Blog

December 6, 2018 Arizona’s opportunity to Narrow the State’s Achievement Gap

We are at a time of great possibility in American education right now. With the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Arizona has access to dedicated federal funding specifically aimed at supporting bold, innovative changes in our most challenged schools. As a former...

November 27, 2018 Changing the Standards and Our Mindsets

After Mississippi adopted and implemented the MS College and Career Readiness Standards, there was a huge shift in mindset about text. The standards emphasized that all students deserve to read and be challenged by rich, complex text. As a second-grade teacher, I have always known...

November 27, 2018 Using Standards-Aligned Reading Activities in the Science Classroom

It’s a common fact that with higher standards, students are required to use critical reading and comprehension strategies in their ELA classrooms. It’s equally important that students use these strategies across content areas, and that teachers reinforce them during instruction. More challenging reading standards are...

November 1, 2018 Helping Students Access Complex Texts in Aligned Lessons

I love teaching 5th grade, especially in the fall. I enjoy watching my students settle into our school year, relaxing into the rhythm of our daily work of reading and writing together. In our 5th grade state standards, there is a delicate dance between “learning...

October 24, 2018 Thinking like a Mathematician: Helping Students Meet Higher Math Standards

When we think of challenging grade level texts that align to high standards, our minds tend to gravitate towards Reading/English Language-Arts classes and finding ways to increase our student’s literacy competency. However, my students - and even my honors level students - have more difficulty...

October 17, 2018 Fulfilling the Promise of Assessments

As a middle school math teacher for more than 20 years, I am passionate about my work. One of my first leadership experiences was serving as a teacher researcher on a project focused on assessment through Michigan State University, which sparked my interest in assessment. As our...

October 12, 2018 “Unicorns of the Professional Arena”

As a native New Mexican, and proud teacher, my advocacy for students and education stems from my eighteen years of teaching in a number of settings. I’ve taught in both high and low performing schools that varied in size and demographic. I know the struggles...