Reading is Fundamental

Yesterday’s release of a major report on teacher pay dwarfed much else in the education news. I may write on that soon, if I feel I have anything to add to the conversation. But today I wanted to talk about my favorite book, Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. It has been my favorite [...]

Teachers’ Thoughts on School Climate

I am a DC resident, and I am very interested in the politics that have been going on in the District over the past couple of days, especially as they relate to school reform. But I am not going to write about that, at least not directly. Rather, I want to highlight the results of [...]

Advancing High-Quality Professional Learning

No one would deny that having a high-quality teacher in every classroom is important. Research confirms that effective teaching improves student achievement. So it stands to reason that very few would deny that it’s important for all teachers to have access to high-quality professional learning. After all, research confirms it is a significant pathway to [...]

Are All Readers Literate?

Back in 1965, UNESCO proclaimed September 8 to be International Literacy Day. The goal? To highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and society. I’ll try to link to some of the reports being released today as they come out. Just learning this occasion exists reminded me of a post of Robert Pondiscio’s that [...]

Can Citizens Tell a Good School When They See One?

The first paragraph of Education Next’s Grading Schools: Can Citizens Tell a Good School When They See One? discusses the widespread availability of school standardized test score data. Reading that, I thought I knew what the article would be about. Citizens judging schools based on test scores alone, rather than more meaningful measures. It resonated [...]

Immaculate Conception School

Located in Astoria in Queens, NY, the Immaculate Conception School believes in educating students many ways, including academically, spiritually, and emotionally. The school’s mission statement clearly states that it’s the school’s goal “To provide every child with a safe and nurturing environment that facilitates a love of learning as well as a love for God, others, [...]