Note: Some numbers from the Private School Review provide perspective for what follows: Currently, 64,353 Arizona students attend 478 private schools. Elementary schools charge an average of $6,268 per year for tuition and high schools charge an average of $17,116.
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Teacher Appreciation Weak
Ah, teacher appreciation week. I look forward to the handmade cards and homemade goodies, and if I’m really lucky, school supplies or a Starbucks gift card. But here’s what I really want for Teacher Appreciation Week. Stop undermining the teaching
Read MoreA Warning for Public Education Advocates
Who knew the answer to all of our challenges was so simple that it could be written in bullets on the back of a napkin? Recruit top performing students from public schools. Label non-randomly selected samples of “lowest-performing” students and
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Finish Strong
I have a confession to make- it’s been six months since I have been at my gym. Yes, in the past six months I have moved to a new house farther away from the facility, moderately strained my back, and
Read MoreSave Our Language: Call Them Empowerment Vouchers
Arizona 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
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The Slippery Slope of Teacher Certification
I swore I would never teach junior high. Junior high, two swirling years of what, as a student, I experienced as daily hell. I owe all my patient and forgiving junior high teachers a debt of gratitude. By the time
Read MoreI Teach In a Traditional Public School and I Support School Choice
I’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
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This is Our World
This past fall our district passed an override adding 50 new teaching positions and upgrading technology. This was a great victory for our community and schools. It showed a partnership, commitment and trust had been built and a promise moving
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When the Batteries Die
My Swedish grandmother had an important role in my childhood, and when I think of her or see her picture, I am flooded with a lot of fond memories. One of my favorite memories was when she would bounce me
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Testing Mr. Dicus
As the majority of Americans are gearing up for baseball season, teachers are girding their loins for a less fun pastime; testing season. Testing season means walls must be covered so students can no longer use reminders around to room
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