Blog

School Children In the Time of Polio

Children who received a Salk vaccination in the 1950s are grandparents now. Their children and grandchildren are confronted with covid. These are two vastly different responses to how our nation and communities use vaccination to combat viral disease. Continue reading


Our Children’s Eyes Are On Us

School board rooms are classrooms for children learning how adults show respect, act civilly, and work for improving the common good. The pandemic provides board members and community adults a chance to show their mettle. Continue reading


School Is The Constant Throughout All The Years

Apply James Earl Jones’ statement about baseball to public school – it is a perfect truth. Continue reading


What Do I Need To Know To Feel Normal About School?

America remains an experiment and work in progress. Societal, economic, political, and cultural crises happening simultaneous with the pandemic will be our greatest challenge to date. Our new normal will be very unlike our old. Continue reading


We Are Known By What We Prioritize

Authority regarding masking and controversial curricula dominate parent priorities with school board members. Parent rights are the parent priority. The covid effects on student learning are not mentioned. Children will pay a price for this mistake. Continue reading


School Culture and Return-to-School Students: Another Pandemic Challenge

Real experience shapes behavior. Out-of-school behaviors learned and reinforced in remote education are causing schools and children difficulty in the return-to-school. Continue reading


Regaining Proficiency Thru Needs-based Instruction

Children returning to in-person learning demonstrate proficiency gaps – lost and or missed learning – that must be closed. We treat lost and missed instruction differently. Knowing the difference matters. Continue reading


Resuming Pre-pandemic Academic Proficiency Achievement

Fact – end-of-pandemic academic assessments display slippage of student proficiency. The issue is not where data has slipped to but what we do about. In 2021-22 children get one school calendar year to learn their annual curriculum. We have work to do. Continue reading


Highjacking School Board Governance

State statutes authorize a school board to determine district curriculum. The role of governance is rejected when groups of the dissidents highjack board meetings. Continue reading


“Soft” Proficiency of a Pandemic Graduate

A high school pandemic graduate may not demonstrate the same educational outcomes as a pre-pandemic graduate. Academic may be softer while college prep life skills were strengthened. Continue reading