February 2011 - STORIES FROM SCHOOL AZ

Connecting Policy to Practice, But What’s Connected to the Policy?

February 26, 2011Mike Lee Current Affairs, Education, Education Policy, Professional Development

I had the good fortune to be one of over 2,000 faces in the room at the Phoenix Convention Center this week for the Professional Learning Communities Summit. How was it? Invigorating. Energizing. Engaging. Affirming. But, also frustrating. Disappointing.

A New Metric System

February 26, 2011Eve Rifkin Assessment, Books, Current Affairs, Education, Education Policy, Life in the Classroom

Ravitch believes that as long as charters are working strictly with at-risk kids who are on the verge of dropping out of school, that is just fine. But as soon as charters start to attract the “regular” kids, they become the enemies of the public education system.

If the world is “Waiting for Superman,” does that make me Lex Luthor?

February 25, 2011Donnie Dicus Uncategorized

My mailbox had a treat today. One of those red envelopes from Netflix. I already knew what was in it. I have been eagerly waiting to see this movie for quite awhile. Waiting For Superman. This movie has created a

Road to Nowhere

February 16, 2011Jen Robinson Assessment, Current Affairs, Education, Teacher Leadership

I have been thinking about what this post would look like for some time, now. Last spring I was on my way to a conference and I happened to tune into an interview with Diane Ravitch. At the time she

Rhetoric 2.0

February 15, 2011Eve Rifkin Uncategorized

Kids today know better. They know that their peers in China and India are not villains. Our kids are inspired by youth around the world, in places like France, Tibet, and Egypt. They want to be like them, not beat them on a test.

The Damning of Intellectualism

February 13, 2011Mike Lee Current Affairs, Education, Education Policy, Social Issues

Can we continue to hear the voices of our Founding Fathers, or will they forever be drowned out by the clang and clamor of the Damnation of Intellectualism?

TTWWADI the Sequel

February 10, 2011Donnie Dicus Uncategorized

I'm sure everyone has heard someone whine this! "That's the way we've always done it! Why change!" My fellow blogger, Mike Lee, wrote a great piece about hunting these TTWWADI's! You can read it at http://www.storiesfromschoolaz.org/2010/08/ttwwadis-exposed.html My district has been

The Heart of Teaching

February 7, 2011Alaina Adams Assessment, Current Affairs, Education, Life in the Classroom, Parent Involvment, Professional Development, Social Issues, Teacher Leadership

February brings many flutters and shudders for teachers. The flutters are connected to the chocolate, Sweetheart candy, and wonderfully-sappy cards that tell us how we’re the best teachers ever. The shudders come from a month full of test-prep and the emergence of

How Do You Teach Math?

February 2, 2011Jen Robinson Uncategorized

“A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions.” Anonymous What do you see? o o o o o o o o o o