Earlier this year, I shared a blog about how teachers at my school are using the two-by-ten strategy to build relationships with at-risk scholars. You know the ones. The scholars that challenge our patience. The scholars who push back and
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Clarity through Focus (Part 2) and #RedforEd
What I discovered at our school was something that we already knew: Although we are an urban-based public school within a district with issues mirroring the nation, we had little to no annual teacher turnover. Our students return to a
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Now Is The Time for Critical Friends
In the aftermath of “Red for Ed” and in anticipation of the next election, it is imperative that we take the lessons learned these last few weeks and start expanding our networks. I was impressed by the volume of
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Sine Die!! But the Fight is Not Over
The Arizona legislature adjourned around 12:26 a.m. Friday morning on May 4th. This legislative body may have adorned, but as teachers, our fight is far from over! We stood united with our stakeholders and demonstrated to our lawmakers that we are
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Five Things I Learned in the Red for Ed Movement
Over the past six weeks or so, I have served as site liaison for Arizona Educators United as the Red for Ed movement evolved from t-shirt activism to an unprecedented statewide walkout of Arizona teachers. It has been an intense
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#WEIRDforED
I’d rather cough than take medicine. Sure, the medicine provides a good night’s sleep. But it makes me feel weird for days after. My mind lacks focus and doesn’t follow through on thoughts. My work ethic goes into the toilet.
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You Have Changed. Now What?
Epic week, right? And it just keeps going. AZ educators have been on fire, passionately advocating for AZ kids. We have sacrificed time and taken big risks. We’ve been criticized by people who don’t understand what we’re fighting for. We’ve
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Why I Walked
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
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Having ESP: Why I am Red for Techs
When we were kids we used to joke about having ESP, extra-sensory perception. We thought it would be a blast to be psychic, read people’s minds and look into the future. Now, as a junior high teacher, I am often
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Hitting the Like Button: Using Social Media to Grow an Online Community
I joined Facebook in 2002 when you had to have a college email address to sign up for the social media site. Each day I checked my account in anticipation of the new friend requests I received. Over the years,
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