As Arizona citizens ramp up the #REDforED movement, social media is blowing up with heated conversation between those who support the movement and those who don’t. I have seen a few common arguments that I will explore in this blog:
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Why I Won’t Strike: A Perspective
One summer in Venice Beach I met a Chihuahua-Greyhound mix named Igor. His eye-contact was both suspicious and inviting. Its puffy body, taut tendons, and long, curved toenails made him somehow look like a tiny hot air balloon. His owner
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Pop the Bubble
April 22, 2018 Dear Children, When I mentioned possibly not being at school on Thursday, you looked confused. “Why won’t you be here? Why don’t you want to be with us? Did we do something wrong?” When my own son
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Families: A Call for Unity with #REDforED
So wow: A teacher strike. It’s a lot to take in. No doubt, upcoming school closures are causing families inconvenience and stress. It is difficult to find childcare, rearrange work schedules, and entertain little ones for extra days at home.
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Clarity through Focus Groups (part 1)
Focus group questions projected on the Smartboard? Check. Handouts with the questions so the teachers can follow along? Check. The Asian food I had ordered for our group was out and other snacks are ready to be eaten. Clean tables
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An Open Letter to a Young Gun Rights Advocate
Dear Young Person, I hear that you support gun rights. Maybe you’re from a rural area and don’t want to lose the guns you use for hunting and target practice. Maybe you’re from a red state and don’t own a gun but
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When the Political is Personal, and the Personal is Political
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
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April 4th, A Day Remembered
(Originally posted on April 4, 2015 on The Center For Teaching Quality. I’ve added new pictures.) If you know much US history, you know that on April 4th, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr. was murdered in Memphis, Tennessee. On that same
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Teacher Economics 101
When I went to college to become a social studies teacher, I was given some very specific advice. It went something like this: Social studies teachers are a dime a dozen; no, a nickel. What are you going to coach?
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It’s All About Survival
I’m so excited for our Teach-In at the Capitol this Wednesday, March 28th!! I was asked by a friend why educators are needing to protest at the Capitol. Such a simple question; shouldn’t it deserve a simple answer? If I
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