School reform continues to privatize and destroy public schools. August marks ten years since I began blogging. Within that time I have written two books and co-authored a third with Diane Ravitch. I’m proud of all this writing but Losing America’s Schools: The Fight to Reclaim Public Education is the book title that especially stands […]
Who’s Behind PBS News Hour’s Gloomy Reporting About Student Learning?
Arne Duncan (Obama) and Margaret Spellings (G. W. Bush), noneducators and former education secretaries, recently appeared on PBS News Hour, Study shows parents overestimate their student’s academic progress to dash any hope parents might have that their children are doing well in school. Who’s behind such gloomy reporting? Here’s how PBS begins, and here’s the survey: […]
Saving Public Schools for ALL Our Children in the New Year
As we approach 2023, let’s make this the year to unite for the common good to reestablish and promote public education for all our children. A public school system relies on a country that values education for all its children no matter family religious beliefs, the color of one’s skin, gender identity, sexual orientation, or […]
14 Reasons Why It Might STILL Be Dangerous to Open School Buildings
For parents and educators, many concerns still surround the virus and sending children back into school buildings. 1. It Seems Like The Virus Should Be Over—It’s Not! This summer looked like the end of the pandemic was in sight, especially if vaccinated. But now the Delta variant swirls around children, teachers, and staff inside schools. […]
Betsy DeVos’s Education Freedom Plan for Covid-19: My Way or the Highway!
Take the highway! For four years, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has worked to destroy democratic public schools and the teaching profession while touting her Education Freedom plan, vouchers. But Americans should be asking what she really means by educational freedom after this past week. The freedom to determine what safe schooling means in your community […]
24 WRONG Reasons to Reopen Schools
The reasons for returning to school might sound good, but those reasons always bump up against the enemy, the coronavirus. Here are concerns that deserve attention, but they are the wrong reasons for schools to reopen. 1. President Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos say SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL! Neither the President or […]
Happy 4th! Celebrating America’s Teachers, NOT Chromebooks!
Americans miss their public schools, their universities, and their teachers. On this 4th of July we owe much to the frontline hospital healthcare workers who save lives. Also give thanks for America’s teachers. They stand by their students and are trying to navigate uncertainty concerning Covid-19. Back in March, many believed the virus would be a […]
Ask Dads How to Reimagine Public Schools!
I would like much better feedback to parents of what their kids need to work on. ~Stuart Jenner, Parent Advocate Dads can be powerful workers at saving public education. Many dads are teachers and parents and they go to bat for their children more than on the baseball field. They recognize that education is important […]
Love OUR Public Schools: Children & Their Teachers!
On this one-year anniversary of the shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, I am remembering the students and their parents and teachers, especially those who lost loved ones. MSD represents a great public school. Beyond the sadness of that day, we saw what a good public school can be. We saw loving, supportive parents. […]
Social-Emotional Learning and Teachers Students Love? Teachers in Los Angeles!
Social-emotional learning (SEL) in schools makes many parents and teachers nervous. We worry there’s an ulterior motive to collect behavioral data on how children think and act, and that the ultimate goal is to privatize public schools and track students. Talk about transforming our public schools away from cognitive learning to SEL is everywhere! Those […]