Leadership and Activism

A Thin Line Between Silence and Voice

Posted by charles kouns ⋅ May 19, 2013 ⋅ Leave a Comment

A few days ago, David Loitz, Imagining Learning’s Seed Steward, posted a rough cut of a new film he is making about the Voices of the young people (and some of the adults) who have been involved in Listening Sessions. In watching it, in listening to those familiar faces and voices that I met just … Continue reading »

Positive Spaces for Engaging Young People’s Voice.

Posted by dloitz ⋅ May 10, 2013 ⋅ 10 Comments

Today a video of student Jeff Bliss, a sophomore at Duncanville High School in Texas, went viral fast. In the video below we are privy to Bliss passionately speaking his truth. He knows that learning is more than packets to fill out, more than passively fulfilling simple and mindless tasks. You want kids to come … Continue reading »

Teachers accountable to teachers: busting bureaucracy organically

Posted by educatedtodeath ⋅ May 1, 2013 ⋅ Leave a Comment

Originally posted at educatedtodeath.com Suppose we looked at teacher accountability in a new way? I propose we trust teachers—a little laissez-faire education if you will. This might require higher pay and a serious look at teacher education and quality, but it’ll balance itself out. With less money thrown at testing and corporate remediation materials plus … Continue reading »

Yes Men say “No”. An accreditor tells the truth

Posted by educatedtodeath ⋅ April 30, 2013 ⋅ 1 Comment

Originally posted at educatedtodeath.com I was asked to sit on a panel of teachers to represent my school district during the accreditation process. I assume I was chosen because I am eager to speak in meetings and apparently speak well. This makes me think my administration has only enjoyed the sound of my voice and … Continue reading »

The Alternatives to Compulsory Education

Posted by patfarenga ⋅ April 23, 2013 ⋅ Leave a Comment

I’ve been meeting with people over the past two years trying to find ways to connect and expand our different points of view about learning without compulsory institutions. Kirsten Olson, one of the founders of Cooperative Catalyst, was one of the people I reached out to, which is how I became part of this group. … Continue reading »

Introducing IncitED: The Crowdfunding Community for Education

Posted by jaimerwood ⋅ April 21, 2013 ⋅ 2 Comments

IncitED is the crowdfunding community for education where teachers and education supporters can fund, share, and replicate important education initiatives worldwide. Visit IncitED at http://www.incited.org. Like us on Facebook to get regular updates about how we’re supporting the work of educators: https://www.facebook.com/IncitEDTheCrowdfundingCommunityForEducation. During the last week of April, we’ll be launching two exciting campaigns: Open … Continue reading »

Teach for America: A Terrific Model for Expansion!

Posted by robinclane ⋅ April 14, 2013 ⋅ 3 Comments

Since Teach for America has been so successful at solving the problems of education in our country, I’m proposing we take their model and apply it to other failing systems and issues at hand. If the biggest problem in education is a lack of quality teachers, and we can provide those teachers and thus solve … Continue reading »

Letters to Michelle Obama (Guest Post by Christopher Chase)

Posted by dloitz ⋅ April 2, 2013 ⋅ Leave a Comment

If you’re a teacher, student or parent with children in American public schools then you probably have some first hand knowledge of the problems that have been caused by well-meaning but inflexible “No child left behind” policies and the new emphasis on “one-size-fits-all” common core standards. It’s not that all aspects of these initiatives are … Continue reading »

Changing Education (Guest Post by Youth Leader Arooj Ahmad)

Posted by dloitz ⋅ March 24, 2013 ⋅ 3 Comments

The need for a change in education is evident. But what’s the practical solution? It is easy to point out the flaws of the current system, but it is much more difficult to come up with relevant, applicable solutions. And it is even more difficult for policy makers to bring about change. But it has … Continue reading »

Commercialism is Kidnapping Our Brains Without Our Consent

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ February 25, 2013 ⋅ Leave a Comment

Every February the Banff Festival of Mountain Films World Tour comes to Ellsworth, Maine, near where I live; it’s a highlight of the winter for us. We love watching the best films of the several hundred submissions in Mountain Sports and Mountain Culture, and without fail, unless I am traveling for work, I attend all … Continue reading »

Not All Charter Schools are the Same

Posted by peterberg7468 ⋅ February 24, 2013 ⋅ 2 Comments

Are charter schools part of equitable educational choice? Do they and should they have a role in the educational landscape? There is a need for an honest, balanced discussion of charter schools. Charter Schools are tuition-free public schools, started by a variety of stakeholders for a variety of reasons. Charter schools have come under fire … Continue reading »

Taking Time to Practice Democracy #yearatMH

Posted by Sabrina ⋅ February 12, 2013 ⋅ Leave a Comment

originally posted at the IDEA Blog. Are we ‘school-year’ wise, but lifetime foolish? Immediately after finishing the first video chapter of “A Year at Mission Hill,” I went over to the school’s website and read their mission statement. I was first struck by just how beautiful it is; their care and dedication to “helping parents … Continue reading »

Youth Voices in Afterschool Programs (Guest Post by Greg Williamson)

Posted by dloitz ⋅ February 7, 2013 ⋅ 2 Comments

For many years, I have worked to engage young people in the many decisions that affect them in school and outside of it. I hear many people in education talk about supporting “youth voice” or student centered education. Yet is education student centered if student are not given a voice in creating it? I believe … Continue reading »

The Revolution Will Not Be Quantified (Seattle boycott solidarity)

Posted by iteach4change ⋅ February 6, 2013 ⋅ Leave a Comment

This post was a submission to my local Patch news site as part of the national Garfield solidarity day today. Also I would like to thank Katie Strom for some of the information and wording on high stakes tests. Revolutions are rarely, if ever, sudden. They are a final breaking point – the product of … Continue reading »

Teachers as Activists Part One: Little “p” politics

Posted by robinclane ⋅ January 29, 2013 ⋅ 2 Comments

Recently, I attend a meeting of the Austin Social Justice Teachers Inquiry Group, during which we talked about… politics. A scary word in a school. Big “P” Politics referred to ways teachers can be involved politically beyond the walls of their classroom; little “p” politics meant bringing current events and social justice into lessons and … Continue reading »

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