Category Archives: Politics

Unfunded Mandate

Here’s a quick update on the CCSS in Michigan. In June 2010, Michigan adopted the Common Core Standards, replacing the Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs). Shortly after, Michigan became one of the lead states in the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, … Continue reading

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Right to Work OR Privilege to Serve

In December 2012, ugly things happened inside and outside the capital building in Lansing, Michigan.  As with any human interaction, where you stood determined what you saw or knew and how you formed your opinion.  Inside the building, lawmakers quickly … Continue reading

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The Public’s Agenda for Public Education

Last week I attended a conference hosted by The Center for Michigan, where they released the report summarizing Michigan data collected at numerous Community Conversations across the state in 2012. While I wasn’t completely impressed with the journalistic layout of … Continue reading

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Community Conversation Revisited

In February of 2012, I hosted a Community Conversation to explore issues, build understanding, and gather solutions for an involved citizenry in education.  The Center for Michigan, who facilitated the conversation held many across the state, gathering data to create … Continue reading

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Shortened Biographies

Watching people try to understand the mass shooting of children is a painful human study.  I heard the news during an elementary school Christmas performance.  I watched men at the barbershop try to make sense of the endless television reports.  … Continue reading

Posted in Parenting, Politics, Students, Teachers | 1 Comment

CCSS Movement at 10,000 Feet

In response to questions I’ve had from multiple teachers, this is my attempt at summarizing the landscape that will affect our classrooms over the next few years: CCSS – The Common Core State Standards were written for English/Language Arts and … Continue reading

Posted in Politics, Teachers, Technology | 2 Comments

Community Conversation – You’re Invited!

Over the past five years I have become increasingly aware of the importance of an educated and engaged citizenry regarding effective education systems for our future generations and the children in front of us today.  At the height of my … Continue reading

Posted in Leadership, Politics, School Reform, Teachers | 7 Comments

Funding Backpacks

Paul T. Hill, of the Center on Reinventing Public Education, often has forward-thinking reform ideas that I would like to see implemented to scale.  Recently, in a paper called “School Finance in the Digital-Learning Era”, he submits an idea to … Continue reading

Posted in Parenting, Politics, School Reform, Students | 1 Comment

High Quality Tutoring

Did you know that the ESEA legislation (or No Child Left Behind) has provisions for supplementary educational services (SES)?  In short, if a school is not achieving, the government allocates money for additional tutoring support.   Vendors providing this support must … Continue reading

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Specific Feedback

Few things are as meaningless, yet hurtful, as general criticism.  When I work with a child, professionalism guides me to be specific in my first instruction and even more specific in my expectations when I provide feedback on the next … Continue reading

Posted in Politics, Teachers | 3 Comments