This morning, a coalition of governors and school chiefs from 48 states and the District of Columbia issued their proposal for new, national English and math standards for students in grades K-12.

The standards are a move toward ensuring that every student is expected to leave school with the same body of knowledge and abilities no matter where they are from, so that they will be fully prepared for college or work after graduating high school. It would replace the current state standards, which some critics believe states have watered down in response to the high-stakes testing of No Child Left Behind, and which vary wildly. Only Alaska and Texas rejected the standards, which will be available for public comment until April 2.

The standards require, for example, Continue reading »

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According to March issue of Scientific American, kids should start learning about science in kindergarten, something they don’t do nearly enough.  With all that teachers need to teach their students, it can seem a daunting task to add introducing children to science to the list.  In addition, many early childhood educators may feel inadequately prepared to teach science.  So is there a solution?  Is there a way to introduce a science curriculum into the kindergarten classroom without cutting back on other, equally important subjects?

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If your boss came to you and told you that you had to take a class to learn how to do your job better and that the company would pay for it, would you say no?  What if your manager said that if you didn’t complete the training, you would be fired?  I’m pretty sure that I’d go ahead and take the class.  Not everyone, however, feels the same way.

A school district in San Joaquin County, California told all its teachers that they needed to be trained in techniques to better teach students who were not fluent in English — about 20% of California students.  This instruction is part of the standard education for new teachers, but those who received their credential prior to 2003 may not have covered this information.  Theresa Messick of Ripon High School is one such veteran teacher.
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A recent Marist Poll reveals that there is one word in the English language that annoys almost half of all Americans.  We hear it a lot and, not surprisingly, most often from our kids.  The word is frequently delivered with an eye roll and is the source of much parental exasperation.  Think you know what it is? Continue reading »

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