We are prepared for the future by what currently surrounds us. If what surrounds us is upheaval and chaos, low expectations and mistrust, then our future will be built upon that. But, if what surrounds us is calm within a storm, unwavering support, and high expectations for what is possible, then the future will …
Most of the time when we talk about inclusion, we are talking about students with special and specific needs. We are referring to the ability for our classrooms to accomodate the wide array of possibilities that children with Special Education designations both require and deserve. It is good and powerful …
I don’t think it is overstating it to say that we don’t always speak the same language in Education. Aside from the more literal language barriers, the barrier of multiple definitions for critical problems holds us back from ever solving them. If we believe that teaching and learning is a craft …
The origin story is essential. It both defines us and sets our biases. And, the more that we understand our origins, the more we can move on from what made us to what we can make together. I am impressed whenever I see a well articulated origin story. One that …
Choice is the true trump card that parents have to play in educating their children. Many parents agonize over their school choices and advocate for specific options to become their chosen reality. There is passion behind these choices and fervor in their rhetoric. But, vocal support of choice doesn’t look like …
For all of the talk about how teaching is a professional vocation where skills and contributions are valued outside of schools and districts, the movement toward actually valuing the work of teachers has been slow in coming. In many ways, we value what we pay for or at least what …
Our district is a complex organism. Much like the human body, each organ is responsible for its own functions, but no one organ is responsible for moving forward. It is also true that we have prescribed a number of different remedies for ailing or overworked organs within the district, and each one …
We are known by the promises we make to others. We are known for the promises that we keep too. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is a microcosm of both, and I am glad that it exists. This story isn’t one about a single person, or a single school, but rather …
Before GPS was in everything, before it was in phones and tablets, before it was helping us with driving directions and telling us where the closest bathroom was, it was a simple set of coordinates that allows us to navigate to particular position on the planet. And we liked it …
It isn’t often that I see technology completely disappear in a classroom. More often than not, it is ever present and in your face. It screams, “Look at me! I’m so shiny and new!” And even more often, it describes “first practice” rather than “best practice.” At Grant Beacon Middle School, for …