Nancy E. Bailey's Blog, page 13

Charters and Vouchers to Destroy Virginia’s Public Schools Will Involve Questionable Data Collected on Children

Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin is wasting no time setting the wheels in motion to destroy public education in Virginia, considered the fourth-best public school system in the country. If he manages to do this, it will add to America’s already ominous future of free public schooling, school ownership shifted to big business instead of constituents. Most […]

School Safety Solution: Bring Back Homerooms, Only BETTER, to Know and Support Students

School districts might devise solutions to understand students better. Here’s one suggestion. Bring back a more personalized homeroom with smaller student groups (10 to 15 students) along with an adult mentor for at least 20 minutes each day. Students need smaller groups to get to know each other and feel supported to understand there’s no […]

Driving Teachers Out! The Longtime Plan to End A Great Profession

The pandemic has been rough on teachers, but there has for years been an organized effort to end a professional teaching workforce by politicians and big businesses. In 1992, The Nation’s cover story by Margaret Spillane and Bruce Shapiro described the meeting of President Bush and a roomful of Fortune 500 CEOs who planned to […]

A Great Profession: Consider Teachers’ Needs

During this troubling time when we should be helping each other through one of the roughest patches we’ve faced as a nation, teachers have become scapegoats, blamed for everything involving social change and Covid-19. Teachers tried to protect themselves and their families during the pandemic and worried about protecting their students and now they’re blamed […]

Want to Rethink Education? It’s Time to Take Back Kindergarten!

Since the pandemic, there’s much talk about rethinking education and this includes the early years of schooling. Most parents just want their schools reopened safely and schedules back to normal, but corporate reformers want to see even more changes made to schools than seen with No Child Left Behind (NCLB)! The October edition of KAPPAN, […]

Universal Preschool Cookie-Cutter Pressure: Head Start’s Troubling Framework

There is no such thing as a “developmentally appropriate curriculum” for three- and four-year-olds. Common sense should tell us that.  ~Dr. Peter Gray, The Case Against Preschool in Psychology Today. Universal preschool might better be called daycare, a program for young children to socialize, have free play, and experience lovely learning-rich experiences before school. It […]

America Cannot Build Back Better and Address Equity If Crumbling, Dangerous School Buildings Are Ignored!

Our public schools should be safe, welcoming places, that support the work of teachers, cherish students, and provide a climate and atmosphere conducive for learning. Our public schools should be the pride of our nation! We are all to blame for not caring enough to demand great public schools for all of our children, a […]

Covid and the Continuing Loss of Music in Poor Public Schools!

Music is a tool that brings people together. ~Jon Batiste For years school districts have cut music and the arts. With Covid, one would think there would be a renewed effort to bolster school music programs to lift the spirits of children and families. Music would help to achieve diversity and equity in public education. […]

Democrats the Education Party? Stop Promoting that Message

I’m sorry Democrats didn’t do better last night because they might be somewhat better for public education. Maybe they will regroup and come back stronger for real public education and teacher support. Last night during the election results, the media portrayed Democrats as the education party, but for years Democratic policymakers have turned on teachers […]

14 Scary Monsters Children Face On Halloween and Beyond, Affecting Their Schooling

Teachers and public schools might be blamed when children have trouble learning. But many variables affect how children do in school, and most are out of a teacher’s control. Support public education and teachers to help families and children make schooling a worthwhile experience. Schools should be an anchor in the community for children and […]