Last Monday in Coolidge, I was coaching a cohort of teachers who are pursuing the National Board Certificates. Ben Barth, a massage therapy teacher at the Central Arizona Valley Institute of Technology (CAVIT), was in the zone. He planned to
Read MoreArizona gets a blue ribbon for its euphemisation of political dialogue. In order not to appear like a Common Core State Standards state, they named them the Arizona Career and College Readiness Standards. The difference between the CCSS and the
Read MoreI’m a traditional public school teacher (and union rep), and I support school choice. As a right-leaning independent with a high concentration of libertarianism running through my veins, I default to political positions that tilt the balance of power toward
Read MoreExactly four years ago today, I published Spontaneous Professional Development, a brief post describing four cases demonstrating that, “Much of my most valuable professional development came out of nowhere, was free, and lasted minutes – or even seconds. All I
Read MoreJanuary 22 – 28, 2017 is National School Choice Week, the goal of which is to, “[Shine] a spotlight on effective education options for every child.” That timing, combined with my post last Sunday on how not to attack charter
Read MoreThe Green Bay Packers eliminated the Dallas Cowboys by three points when they kicked a field goal as the clock ticked down to 0:00. The final score proves that the Cowboys are the better team. Or so would be the
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One Thank God for language arts teachers who give students the opportunity to discover that fiction provides insights into human nature. Without that knowledge, I probably would never have read the passages below. Consequently, I don’t know how I would
Read MoreDedicated to Kate Gilbert. There is a way to be good again. Anyone who’s read the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini remembers that line. And anyone who tries to be good empties their cup and asks anew, what will it
Read MoreDisclaimer: Stories from School Arizona guidelines compel contributors to write about issues, like elections, that impact education and to not write about people, like candidates. Accordingly, any similarity between what follows and real people is coincidental. Cue the laugh track.
Read MoreI’m facing a conundrum. This summer I read Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students’ Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching by Jo Boaler (with a foreword by Carol Dweck of Mindset fame). I was completely fired up by Boaler’s
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