Education

We live in a time when our former Secretary of State, in a speech I find utterly mind-boggling, declares our public schools a threat to national security. I'm spending this holiday weekend thinking about the real-life influence-as opposed to cheap politicization-- of public schooling and schoolteachers on children's safety, well-being and patriotism. On Monday morning, I will join the Northport Community Band in a concert at the Northport, Michigan Village Cemetery. And Sunday, in church, I'll share the story of my uncle, Donald Tjapkes, killed at 19 in the first wave of Marines on Iwo Jima, in 1945. All weekend I'll be wishing for good weather, so marching bands and taps-playing trumpeters across the nation can commemorate the dead-- and inspire their communities. The piece below is an updated reprint. I'm not much of a flag waver, really. I always thought that author James Baldwin captured my feelings precisely in Notes of a Native Son when he wrote: I love America more than any other country in the world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually. I still believe, heart and soul, in the shining ideals of democracy, however --equality under the law, the American common school, a free, high-quality education for all children, simply because they deserve it. Thirty years of teaching school have given me a hard crust of cynicism about many things related to education and America. But I never lost my enthusiasm for the Memorial Day parade. For 25 years, my middle school band students marched through the small town where I taught and lived, in the Memorial Day Parade. There was a whole set of traditions around this event, which grew larger and more complicated every year: the aural passing down of our special drum cadences from the self-appointed 8th grade drumline leaders, mending the color guard flags originally purchased through a pizza sale back in '88, and patching up hand-me-down snares and sousaphones scrounged from the high school. There was never a budget for this--middle schools don't typically have marching bands--but somehow there were always T-shirts, and cold drinks at the end of the parade route. We had a stunning handmade banner that two moms whipped up with lots of lamé and sequins. In my last year, we marched 300 students, on a morning when the sky was a sapphire blue and Air Force jets flew overhead as we rounded the corner by the cemetery. This took up a fair amount of teaching time. I would get on my knees and beg colleagues for 20 minutes on the Friday before the parade, to assemble five bands into a single marching unit and take a few spins around the parking lot. One year, as I was trying to get the back of the band to master pinwheel corners, the front rank (rambunctious 8th grade trombones) marched right up the sidewalk, opened the front doors, and led the band, playing America the Beautiful at top volume, through the school hallways. By the time I sprinted up to the head of the band (and the principal popped, red-faced, out of his office), marching through the school was a done deal--and became yet another annual tradition. I was always clear with my students about the meaning and purpose of Memorial Day. They would occasionally whine about how boring America the Beautiful was--Mr. Holland's band played Louie, Louie, right? I explained that they were old enough to dedicate a morning to thanking local patriots and acknowledging the sacrifices made by Americans over centuries. Older people, watching them march by, would be pleased to hear traditional music. It was about respect. We do this, I told them, to remember and honor those who made it possible for you to live in this beautiful little town, in this safe world. People like my Uncle Don. Or Ray Shineldecker and Joey Hoeker, two high school classmates who lost their lives in Viet Nam. I had lots of funny stories to tell about Joey, who lived around the corner in my old neighbo

Losers In Chicago School Closings Target Elected Officials NPR: The Chicago school board voted to close dozens of schools, despite community protests that the closings disproportionately affect minority students. Now the teachers union and community activists want to change the system and oust the elected officials who disagreed with them. Fairfax County online standards tests hampered by Internet problems Washington Post: Widespread technical glitches interrupted thousands of Fairfax County schools students taking Virginia’s standards of learning tests online Thursday. Is Performance Pay Back on the Front Burner? TeacherBeat: There must be something in the water: Performance pay, after going through a fallow period following a 2010 study that found few effects on student learning, all of a sudden seems back on policymakers' radar screens. New Superintendents in Clark County, Nev., and Boston Education Week: As this school year comes to a close, we can expect a flurry of activity—and some superintendent musical chairs—at the helms of school districts. Arne Duncan Is Worried About Education Debt. Can He Fix It? Washington Monthly: Education Secretary Arne Duncan is getting concerned about America's estimated $1.1 trillion student loan burden. Speaking Tuesday during testimony before the House education committee, he said, “the fact that that debt surpasses a trillion dollars ... Conn. bill gives families say over Newtown records AP: The public release of any photograph, videotape or digital recording related to last year's deadly Newtown elementary school shooting would require the written consent of victims' family members, according to a working draft of a bill released Wednesday by the governor's office.

It’s been hard to come to terms with, but I need to face the facts: I’m not in college anymore. In fact, this spring marks two years since I graduated from college and went into repayment on my student loans. I know, not the most exciting thing in the world, but important. So while I don’t claim to be a student loan expert, I have learned a lot of lessons along the way, mostly through trial and error. In hopes that you won’t make the same mistakes I did, here are some things I wish I had known when I was graduating and getting ready to start repaying my student loans: I should have kept track of what I was borrowing. Let’s be real. When you take out student loans to help pay for college, it’s easy to forget that that money will eventually have to be paid back … with interest. The money just doesn’t seem real when you’re in college, and I didn’t do a good job of keeping track of what I was borrowing and how it was building up. When it was time to start repaying my loans, I was quite overwhelmed. I had different types of loans and different interest rates. When I did eventually see my loan balance, I was pretty surprised. You can avoid this problem. Had I known there was a super easy way to keep track of how much you’ve borrowed in federal student loans, I would have been much better off. Just go to nslds.ed.gov, select “Financial Aid Review,” log in, and you can view all of your federal student loans in one place! How did I miss that? I should have made interest payments while I was still in school. If you’re anything like me, you probably consumed your fair share of instant noodles while trying to survive on a college student’s budget. Trust me, I get it. But one thing I really regret when it comes to my student loans is not paying interest while I was in school or during my grace period. Like I said, I was far from rich, but when I was in college, I did have a work-study job and waited tables on the side. I probably could have spared a few dollars each month to pay down some student loan interest. Remember, student loans are borrowed money that you have to repay with interest and more importantly, that interest may capitalize, or be added to your total balance. My advice: Even though you don’t have to, do yourself a favor and consider paying at least some of your student loan interest while you’re in school. It will save you money in the long run.      3. I should have kept my loan servicer in the loop If you’re getting ready to graduate or have graduated recently and haven’t heard from your loan servicer, make sure you check that your loan servicer has up-to-date contact info for you. When I graduated and moved into my first big-girl apartment, I forgot to change my address with my loan servicer. I found out that all of my student loan correspondence was going to my mom’s address. I hadn’t even thought to update my loan servicer with my new contact information. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Keep your servicer informed of address, email, and phone changes. I should have figured out what my monthly loan payments were going to be BEFORE I went into repayment. By the time my grace period was over, I had a decent idea of how much I had borrowed in total, but I had no idea what my monthly payments would be. I thought I was fine. I had started my new job and been paying rent and other bills for about six months. Then my grace period ended, and I got my first bill from my loan servicer. It was definitely an expense I hadn’t fully taken into account. Don’t make the same mistake. Luckily for you, Federal Student Aid just launched a new repayment estimator that allows you to pull your federal student loan information in order to compare your monthly payments under different repayment options side by side. That way, you know what to expect and can budget accordingly … unlike me. I’ll be the first to admit that this whole process can be a little overwhelming, especially when you’re new at it. But just remember, your loan serv

With the Summer school break quickly approaching, now's the perfect time to add some fresh titles to your child's bookshelf. To help, we asked moms who have also been teachers to share some of their favorite children's stories. Whether you have a color-loving toddler, a beginning reader needing practice, or a preteen looking for an exciting plot, there's something in here for kids of all ages.

While there is little doubt that excellent early education sets students up for long-term academic success, the definition of "excellent" varies along with communities' diverse needs. This is nowhere truer than with dual language learners. Great early education for these students requires reorienting educational and developmental perspectives away from unduly "monolingual perspectives" in favor of research-based metrics that take this core difference into account. While English proficiency is enormously important for students' academic careers, social mobility, and economic opportunities along the course of their lives, it is a grievous mistake to stress it at the cost of other critical developmental goals.

Once upon a time, the Big Bad Wolf was a mighty fearsome fellow. In the folkloric tales of Aesop and the Grimms, he terrorized small children and other helpless critters. He blew down houses in Disney's "Three Little Pigs," and in "The Three Little Wolves," a somewhat sinister Silly Symphony cartoon from 1936, after the Nazi ascent to power, he is saddled with a German accent.

Downtown Silver Spring isn't exactly Hollywood, but for Montgomery County middle school students, it was transformed into a scene as thrilling as any L.A. movie premiere Wednesday. Silver Spring International Middle School students filled the seats of the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center to see their documentaries and films roll on the big screen, part of a two-day film festival that continues Thursday morning. The event is the culmination of the school's "Lights, Camera, Literacy!" classes, designed to teach middle school students about storytelling and the elements of literature through movies and other visual media.

The Idaho elementary school is unsure if or how it will continue to issue tablets to students next year. Students in Ashley Johnson's fifth-grade class have been using individually issued iPads to produce video papers on matter, volcanoes and the pros and cons of school uniforms. But when these fifth-graders leave Paul Elementary School for West Minico Middle School in the fall, they will go to a school with fewer devices than students.

Today is the last day of my 11th year of teaching. Today my oldest son graduates. Sometimes the struggles of teaching just have to come out.Hope you finish the school year well even thoughyou're exhausted. Here's how.YOU ROCK! -- Vicki Last night at 9 pm or so I had my head down on my desk in my classroom, upset because my computer kept crashing when I tried to render the graduation movie. Usually, I'm done far before now but the workload at school this year has been tough. If I had one wish for myself, I'm guessing it would be that I could enjoy all of this more. But then again, it would be kind of like enjoying a car wreck because that is what the end of school is like for me. Things come at you. You try to respond quickly. You try to adjust. You start skidding and spinning, and suddenly it all stops and you see you're OK. I do love teaching. I do love being a Mom - my first calling. But it is so very evident to me why we are finite creatures, especially teachers. We just wear out. But if I'm going to wear out, at least I'm not going to rust out. At least it is in a worthy cause. I think one of the hardest things about doing things for kids and their parents goes back to something I mentioned last week in my review of Jon Acuff's book, Start. Critics math. Critics math is: 1 criticism + 1,000 compliments = 1 criticism At this point, I'm so very tired that when that movie plays tonight and I get the inevitable comment here or there that aren't so positive - that is what I'll remember. So, here is what I do to combat critics math when I'm as vulnerable as I am right now. And remember, tiredness and emotional exhaustion always makes you more vulnerable. You are a sitting duck as the hunters will say for every malcontent parent or student that heads your way. Protect yourself, educator. 1 - Remember why you do it. You're not doing these things for glory. 2 - Remember who you're doing it for. Look at the students who you love and do it for them. 3 - Don't let a few unkind people ruin it for all those who are not that way I had a few kids prank my room on Tuesday and waste my time this week. Honestly, I've never been pranked. It totally hurt my feelings. It came at a time when I was so tired that I almost gave up doing the graduation movie. Kids don't think, especially when they're about to graduate. I had to pick myself up and remember all the kids who I love and I know they love me. Those who have been frustrated with me and are passive aggressive - they will have a life without me and that is fine. I loved them anyway and if it is their choice to go out that way - they'll be lesser people for it. You can choose to see the joy and whistle through life.I love whistling because I've never known an unhappyperson who did it. ;-) 4 - Don't expect to be thanked. It is nice to be thanked. Sometimes it happens. When it does, I save the notes and such and put them in a folder called "at a girl." I read them when I have rough days. On my Facebook fanpage I have a picture of a dozen roses (shown below) sent to me by a student and his Mom. I want to remember that sometimes I do make a difference. My worth as a teacher is not determined by how many say "thank you" at the end of the year. So many parents and kids are exhausted and there is likely a bit of "you'll always be there next year" in it as well. (Ever wonder why leaving teachers are showered by their students and parents - people know they have to thank them.) These flowers were sent to me 2 yearsa go by a student who found his love ofwriting in blogging. The kids madefun of him, but he found his niche inthe Digiteen project. I'll alwaysconnect my classrooms because ithelps kids who don't fit inget out of my small town virtually. 5 - Find your joy I keep a joy journal. It is proven to be a permanent mood booster (more than winning the lottery - see 9 Fine Reasons to Keep a Journal).

A fun project for nature studies is to find out what edible plants grow in your neighborhood. I love this project from homeschooling mom Rebecca Angel, who explains how to make delicious color-changing tea using violets from your yard -- complete with an explanation of the chemistry behind it....Read Full Post