"Bad Apple Trees" Are Ruining Our Schools, 4/18/2015

It stands to reason that, if “a few bad apples spoil the whole bunch” and “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”, then we should be concerned not with the bad apples, but with the bad apple trees.  Good parents beware: bad parenting hurts our schools far more than bad students…

Daredevils of Education: A Call to Action, 4/13/2015

On April 10^th, Netflix made Marvel’s Daredevil series available for streaming.  As a long-time Marvel fan, I barricaded myself indoors for the weekend and partook.  By episode 7 I was much impressed; so much so that it inspired me to write.  I realized, watching “The Man with No Fear”, that fear is exactly what’s being used to keep educators from saving education.  I hope that this entry will be a shot of courage to whoever reads it…

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Double-Consciousness of the High School Student, 4/9/2015

I call them my kids.  Partially because I love my students dearly and would do anything for them (if I had the money).  But partially because I have to constantly remind myself who I’m dealing with.  In those moments when a young man jumps out of his seat ready to literally fight me, and he’s standing taller than I am with more muscle, more facial hair, more body odor, and more tattoos.  Or in those moments when a student’s mugshot is in the dollar paper for armed robbery or D.U.I.  Or that moment when I’m going through the Facebook photo albums of guys from my graduating class and older, and I see young ladies that not too long ago graduated high school in the club with them, drinks in hand.

…Kids ;-\

Let’s Make a Deal: Black History Month Programs for a Fully-IntegratedU.S. History Curriculum

That’s right:  while 1954’s Brown vs. Board of Education integrated public facilities across America, in 2015, U.S. History Curriculums are still segregated.  In a 10 month school year, 1 month of Black History, 1 month of Native American History, 1 month of Latin American History, and the remainder dedicated to “the Establishment”… yeah, that’s segregation, folks.  Read it.  Weep.

Teacher Removal is No Accident, 4/3/2015

If you've heard about the recent jailing of 11 teachers involved in the Atlanta cheating scandal, if you're one of the people out there who is shaming these teachers as being terrible examples to our children for cheating, then you are on the outside and outskirts of an education discussion that is so much more important.  How can I put this--- you are staging a two-piece swimwear protest at a global warming conference.  Follow me.