-bound or want skills outside of traditional coursework. Done well, this preparation can lead to vital, well-paying jobs that young people find exciting. However, for some time, CTE has tracked K-12 students using school data. For years, […]
Dismantling Public Education: No Laughing Matter!
Don’t it always seem to go That you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone… ~Joni Mitchell Many educators and parents found it painful watching Donald Trump sign off on dismantling the US Department of Education (USDOE). For those who taught and continue to teach and parent activists fighting for public education, observing billionaires and state […]
NCLB’s Curse: 12 Reasons Reading Scores are STILL Poor
Recent NAEP reading scores show students have made negligible improvement in reading. While there could be various reasons for this, it’s critical to recognize that the curse of NCLB policies has driven public education for almost 25 years, and changing course and reevaluating what isn’t working is essential. NCLB led to Common Core State Standards, […]
What Does the U.S. Department of Education Do? Enforcing Laws to Protect Students
Americans might not understand how the US Department of Education (US DOE) statutes work or their importance. President Trump, former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, and many billionaires believe the department should be abolished. However, students rely on the US DOE’s federal laws and services. These individuals wish to privatize public schools, ending the US DOE […]
Is This the Final Knockdown of America’s Public Schools?
Many well-prepared educators have spent years teaching and leading schools and are well-prepared to improve public education, even making our schools the best in the world! Instead, Trump chose an education secretary, Linda McMahon, who could lead the final knockdown of America’s public schools. More about McMahon in a minute. Trump, Musk, and Maga Republicans […]
Sal Khan and AI Reimagined Schools: Questions and Concerns
Recently, 60 Minutes showcased Sal Khan, known for the popular Khan Academy, describing Sal Khan’s Khanmigo, a new AI-powered program promising to revolutionize teaching by giving students an online personal tutor. Here’s Khan’s TED talk, “How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education,” Khanmigo’s format, feedback, and human-like online conversation and interactions are clever and innovative. […]