nflanagan

Nancy Flanagan is an education writer and consultant focusing on teacher leadership. She spent 30 years in a K-12 music classroom in Hartland, Mich, and was named Michigan Teacher of the Year in 1993. She is National Board-certified, and a member of the Teacher Leaders Network. She divides her time between wondering how things got so messed up and dreaming up ways to re-energize America's best idea--a free, high-quality education for every child.

nflanagan has written 5 posts for Cooperative Catalyst

Big Picture Saved My Life. Really. (Guest Post by Student John Dubie)

Posted by nflanagan ⋅ December 13, 2012 ⋅ Leave a comment

Publishing this story on behalf of John Dubie, a senior in the Big Picture program in Burlington, VT. John is also a stand-up comedian (catch his act in various locales around Vermont) and an organizer for IDEA. This is his autobiography. For as long as I can remember I was the kid in class who … Continue reading →

Which Comes First–The Child or the Data?

Posted by nflanagan ⋅ May 5, 2012 ⋅ 6 Comments

One of the most moving and eye-opening experiences of my life was attending a national conference, hosted by the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People and the National Education Association, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision. Like most Americans, I had been taught that … Continue reading →

What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been: Four Decades of Education Reform

Posted by nflanagan ⋅ December 14, 2011 ⋅ 9 Comments

I get a real kick out the best-of lists that pop up at the end of the year. Two years ago, the First Decade of the New Millennium had passed into ignominy, so there was a lot commentary on the establishment of the No Child era: What was the great cosmic takeaway for educators? While there … Continue reading →

Hustle and Flow

Posted by nflanagan ⋅ December 1, 2011 ⋅ 10 Comments

I’ve been thinking a lot, lately, about the role competition plays in traditional American schooling. There are a whole lot of practices that schools and teachers assume are normal, natural and constructive, beginning with gold stars and ending with getting into Princeton. Recently, the conversation’s been about Finland–and how they get such terrific scores on … Continue reading →

Top Ten List for Reluctant Teacher-Transformers

Posted by nflanagan ⋅ November 4, 2011 ⋅ 9 Comments

So–how do you transform public education in a world where data and profit trump human needs? How do you create a climate where education is continuously reinvented–collaboratively and sustainably–in forms that honor our democratic roots and the gifts of children? How do you foster equity and creativity, when the power elite are demanding standardization and … Continue reading →