The Record--Opinion: Teaching, testing and the PARCC exam
The Friday spelling test remains a ritual in many classrooms. I recall my own time spent writing 20 words five times each at the beginning of the week in preparation for the big day. At the time, I didn’t question it, but I did wonder about the methodology (and the futility) of writing and rewriting words I already knew.
Dennis Sevano, Special to The Record Published 10:00 a.m. ET Aug. 18, 2018
Philadelphia Inquirer--Many college students can’t manage the stress of daily life. This tool can help.
Jennifer Richards was just days into her freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania when a friend told her he wanted to kill himself. A few weeks later, another friend disclosed he'd swallowed dozens of pills in an attempt to end his life. She was the first person they each confided in, so she felt responsible to get them help.
It was more than most freshmen deal with in a year, let alone a month. But Richards, now a sophomore, says it shaped her college experience for the better. Both her friends received treatment. She joined student government to advocate for changes in mental-health policy and built a group of friends equally passionate about helping.
Aneri Pattani|August 20, 2018
NPR--Teachers Turning To Free Supply Shops To Outfit Their Classrooms
Victoria Gomez waits at a "checkout" table as two volunteers count up her finds: puzzles, felt, storage bins and wooden shelves. "My last [credit] card bill was $1,000 and that's just from last month, just for school supplies and things for my classroom," she tells them.
Gomez is now a kindergarten teacher at The Chatsworth School in Baltimore County. In her two years as a teacher, she has switched grade levels three times.
She came to the Baltimore Teacher Supply Swap for the first time last February, after she was asked to switch from fifth grade to second grade — with one day's notice. Gomez says she panicked — she didn't have any of the materials she needed. She got to the swap warehouse minutes before closing time.
Adelina Lancianese| August 17, 20186:37 AM ET
Education Week--How Can White Teachers Do Right by Students of Color?
We have a racial disconnect in American schools. Fifty-one percent of the students in grades K-12 are children of color, yet 80 percent of their teachers are white. White teachers like me have to love our students of color enough to learn how to teach them well. …
https://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2018/08/15/white-teachers-do-right-by-students-of-color.html
Justin Minkel| August 15, 2018