A few days ago I was having dinner with two friends. As we prepared for an upcoming presentation a simple question was raised: What has inspired you this year? I am inspired by the teachers I work with every day.
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A Letter to Mr. Barrett and My Mother
Competition can be a wonderful tool to promote success among schools. However, by definition, competition means some will fail in their efforts. How do we protect the students whose schools will collapse in such a model? It will happen, just like there have already been catastrophic failures of schools that are public, private, and charter.
Read MoreGet A New Ruler
When I want to measure all my hard work at the gym, I use a scale. When I want to see I how much carpet I need to put in my house, I use a tape measure to measure the
Read MoreDatsun B-210
It seems like I’ve been talking about the Mitchell 20 saga endlessly. I can almost predict the questions that will be posed. I hope that my answers don’t sound like a broken record. I wonder if there is anything
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The Hypocrite and Frankenstein’s Monster
In a recent blog post, Nancy Flanagan stoked the flames of debate by questioning the role of competitive athletics in schools. Beware, sacred cow. However, in the interest of full disclosure, I must confess that I believe the
Read MoreTeacher Whisperers Wanted
To dramatically improve teaching and learning nationwide, structural changes and out-of-the-box thinking are needed. The most quality solutions will involve new layers of teacher support and leadership. I think the chart below speaks for itself. I mean, if horses have
Read MoreWhat Would Your IEP Say?
So I show up for work this morning and immediately have to deal with a challenging student. This kid is the typical, “emotionally disturbed” kid who is strategically placed so that if he throws himself onto the floor in an
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Score Release
Today’s blog is written for the teachers at my school, across the state and the country awaiting the National Board score release. There is nothing I can say that will make the wait any easier. I remember finding out early
Read MoreGame of Thrones
"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground." That's what George R.R. Martin writes in his intriguing fantasy series, A Song of Fire and Ice. He writes about a land that is
Read MoreExtraordinary
“The day after the premiere I was walking onto campus and stopped. I stopped and took in the image of Mitchell School. I paused, because in that moment I realized that our little school, Mitchell, was doing something extraordinary- becoming
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