I Won’t Learn From You!
Thoughts on the Role of Assent in Learning
Years ago, one of my fifth-grade students told me that his grandfather Wilfredo wouldn’t learn to speak English. He said that no matter how hard you tried to teach him, […]
“Bush, Clinton, and Nov. 3”
Making the Best of a Bad Situation
Most teachers have a lot of experience in making the best of a bad situation. They’ll need it this November when they go to vote. Differences between the two major […]
Vote ‘Yes’ for Tax Reform on Nov. 3
Property taxes and equity of school finances are hot topics of conversation in Wisconsin. In November, people will be able to do more than talk about the former when they […]
Public School ‘Choice’: No Panacea
Pitfalls of an Increasingly Popular Idea
Being asked to write an article against school choice is a bit like being asked to burn the American flag at a VFW meeting. You have every right to do […]
Anti-racism and the Education Crisis
Forging an an Anti-racist Response
The following is adapted from a speech presented this summer in Milwaukee at the annual conference of the National Coalition of Education Activists. Some of the common descriptions of the […]
Business Talks Big, Does Little for School
Hype and Hoopla about Concern for Schools
George Bush’s new plan for reforming American education places much responsibility — and hope — on the private sector. His secretary of education, Lamar Alexander, explained at the plan’s unveiling […]
Nagging Fears about Business Involvement
Appealing Images Mask Disturbing Realities
The image is appealing — businessmen and women all across America rolling up their sleeves and pitching in to help improve public education. They offer to be partners, mentors, and […]
Questions and Answers about the MPS Building Referendum
An Interview with Howard Fuller
The following is condensed from an interview with Howard Fuller, superintendent of the Milwaukee Public Schools, on the proposed building plan for MPS. In the interview, Fuller agreed to address […]
The Dollars and Sense of the Building Plan
Will the Milwaukee Public Schools continue to educate children in coat rooms and corridors due to lack of space? Will children in Milwaukee have access to the music, art, library […]
‘Here I Sit, Brokenhearted’
Taking a Chance on a Student — and Succeeding
I can remember Pat grinning. He knew that it would make me angry. Or frustrated. Or both, and that I would probably lose my temper and send him down to […]
No Standardized Testing in Early Grades
The Evidence Is In:
In 1976, the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) called for a moratorium on all standardized testing in the early school years. It also affirmed the importance of evaluation in […]
