We Used to Be One of the Worst Schools in California. Not Anymore.

With high suspension rates, low achievement scores and ineffective teachers, Pacoima Elementary had the dishonor of being one of the worst schools in California. So…

Here’s What I Learned When I Sat Down for All the Standardized Tests My Students Take

Many people—not just students—cringe when they hear the word test because it triggers fear in some and anger in others. Educators know that tests are…

Young, Gifted And Black? Prepare To Fight For Your Education

When I moved from California to Texas at age 4, I was reading full books and writing at a first-grade level. After being iced out…

A Parent’s Guide to the Changes Coming to Florida Schools

Let’s just start with the bottom line: Florida lawmakers passed a big education bill Monday that is mostly good for kids: It protects recess for…

Opting Out of a Third-Grade Test Is Bad But Passing Third-Graders Who Can’t Read Is Worse

If there’s one thing that everyone can agree on in the case of the opt-out moms versus the state of Florida, it’s that Michelle Rhea’s…

Touchdown, Colorado! A School Rating System That Gets the Basics Right

So far, watching state Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plans roll in has been a bit like rooting for the Washington Redskins (or, if you…

Is Politics the Problem in Education or the Solution?

Politics is at the heart of so much that is wrong with public education. On the left, education politics is often about increasing funding while…

A Lack of Funding at This Rural School Is Leaving English Learners Lost in Translation

When junior high students move to Beardstown, Illinois from places such as the Congo, they need basic “survival skills” as part of the adjustment to…

Power, Policy and Prayer: My Eye-Opening Phone Call With Betsy DeVos

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog expressing my exasperation with my children’s public school education and my attraction to school vouchers. To my…

When “Accountability” Is No Longer Accountability

As an early participant in the movement to bring greater accountability to education, I have always thought that the work of accountability would be in…