schools

Mentorship in Democratic Learning Environments

Posted by Zuleika ⋅ September 10, 2012 ⋅ 2 Comments

This morning I sat in on a meeting to discuss the beginning of this years mentor program at The Free School. Sixteen students from grades 5 through 8 are eligible to take a younger student as their mentee for the year. I can recall the various mentoring I’ve participated in from high school through college. … Continue reading »

Beginnings at the Albany Free School

Posted by Zuleika ⋅ August 28, 2012 ⋅ 2 Comments

For the 2012 -2013 year, I will be an intern at the Albany Free School. I found out about the Free School through AERO, the Alternative Education Resource Organization, back in the days when I first began learning about democratic schools. I decided to join their internship program as my own form of alternative learning. … Continue reading »

Real Reform: What we DO want (?)

Posted by iteach4change ⋅ June 10, 2012 ⋅ 9 Comments

Easy way to get a new post – paste your treatise from another blog… Yesterday (Sat. 6/9) this was posted on BlueJersey: “There’s a lot written here about what we don’t like about the right wing education “reform” agenda – the attack on unions, privatization, etc. I’m at an education panel at Netroots Nation, and … Continue reading »

Franchises, farmers markets, schools

Posted by Chad Sansing ⋅ May 8, 2012 ⋅ 10 Comments

This spring, our local farmers market inadvertently awarded space to a national chain. Our schools, however, lease themselves to vendors all the time. Well, actually schools don’t lease themselves – they, in fact, pay to be occupied by vendors. Money budgeted for curriculum, interventions, and testing seldom stays inside a division, school system, or state. … Continue reading »

Vigor not Rigor

Posted by Zuleika ⋅ January 29, 2012 ⋅ 7 Comments

Above from Google searches of vigorous and rigorous Vigor means having [intensity, energy, and enthusiasm], and the potential for enhancing “active strength of body or mind”. When something is invigorating, it’s “stimulating…energizing…restorative”. A vigorous thing challenges you, and tests your abilities in a creative way. Even if it’s difficult, at the end of the experience … Continue reading »

Is society incompatible with imagination?

Posted by kima ⋅ December 29, 2011 ⋅ 6 Comments

It’s been a while since I last blogged here — part of the reason is that I didn’t feel I can contribute as much in the efforts to change education as the rest of my Coop friends, but part was my feeling I need to focus on my family and my own health after the … Continue reading »

Returning to School: Education for a Livable Planet

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ September 5, 2011 ⋅ 5 Comments

For my blog post today, I’m sharing a recent post I wrote for Common Dreams, a progressive news site. Here’s an excerpt from “Returning to School: Education for a Livable Planet”: “Students and teachers are returning to school. I know few in either group who are genuinely excited at the prospect. This is a travesty … Continue reading »

No Controversy Allowed! On Getting Kicked Out of a Middle School

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ June 6, 2011 ⋅ 7 Comments

I wanted to share a recent post I wrote for Common Dreams, a progressive news site. Here are a couple excerpts: Imagine our surprise when ten minutes after the presentation we found out that the second one was canceled. The principal – who’d come in a few times during my presentation but wasn’t able to … Continue reading »

What’s high school for?

Posted by kima ⋅ May 6, 2011 ⋅ 3 Comments

I don’t always agree with Seth Godin, but I usually find his thoughts valuable beyond the world of marketing and entrepreneurship he usually writes about. I was so glad he decided to venture into the question of “what value could (or should) high school bring?” in today’s blog post, he suggests we should teach the future generations … Continue reading »

Want Better Schools? Exalt Great Teachers

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ March 28, 2011 ⋅ 8 Comments

For my blog post today, I’m sharing an essay I wrote that was published on Common Dreams.org, a progressive news site. Here’s a short excerpt: “We all have our stories of bad teachers. Most of us have memories of being bored, frustrated, anxious, and often miserable at school. We love our great teachers, and we … Continue reading »

The Finland Phenomenon – a film about schools

Posted by teacherken ⋅ March 27, 2011 ⋅ 39 Comments

On Thursday night I saw the premiere of “The Finland Phenomenon: Inside the World’s Most Surprising School System.” This is the latest film by Robert Compton, who perhaps best known for “Two Million Minutes.” Let me simply list the key takeaways from the film: 1. Finland does not have high stakes tests 2. Finland worked … Continue reading »

Paying Teachers $125K for Excellence

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ March 25, 2011 ⋅ 3 Comments

In this 60 Minutes episode, “Charter School’s $125,000 Experiment,” Katie Couric reports on a New York City charter school experimenting with high salaries to attract great teachers, none of whom are provided the safety net of tenure. What do you think? Zoe Weil, President, Institute for Humane Education Author of Most Good, Least Harm, … Continue reading »

I am a proud union teacher

Posted by teacherken ⋅ March 22, 2011 ⋅ 3 Comments

I stand with my unionized sisters and brothers, especially in Wisconsin, but everywhere where teachers and unions are under attack. I am the lead union representative for more than 100 teachers in my school. Today, all across the country, teachers are blogging their support for our unionized sisters and brothers in Wisconsin, and you can … Continue reading »

What’s Worth Teaching

Posted by teacherken ⋅ March 20, 2011 ⋅ 3 Comments

this is a cross-posting of a review of this book. The review original appeared at Education Review Marion Brady is a retired educator. He has taught in K-12 and at the university level. He has written columns for Knight-Ridder Newspapers and guest-blogs for the Washington Post. He has authored textbooks. He wants to change American … Continue reading »

Ken Robinson’s New Talk on Education Paradigms

Posted by zoeweil ⋅ January 12, 2011 ⋅ 6 Comments

Take a look at Ken Robinson’s new talk on education paradigms through RSA Animate: Ken Robinson is so brilliant about identifying the systemic problems in education that perpetuate and escalate ennui, lack of creativity, and the failure of wisdom to take root (that Barry Schwartz discusses in his recent TED talk). What are the solutions … Continue reading »

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