Nancy E. Bailey's Blog, page 65

Preschool Common Core Dialogic Reading: Can’t Mother Goose Fly Alone?

Yes. Mother Goose can fly alone! She doesn’t need any help from dialogic reading, which is like close reading for preschool. This formulaic reading exercise was created by Grover J. “Russ” Whitehurst an experimental psychologist who is director of the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution. Here is more about Dr. Whitehurst. […]

Elves, Marshmallow Farms, and the K-12 Education Political Disconnect

Merry Christmas! Today I am writing about illusion and how K-12 education, despite some cursory remarks, is still ignored by Presidential candidates. If you haven’t already noticed, while there are many topics discussed at Presidential debates, there is never, and I mean NEVER, any mention of the vast concerns about the privatization of America’s public […]

Have Yourself a Common Core Christmas…A Close Reading Parody

In case you missed it last year… As you snuggle next to a roaring fire and reach for the family’s favorite Christmas poem, don’t forget we live in a Common Core world now where close reading rules even for the youngest among us. Follow the script! And don’t forget you are to read the poem […]

Weird Education and Common Core Words and Phrases

It was the great American Writer E.B. White who said Omit needless words. Think about this as you read all the useless jargon now babbled about in reference to school lessons and Common Core State Standards. It is time to revisit my list of weird education terminology. I have added some new words and phrases […]

Do Students Have to Do Common Core Now to Get into Heaven?

It should be important to everyone, that the other day College Board president and the Common Core creator, David Coleman, met with Catholics—The Cardinal Newman Society which promotes and defends the faith—to allay their worries about Common Core. One Newman member snapped at Coleman and said: We don’t open Catholic schools to get kids into […]

Who’s Accountable for Students with Disabilities When Things Go Wrong?

Now that the Every Student Succeeds Act has passed, and the power to run public schools has shifted to the local school districts and the state, will that mean  more accountability on their part when things go wrong in the classroom? Consider the Peck Community School in Holyoake, Massachusetts, a public school for students  with […]

Hoverboards and the Every Student Succeeds Act

Last night on NBC news, I waited to hear about the Senate’s overwhelming passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act. Perhaps I missed it, or they are waiting to say something about it now that President Obama has signed the bill into law. Instead, one of the news items Lester Holt told us about involved […]

TeachingWorks (or Doesn’t) at the University of Michigan: The Corporatization of Teacher Education

It is with concern that I write about the Gates influence on the University of Michigan’s College of Education and the new program called TeachingWorks. The Gates Foundation is giving $6.8 million to the U of M to influence how they will transform teacher preparation. The Helmsley Charitable Trust Grant also provided $1.1 million. This […]

ESSA and the Dismantling of Programs for Students with Disabilities and/or Gifted Students

I am excited I will be interviewed about special education by educator/blogger Steven Singer, on the BAT’s segment on The Rick Smith Show, Saturday, December 5 at 12:30 Eastern. __________________________________ What are the problems with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and students with disabilities and/or gifted students? First, A Little History Politicians have never […]

Where’s Recess in the ESEA Reauthorization?

We are losing a lot in terms of kids’ innovativeness and creativity. Frankly, I am worried about the next generation. Olga Jarrett, professor and recess advocate, Georgia State University While there has been some good news on the recess front, every single public school needs to offer several recess breaks each day to children. How […]