An invited response to Angela Buzan’s heartfelt piece on why she won’t walk out: http://www.storiesfromschoolaz.org/wont-strike-perspective/ I’m tired. I’ve taught in Arizona for 13 years of my 19 year career. I’ve watched from the front line as our state has starved the
Read More
I think many of us have had conversations in schools, in neighborhoods, and around towns lately regarding the #RedforEd movement. As I became a National Board Certified Teacher, I learned that it is my responsibility and privilege to advocate for
Read More
The Problem with Teacher Pay: As a beginning teacher, I knew I would start out with a modest salary, but with increases in experience and education, I expected to move up the salary schedule and eventually achieve a comfortable middle-class
Read More
You may have heard that 70-80% of new restaurants fail within the first year. As it turns out, that often cited statistic is exaggerated: the actual figure is 17%, according to Forbes. It turns out the chance of success is
Read More
Around the holidays, many visitors and holiday party-goers comment on how tired I look. I don’t think they mean this unkindly – it’s true, I do look exhausted this time of year (and many other times throughout the school year).
Read More
7:00am The sun just peeks over the White Tank Mountains and onto the field as the boy’s and girl’s soccer teams and coaches begin warm-ups and the cool air fills with music and shouts. Over 1,200 preschool through eighth-grade students
Read More
My teaching assignment changed this year, about five weeks into the first quarter. Due to a district policy of only counting “bodies in seats,” not enrolled students, our 5th-grade class sizes were huge (36 – 38 students in tiny portable
Read More
Results-Based Funding With little fanfare last month, 288 schools in Arizona received the first payout of results-based funding, the largest education initiatives outlined in the Governor’s State of the State address. The initiative became SB1530, a $38.63 million bonus for
Read More
Many people ask me how I get through my very busy school year. It’s a legit question: between teaching fifth-grade full time, taking doctoral classes, blogging and coaching, not to mention being a mom and wife, I feel overwhelmed just
Read More