Category Archive
We can’t afford to waste this crisisJul 02, 2009
The causes of the economic crisis are not of our making, but we can use the angst about our economic system that the crisis has generated to fix some fundamental problems if we choose.
We can’t afford to waste this crisisJun 29, 2009
The causes of the economic crisis are not of our making, but we can use the angst about our economic system that the crisis has generated to fix some fundamental problems if we choose.
Doing the right thingJun 04, 2009
In this health crisis, we let the families of our students know that when push comes to shove, the politics stops and the numbers game can be paused in the best interest of the children.
Empty chairs at PEPApr 23, 2009
If you go to a show and there are a lot of empty chairs it means the performance is either not very well known, or not very good. But what does it tell you about a meeting of the Panel for Education Policy?
Toxic testingApr 02, 2009
Every day is a new chance to open minds and nurture dreams. Authentic and trusting relationships are what makes things happen when it comes to children, not the relentless collection of data.
Stop and reverse the loss of teachers of colorMar 19, 2009
One positive change brought about by the Civil Rights/Black Liberation movement was the increased hiring and promotion of educators and administrators of color in the New York City public school system. Today, that pattern has been reversed.
Unions are part of the solutionMar 05, 2009
I don’t know where we’ve gone wrong as a society that we somehow perceive teachers, acting in concert to protect their profession and their students, as the enemy.
Learning variables — and why you should be at the rallyFeb 19, 2009
Let’s make sure we are all outside City Hall on March 5, so that the mayor can hear us loud and clear. Let’s see what we can accomplish when we join together in numbers too large to ignore.
City public schools’ Intel success on the de-KleinFeb 05, 2009
As has been the case every year since 2003 when Chancellor Joel Klein effectively began his “save the public schools” regime, the numbers of New York City students reaching the semifinals of the Intel Science Talent Search declined.
Main Street needs Wall StreetJan 22, 2009
Pundits, politicians and others have embraced a couple of simple terms — Wall Street and Main Street — to describe two supposedly distinct worlds competing with each other in a struggle of morality and values.
The American wayDec 11, 2008
It’s well-established that working people have it rough these days in America. The only solution, according to Washington, D.C., Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s view, is to make things worse for teachers, the last bastion of unionized employees in America.
Equity and educational justice for allNov 20, 2008
I became a teacher because I believe the success of a society hinges on the education of its youth and the development of responsible and thoughtful citizens. Sadly, today I find myself in direct conflict with these strongly held values and beliefs.
Keeping company with kids, not lecturing themNov 06, 2008
I’m more and more intrigued these days about how little we think about the requirements of a healthy democracy, and above all the education of an informed citizenry, not to mention any connection between schools and democracy.
Hard truth: Our effect on students largely predeterminedOct 23, 2008
It’s best to be humble as a teacher because credit and blame are two sides of the same coin.
Wall Street bubbles burst — and opportunity knocksOct 09, 2008
The United States is confronting the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression. It will hit the real economy and Main Street the way Hurricane Ike hit Galveston. Hard.
A call to you … the chapterSep 25, 2008
We, as teachers, are facing some of the most challenging and adversarial issues this profession has experienced since the first days of unionizing.
New teachers can benefit from our experienceSep 12, 2008
This month, 4,500 new teachers are entering our school system. Tell them they are doing fine, and tell them how it was for you when you started out. And be sure to tell them that you care. But most of all let’s let them all know we are there.
What teaching is all aboutJun 05, 2008
At business or social events I’ll mention that I spent a career teaching at James Madison HS and someone will perk up, “I went to Madison.” I always ask, “Who was your best teacher?” They almost always say “Mr. Greenman.”
Have you made the grade?May 22, 2008
What do students remember about their teachers years later? One former city public school educator and administrator examines what kids really value in the Speakout column.
Not a good thingMay 08, 2008
We here in New York City, and in the country as a whole, are going through what some experts are calling an economic slowdown. What this means for me is that money will be a little tighter, things a little more expensive and so a greater prudence on my part will be called for when buying this or spending on that.
The charter school idea turns 20Apr 24, 2008
Twenty years ago this month, in a landmark address to the National Press Club in Washington, AFT President Albert Shanker first proposed the creation of “charter schools” — publicly funded institutions that would be given greater flexibility to experiment with new ways of educating students.
A super library even teachers can affordApr 10, 2008
The only book club that I’ve ever joined doesn’t cost a cent. It’s the Discarded Book of the Month Club.
A bird’s-eye viewMar 27, 2008
Those of us who have been in this school system for a few years have become accustomed to the many different strange and silly passing fads that have at one time or another passed through our classrooms.
Watching my school disintegrate, piece by pieceMar 13, 2008
Here's a firsthand view of life in a closing high school, through the eyes of a veteran guidance counselor.
The DOE’s ‘accountability’ is absurdFeb 28, 2008
I sigh with exasperation when I read editorial pieces in newspapers which promote the concept of evaluating teachers based on the test scores of their students.
Rewards for grades? Give them cell phonesFeb 14, 2008
You know the feeling you get when you’re so excited you don’t know where to start with a bunch of things you want to say so you can’t even get your thoughts straight and you start to stutter and mumble? That’s how I felt when I read Mayor Bloomberg’s idea of paying school kids cold, hard cash, bucks and even sawbucks or Benjamin Franklins, for doing well on standardized tests.
Seek and ye shall findJan 31, 2008
Teacher’s choice money is a nice perk for a New York City teacher — and goodness knows, we don’t get too many perks. But that golden sum of money can be used up mighty quickly. Even for teachers who budget carefully, do scrupulous comparison shopping and look for promising sales and specials, the Teacher’s Choice funds cannot buy everything that we would like.
School choice isn’t enoughJan 31, 2008
Recent developments in both public and Catholic schools suggest that markets in education may not be a panacea—and that we should reexamine the direction of school reform.
To really improve our schools we need to change our attitudeJan 17, 2008
To improve our city’s schools we must focus on teachers’ knowledge and strengths, encourage teachers to share materials and ideas and build positive networks to overcome the tide of cynicism.
Winning respectDec 06, 2007
Back then, when I was still in the classroom molding American youth, my colleagues and I took it as gospel that the status of teachers had declined in the eyes of the public, that earning respect was a constant struggle. But, paradox of paradoxes, I found that the school building itself made it possible to win some significant victories.
Three-card monteNov 01, 2007
Of late, as a teacher in this city, I feel that we are all working in a system that goes something like the infamous sidewalk game.
Teacher stress: past and presentOct 22, 2007
Teacher Stress is a day-to-day reality in urban settings.
The folly of the Gibran AcademyOct 04, 2007
The creation of the Khalil Gibran International Academy represents the nadir in the decline of good thinking about education in our city.
Being denied the privilege to teachSep 06, 2007
The dark skies opened up for me and the heavy rains starting falling last November when I was pulled from Benjamin Cardozo HS in Queens and socked away in a Temporary Reassignment Center.
The teacher’s dilemma: your integrity or your jobJun 12, 2007
In David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “Glengarry Glen Ross,” we learn about the stress-filled lives of real estate salesmen who must lie, cheat and steal every day on their jobs in order to keep those jobs. Is that what teachers are going to face in our school system?
Welcome back, HomerMay 24, 2007
A high school literature teacher writes that it's about time that our city, ever eager to look forward, takes a little wisdom from the ages.
Childs playMay 10, 2007
Having been a classroom teacher these last several years, I find myself more and more puzzled about what exactly is going on with those who make up the rules for us to follow in this job.
Shattered Idealism at a charter schoolApr 26, 2007
Shattered Idealism at a charter school
Apr 26, 2007
A teacher tells of his disappointment after taking a leave from the city's school system to take a job at a charter school.
Is there still room in schools for thinking?Apr 12, 2007
A teacher says that, while the “workshop model” is not imposed rigidly at her school, it affects teachers nonetheless, every day.
Technology and teaching should go hand in handApr 12, 2007
Mention some new technology to certain educators and they shudder with disdain — or fear. They are being shortsighted.
Intimidation as a personnel practiceMar 29, 2007
I’ve been a teacher for many years, at various school levels, yet I could stick it out in the New York City school system for only a short time last year. Why?
Happy 47th anniversary, UFT!Mar 22, 2007
On March 16, 1960, the dream of many thousands came true. It was the day New York City teachers came together into a single organization called the United Federation of Teachers.
Brownie the Cow — and other unanswerable questionsMar 01, 2007
A Brooklyn elementary school teacher takes on the problem of poorly constructed high-stakes tests.
Oh, that dastardly chalkFeb 01, 2007
Chalk it seems, if not used correctly, can prevent children from learning. Who ever would have thought such a thing?
New Orleans teachers: devastation after the devastationJan 18, 2007
In the past year and a half, the teachers of New Orleans have faced two terrible tragedies.
Math failures — haven’t we heard this before?Dec 07, 2006
Why aren't children in this country better at learning math. Is it the curriculum? Is it the equipment? Is it the tests? And, haven’t we heard all this before?
Our schools must do more to eliminate intoleranceNov 16, 2006
Why does intolerance continue to flourish, even in the supposedly more “civilized” countries of the world?
New(er) teachers: Don’t hesitate to take the leadNov 02, 2006
Newer teachers, as novices in their schools, are often reluctant to take the initiative but it is their energy, optimism and fresh perspective that the schools desperately need.
And how are the children?Oct 19, 2006
Parents in many schools recently received a packet of materials advising them that their children were eligible to receive free tutoring services.
Grieving in the classroomOct 05, 2006
Returning to the classroom after the death of a loved one turned out to be a teachable moment for the teacher's students — and the teacher.
Teachers need encouragement, tooSep 21, 2006
Now that school has started up again, it’s good to be reminded that it’s not just students and parents who have to be ready. So do teachers.
