Nancy E. Bailey's Blog, page 75
March 5, 2015
Labels in Special Education and The Futures of Children
To the children of our nation whose hope lies in our caring and whose futures are our trust. – Nicholas Hobbs. Labels in special education have always been controversial. No one likes to pin a label on a child. But in order for children to get necessary services, an IEP, or a 504 plan, parents […]
March 2, 2015
Star-Bellied Sneetches and PARCC Testing
When the Star-Belly children went out to play ball, Could a Plain Belly get in the game… ? Not at all. You only could play if your bellies had stars. And the Plain Belly children had none upon thars. Dr. Seuss from The Sneetches How ironic that today, when children should have been celebrating Dr. […]
February 26, 2015
The Seriousness of Aligning the SAT to Common Core
There are two very serious issues surrounding the Common Core and the SAT. The SAT is the test students must conquer to get into many colleges. There is a reason David “nobody gives an expletive what you think or feel” Coleman, a central figure involved in the development of the Common Core, is now President […]
February 25, 2015
The Student Success Act—The End of Public Schools?
Last week on FOX News, Host Lisa “Kennedy” Montgomery said, “there really shouldn’t be public schools anymore.” Before Democrats could shake their heads and say, “Those silly Republicans,” Steve Benen on The Rachel Maddow Show Blog, referencing Lisa’s statement, said, “what was once an unheard of idea is slowly becoming a little more common. For […]
February 22, 2015
Corporatizing a Child’s Basic Needs: Another Worry
I have been reading about the “Pay to Potty” plans in two schools where children had accidents and parents rightly got mad. You would think such a thing couldn’t have happened, and I know that in both situations the schools backed off. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the plan resurfaced again later. While these […]
February 17, 2015
Who Needs Gifted Education When We’ve Got Common Core and Rigor?
Common Core interjects the idea of rigor into standards for all. So where do gifted students fit in this plan? If every student is meant to accomplish these high standards, are there higher standards for students whose IQ is off the charts, or who have been identified as twice exceptional (students with a disability but […]
February 13, 2015
Retention’s False Promise: Instead—Better Alternatives
Jeb Bush, in regard to class retention of children in school, one of his signature education reforms, said last week in response to criticism, “God forbid if little Johnny is stressed out. How horrible it is for their self-esteem if they’re held back.” Mr. Bush, who is probably running for president, said this at a […]
February 10, 2015
Susan Ohanian Champion of Children
One of the nice things about having a blog is you can write about people who you respect and admire. I have not written for a while about anyone, because there are so many people who grab my attention every day for all the positive things they do for children. And also because there are […]
February 7, 2015
Laura Ingalls Wilder Meets Common Core
When I was a child, in 3rd grade, I fell in love with Little House in the Big Woods. I distinctly remember locating it in the little classroom library. I am not sure if I read it before or after Caddie Woodlawn, another fine chapter book about strong pioneer girls. There were no benchmarks—I don’t […]
February 4, 2015
Parents of Students with Disabilities Who Love High-Stakes Testing: How to Convince Them Otherwise
Adversaries to ending high-stakes testing are not always misguided education reformers who worship big data, but other parents. Some of the loudest crusaders in favor of high-stakes testing are parents with students who have disabilities. As Congress plans to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), some parents are speaking up against changes that […]
