Blog

October 18, 2019 Utilizing “Reading for Meaning” to Raise Achievement for All Students

This is my fourteenth year in education overall, sixth year serving as a school board member, and second year teaching 5th grade. My school is a Title I school, and although the opportunity gap is large, our students and their families still have high expectations...

October 7, 2019 Becoming a College Learner

After hearing a lot of noise, I looked out my classroom window. I laughed and then immediately groaned before going to find the 9th-grade coordinator. She was already on her way to find me because she’d seen it too: Twenty-seven students, the first-ever group of...

October 3, 2019 Textbook Adoption: More than Meets the Eye

As a recent article from The 74 pointed out, purchasing curriculum that is rigorous and meets the needs of students is much more than “going to the right dinner.” Textbook sales representatives assist districts in making the correct purchase to meet their curricular needs, but...

September 20, 2019 Education and High Standards for All

School is finally back in session here in Shelby County, Kentucky, and our teachers are working arduously to get to know their students. Teachers understand that the first days are some of the most important because that is when we get to start making lasting...

September 12, 2019 Building Hope for Equity This School Year

As a veteran teacher of thirty-three years working in a turnaround high school, I often think about the following quote from Hal Lindsey: “Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one...

September 5, 2019 State Assessment Data is a Tool to Help Educators Raise Student Achievement

I am a data nerd. I love to analyze all kinds of data, both at home in rural Wyoming, and at work in Lincoln County School District #2. As an educator, data helps me reflect on what I have done, how effective it was, and...

August 29, 2019 Taking Materials for a Test Drive

Ask any teacher who has been involved in the curriculum adoption process about their experiences and you’ll likely hear versions of the following: “How do I know all of the curriculum and related materials are REALLY standards-aligned and rigorous?” “When will I have the time to review...