ASKING QUESTIONS, EXPLORING OPTIONS, CHANGING THE IMPACT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.

School House

Finland Is The New Place Where “A Kid Can Be A Kid!”

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In 2009, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) administered the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). The test measured the abilities of students from schools around the globe in a comparable format. For the fourth time, Finland placed among the top three countries in science, math and reading. Their competition for the top spot? It is the drill-heavy education systems of Singapore and South Korea. “Wow,” I thought, “what are the Finnish children eating over there?!” The answer is inspirational, Finnish children are eating Freedom O’s for breakfast, with a side of well-educated and revered teachers!

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Open for Discussion

What Is Working.

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I had a Facebook message today from my daughter’s second grade teacher.  She was “our” favorite teacher, not just my daughter’s but also mine.  Every day, she met the students at the classroom door.  High fives and smiles met those somewhat sleepy faces causing the energy levels to rise.  In short order, the children were reading, acting out characters (my daughter was Tigger and she mastered the growl, I’m playing it in my mind now) and going about the process of learning.  Each day was fresh and the routines provided stability.  Ahhh, the wonder years…  I miss this teacher.  Her impact, made over a decade ago, is timeless.

I often make small talk to children and young adults about their education.

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Ed News

The Proof is in the Fat-Free Pudding.

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Lately, I have received numerous questions on the subject of data collection.  Does it have to be done every day?  What kind of data needs to be collected?  What do you do with a mountain of data?  What does all of this data even mean?

The one question that continually surprises me, though, is, “Why do I even have to do this?”

So to all those in the world of special education who are asking themselves this question right now, let me tell you a story. (more…)

Wellness & Nutrition

The Taming of The Candy Monster – Or Is It More Than That?

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Halloween signals the beginning of “food season” for most Americans.  As your children go trick or treating or attend a fall festival, developing a comprehensive strategy to lower sugar intake is more effective than focusing in on this day of high sugar feasting.

The problem is that the candy monster is not just a once a year concern and it is not just candy. As Americans we are drowning in the sweet stuff.  The average American consumes approximately 45 pounds of sugar per year. It is the added sugars by the manufacturers that are the real concern. There are natural sugars in fresh fruit and milk that are not a concern.  These foods are nutritious and we want to encourage our children and family to consume more of these nutritional powerhouses.  So where can we begin? Should we throw away the candy?

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School House

Digging Up! On The Issue of Social Class and Education.

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America is classless. This is a myth that has infiltrated the mainstream and poisoned the public perception.  Class is defined by the merrium-webster dictionary as, “a: a group sharing the same economic or social status, b: social rank.” According to a report by the New York Times, there are five class categories existing in American society today, the top fifth, upper middle, middle, lower middle, and bottom fifth. Your social class is tightly linked to your education, and success or failure in education can mean digging your way out of poverty, or plunging into it. (more…)