Most of us have our own life experiences to draw from when thinking about school, but things have changed a little (or a lot!) since we were last in a classroom.
Read MoreCommentary: Six Facts About American Education
Tag: public education
Commentary: ‘We’ Should Not Regulate Homeschooling
The desire to control other people’s ideas and behaviors, particularly when they challenge widely-held beliefs and customs, is one of human nature’s most nefarious tendencies. Socrates was sentenced to death for stepping out of line; Galileo almost was. But such extreme examples are outnumbered by the many more common, pernicious acts of trying to control people by limiting their individual freedom and autonomy. Sometimes these acts target individuals who dare to be different, but often they target entire groups who simply live differently. On both the political right and left, efforts to control others emerge in different flavors of limiting freedom—often with “safety” as the rationale. Whether it’s calls for Muslim registries or homeschool registries, fear of freedom is the common denominator.
Read MoreCommentary: Students’ Test Scores Unchanged After Decades of Federal Intervention in Education
Federal “Highly Qualified Teacher” mandates. Adequate Yearly Progress requirements. Smaller learning communities. Improving Teacher Quality State Grants. Reading First. Early Reading First. The dozens of other federal programs authorized via No Child Left Behind. School Improvement Grants. Race to the Top. Common Core.
Read MoreAs School District Implements Busing Over Near-Unanimous Opposition, Chinese Immigrants See Communism
A Howard County, Maryland, school board voted Thursday to implement a busing initiative opposed by the vast majority of the public.
Read MoreCommentary: How Much of a Difference Does the Number of Kids in a Classroom Make?
Chicago’s teachers went on strike in October, suspending instruction for the city’s public school students for 11 days.
Read MoreActivists Want to Abolish Your Kid’s Honors Classes, Cite ‘White Toxicity’ and ‘Supremacist’ Values of High Achievement
School systems across the country are seeking to abolish honors classes, teach how math has been used to oppress people, and let truant students into gifted schools. Advocates say the moves are aimed at diminishing an achievement gap between demographic groups.
Read MoreReading and Math Test Scores Remain Stagnant Despite Common Core
Despite numerous monumental government efforts to improve standardized testing scores around the country, the average test scores for reading and math have remained virtually the same as they were ten years ago, according to USA Today.
Read MoreCommentary: Five Reasons the Chicago Teachers’ Strike Is Immoral
The Chicago Public School system’s 361,314 registered students are starting their tenth day at home this morning, as their teachers union strikes for its fourteenth cumulative day. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have publicly supported the 32,000 teachers and school staff (represented by the Chicago Teachers Union and SEIU, respectively) on the picket line – but there are five reasons people of faith should not join them.
Read MoreCommentary: Yes, Soros Is Influencing Your School Board and Local Government Elections
Luke Rosiak’s revelation of the Soros connection in local school board elections and policy making in the Daily Caller reminds us that school boards are not the Soros network’s first foray into obscure local political campaigns and local government policymaking.
Read MoreCommentary: The Strongest Support for School Vouchers Comes From Lower-Income Families
hen it comes to education, the word voucher tends to elicit strong reactions in three broad public opinion camps. First, there are those who feel strongly that vouchers can expand education options for families by allowing children to attend a private school using some or all of the per-pupil spending amount allocated to the local district school.
Read MoreCommentary: What Public Schools Get Wrong About Diversity
Diversity. It’s one of the buzzwords of this generation. Forget sameness, everyone must be different, while at the same time inclusive. It’s that simple.
Read MoreCommentary: NEA Embraces the Woke Agenda, But Votes Down ‘Student Learning’
by Nat Malkus and RJ Martin Last week, thousands of teachers gathered in Houston for the National Education Association’s (NEA) annual convention. During the convention, any group of 50 delegates could bring to the floor a new business item, which is a one-year, non-binding resolution directing the union to…
Read MoreTim Ryan Wants Social-Emotional Learning in Every Public School Nationwide
2020 hopeful Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) wants to introduce social-emotional learning standards to every public school in the country. The Ohio Star’s Beth Lear recently did a deep dive on the Ohio State Board of Education’s efforts to bring social-emotional learning to the state. “This is part of a…
Read MoreAnalysis: Bernie Sanders’ Education Plan Is Rife with Deceit
by James D. Agresti Presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders has unveiled a plan that he says will create “an education system that works for all people, not just the wealthy and powerful.” In it, he portrays the U.S. education system as grossly underfunded and racially biased, but…
Read MoreThe History and Results of Our Disastrous Public School System, Part II
by Justin Spears There is a popular saying that “the proof is in the pudding.” In the first part of this article set, my colleague Mike Margeson spelled out the historical roots of the American schooling system. He clearly laid out the blueprint that men like Horace Mann used…
Read MoreJC Bowman Commentary: Time to Separate PACS from Lobbying
Professional Educators of Tennessee will continue to lobby for public education. However, we will never endorse political parties or candidates as an organization on behalf of our members. We also do not have a PAC, nor do we plan to ever start one. It would harm our effectiveness. We must advance public education without the divisive tribalism of partisan politics, and we will only get involved in education related issues.
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