Blog

January 11, 2017 Teacher Voices: What engagement season means to me

Recently, I learned that the months from December to February are referred to by some as “engagement season,” due to the disproportionately high number of couples getting engaged during this time. Of course, to people like us, there a couple of other very important meanings of...

January 6, 2017 Why Relationships between Policymakers and Educators Are More Crucial than Ever

[caption id="attachment_18199" align="alignleft" width="300"] Principal Kim Hardwick with New York Assemblyman Fred Thiele at Clayton Huey Elementary School.[/caption] For most of my career, I didn’t have many interactions with policymakers. I simply didn't know how to build a relationship with one, and certainly there weren't any...

January 3, 2017 Teacher Voices: 2016 Year in Review

Teachers are on the frontline of education, but too often their voices go unheard in policy discussion. To hear them tell it, higher education standards are helping students achieve to new levels and empowering educators to collaborate more to unlock students’ full potential. At the...

December 16, 2016 One year after the Every Student Succeeds Act

It’s been a year since President Barack Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) – a physical representation of our country’s enduring promise to every child in this country – that they all will have an equal opportunity to succeed in school. Below, you’ll find...

December 15, 2016 I Attended Tennessee’s ESSA Town Hall So You Don’t Have To

On Thursday December 15th, I attended an ESSA Town Hall hosted by Candice McQueen, Tennessee’s Commissioner of Education, and the Tennessee Department of Education. More than anything, I was excited when Dr. McQueen shared five huge opportunities for education under the Every Student Succeeds Act: 1. ...

December 15, 2016 Arizona, Georgia & Utah Students Are Achieving Higher Test Scores in English and Math

Top teachers in Arizona, Georgia, and Utah have been commending students in their states for achieving higher scores on statewide assessments. Arizona and Utah adopted higher academic standards three years ago, while Georgia’s students have been learning under the more rigorous education standards for four years. All of the...

December 6, 2016 Time, Support, and a Focus on Growth: What English Learners Need to Be Successful

[caption id="attachment_17322" align="alignleft" width="250"] Barbara Gottschalk[/caption] “Marco is struggling in class. He tries, but he has missed so much information since first grade. What suggestions do you have for me, Barbara? Please help me with materials to put information into his head quickly. . .” This is from...