Nancy E. Bailey's Blog, page 46

Worry in Toys ‘R’ Us News: Children Prefer Tablets Over Toys

They [iPads] have overtaken dolls, action figures, board games and other traditional toys–and experts say their popularity is still rocketing. ~Mark Prigg, “How the iPad Replaced the Toy Chest: Researchers Find Children Play with Touchscreens More than Traditional Toys.” Daily Mail. February 21, 2014. With the announcement that Toys ‘R’ Us is filing for bankruptcy, […]

Why Are Schools Still Using Response to Intervention?

Schools have only been in session for a few weeks. Already parents are troubled by reading problems their children are bringing home from school. It’s painful to hear of an otherwise happy child who succumbs to anxiety and distress over school due to reading. Reading should be a joyful experience. But for many children—reading is […]

Betsy DeVos and the Let Public Schools Die Then Privatize Them Tour

Here are some observations of Betsy DeVos and her Rethink Schools tour. Autism in Douglas County One of the schools she visited was the Firefly Autism House the private school which received attention in the landmark Supreme Court case Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District. Parents received funding to place their child at Firefly […]

5 Reasons Why the Teacher Shortage Concern is A Hoax!

No doubt, many children aren’t getting the general or special education teachers they deserve, especially in poor schools. There probably is a real teacher shortage. However, school reformers have been squawking about a teacher shortage for years. If policymakers cared, they would have put programs into place to address this shortage. They would have sought […]

Teacher Appreciation As School Starts

Teachers are starting the 2017-18 school year. While the focus appears to be on transforming teaching into digital competency-based instruction, or personalized learning, real human teachers are what make learning for every child personalized. That title was stolen from them. Teachers work to bring students together. They let them know that every child, no matter […]

XQ Super Schools—Business Working to End Public High Schools

Laurene Powell Jobs and her XQ school bus are coming to us via television on major networks on September 8th.  She wants to remake high schools. Powell Jobs would have you think that high schools haven’t changed for a hundred years. That’s not true. The American high school can certainly always improve, but the institution […]

The Troubling Trend to Collect Behavioral Data on ALL Children

As school starts, many parents are being bombarded with information about behavioral data collection on their children. A lot of this is tied to the trendy push for social-emotional learning (SEL), and the attempt to connect behavior with a child’s ability to read and do well in school. But it’s troubling to see schools monitoring […]

Good News for Houston’s Public Schools

It has been difficult to watch the struggles facing the people of Texas. Our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected by the flooding. There are many grave concerns surrounding this flood. In the midst of such devastation, educators and parents who follow education reform have wondered about the survival of public schools […]

Betsy DeVos and Denying Flint’s Children Special Education

How can a state that poisoned its children with leaded water, now put roadblocks in their way to get the special education services they need to improve their lives? Where’s Betsy? There can be no denying that what happened in Flint impacts education and public schools there. Families need support. We should be getting ongoing […]

What’s Behind the Obsession with Kindergarten Readiness?

When I was in kindergarten, I had one line in a little play. I said, I am Patrick Potato and this is my cousin, Mrs. Tomato, and I heard laughter. I wanted to be an actress from that moment on. ~Doris Roberts, American actress, author and philanthropist. Raymond’s mom on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. […]