TeacherJay's EduBlog

I have long been skeptical of Mr. Joel I. Klein’s qualifications for his leadership of the New York City school system, and certainly of his motives in doing so.  In what seems to be a spreading epidemic, complete control of the school system was taken away from elected community school boards and usurped by Mayor [...]

…a story about a student I once taught to improve her writing skills and a question of whether or not this was truly a benefit for her…

The new president has talked a lot about what he wants to do to change public education.  I first mentioned some of his ideas in a previous post, but over time I will be writing a bit more to explain what he has said, or in some cases, pledged to do.  This time, the [...]

During his 23-month campaign for the presidency, Barack Obama, promised a change for America.  I personally am very happy to have him as our president as he has instilled hope and brings the possibility of reform with him.  There were many mentions of the failings of America’s schools and how that was damaging the future [...]

Jonathan Kozol’s 2005 book, The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America , looks at the issue of racial integration in the nation’s schools. Over 50 years after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal” and forcing the integration of America’s schools, we [...]

It is fascinating to read about events such as the American Revolution in a French textbook … 1) History becomes compartmentalized into an abstract string of facts that is not relevant to the world in which we live today. 2) It fosters a seperationist attitude in American students which will become increasingly damaging as the world grows more and more globally connected … So what should be done about this?

When we apply NCLB to a football league, the ridiculous scenarios that it sets up are revealed. If we would not put with these conditions for our sports teams, why we do allow them for our children? Is it too late to call an audible?

The State of Arizona has been ordered by a federal judge to increase funding of programs for English-Language Learners (ELLs) or else face fines up to $2 million per day.  Reported by Education Week, the case will soon be heard by the US Supreme Court.  The situation has gotten so complicated that even Ken W. [...]

While education may be dear to President Bush’s heart some questions still linger about this legislation. 1) Why does NCLB not fund schools to make necessary changes to personnel and curriculum? 2) Why are schools that show improvement still punished? 3) Why are “failing” schools closed and re-opened by private schools using public funds? 4) Why are there no consistent guidelines from between states, or even between districts on how to measure progress? 5) Why does the law equate testing with teaching? … this law was designed to punish our schools, not to improve them.

Yesterday was an exciting day for Sasha and Malia – Barack Obama’s young daughters.  Not only are they preparing to move to perhaps the most famous residence in the world, but they also started at a new school.  This post will not be about the girls as I take the same view as the major [...]

Hello all – this is the first posting of a new blog on education.  This is not my first foray into the blogosphere, though I have been on a year-long hiatus.  You can find some of my old entries, here.  Like the previous blog, this one aims to focus on issues of access to education, [...]