Nancy E. Bailey's Blog, page 45

Destroying Special Ed: Sliding Backwards in Time

Serious changes are occurring when it comes to special education. This post is an attempt to tie recent events together. Under the Trump administration, the Education Department said Friday, it’s rescinding 72 guidance documents to “alleviate unnecessary burdens” and get rid of “unnecessary regulation” having to do with special education and rehabilitation. They seem to […]

Teachers or Technology? 12 Tech Takeover Concerns

Teachers in Boston are all aglow over personalized learning—teaching students how to learn on digital devices. But there’s something strange about learning how to help computers do a teacher’s job—like maybe tomorrow teachers will show up for work and their key will no longer open the classroom door. LearnLaunch Institute’s MassNet program is one of […]

How Gates, DeVos, and Local Business Leaders Destroy Democratic Public Schools

Last month, CREEED held a Choose to Excel summit with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with the goal of discussing the state of education in El Paso and to find ways to “move the education needle forward” by, among other things, recruiting charter schools to the area. ~Sara Sanschez, El Paso Times, October 9, 2017. Charter […]

FORCE & FLUNK: Destroying a Child’s Love of Reading—and Their Life

We are now in the dangerous era of FORCE & FLUNK when it comes to children and reading. Here’s how it works. FORCE A frenzy surrounding reading is caused by school reformers and the media, claiming children are not learning to read fast enough. Kindergarten is the new first grade, automatically making preschool the new […]

Alternative Ed., or Personalized Learning? And Susan Sarandon’s Ad

During this serious time when public schools are under siege and threatened by a tech, anti-teacher, anti-brick-and-mortar schools, and an anything goes takeover, it’s important to define public schools. It goes without saying that public schools should be creative places for learning. Some children, especially those who are at-risk, require different learning environments. The alternative […]

Are Children Getting Real Recess?

Children have been in school for awhile. How much recess are they getting? Is their school day overly organized? Are they getting pretend recess–physical education, or some canned program from a digital device? How many principals are tricking parents into thinking their children are getting real recess? Even preschool parents need to ask this question. […]

“Personalized Learning” is NOT Working for High School Students

Backed by major philanthropists and investors such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, the ed-tech industry has aggressively pushed the idea of “personalized learning.” But on the ground, the concept remains nebulous, and research evidence remains thin. ~Benjamin Herold. Education Week, September 21, 2017 Will students graduate high school with what they need to go […]

Using the Word “War” in Reference to America’s Teachers and Public Schools

How can it be, in a country such as ours, that teachers are depicted as enemies of children? Teaching is a helping profession–a calling. Yet, the use of the words “war” and “teachers” can be found in numerous books and writings. It has turned into a war on the children themselves! Teacher/Blogger Nancy Flanagan recently […]

The Dallas Dance Investigation: What’s Your School District Up To?

Dallas Dance is in trouble. But don’t forget his agenda. The attempted transformation of a school system to personalized learning is troubling. How many school districts have administrators or school board members pushing personalized learning at all cost? Anyone hearing buzz words and phrases like “no walls and no boundaries?” I have posted before about […]

When it Comes to Special Education Deregulations, Watch DeVos Like a Hawk!

In the beginning, Betsy DeVos didn’t seem to understand IDEA. Now it looks like she is out to get rid of it! Here is her recent statement in response to an Education Week writer’s question about reauthorizing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. I think Congress needs to seriously look at the commitment they made […]