7 Jan, 2011
San Pedro Student
Gardena High grad and San Pedro High teacher Steve Gebhart is the subject of a profile from USC’s Neon Tommy.
Gebhart has a charismatic persona that endears him with his students. He is bespectacled and balding, but with the sporty physique of an athlete that is vaguely reminiscent of blogger Andrew Sullivan. He has an assortment of tattoos on his arms, including one that his students particularly like which reads, “knowledge is power.”
His presence – in the hallways, in the classroom, in the community – is gregarious and compassionate. Between classes, he stands in the hallways and cracks jokes with students as they make their way to class. On Friday nights, he brings his wife and kids to the high school football games. For him, teaching is a mission that goes beyond just being an instructor in the classroom.
Read full post…
6 Jan, 2011
College Tuition Tuition
British college students have been staging demonstrations in London to protest their government’s plans to triple tuition fees, but earning a degree in the United Kingdom is an appealing idea to some Americans.
Despite price increases and travel expenses, the price of earning an education at some of Europe’s finest schools is considerably less than the cost at equivalent American universities.
“Cheap” Colleges in the United Kingdom Appeal to Americans
A Boston Globe pictorial shows images of thousands of students and other protestors violently mobbing the streets of London this past December. The British Parliament met to vote on a proposal to significantly raise tuition fees as part of an ongoing austerity program, a measure which passed narrowly. Protest
Read full post…
2 Jan, 2011
Any of these lines sound familiar?
“Your child is fine. You worry too much…”
“All children have problems in school sometime. Trust me.”
“He just needs to try harder. It is probably your fault.”
These are snippets from a scarily familiar and often funny satirical video of an imagined conversation between a parent and a special education director, made by a group of Special Education attorneys in Pennsylvania.
It’s nice to see some attorneys with a sense of humor, but the sad reality is that I bet 80 percent of parents of kids in special education have had some version of this same conversation at some point.
This is my favorite exchange:
SpEd Director: “We will test him next year. It is too la
Read full post…
2 Jan, 2011
Union Union Collaboration
The U.S. Department of Education announced today that it plans to hold its big Union Collaboration Jamboree Feb. 15-16 in Denver. The symbolism is clear: The city has gotten high marks for its teacher quality initiatives and is in a state that’s tried some innovative things on this issue (but wasn’t rewarded with a Race to the Top grant for its troubles.)
The conference will include, of course, representatives from the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, as well as the National School Boards Association, the American Association of School Administrators, the Council of the Great City Schools, and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Read full post…
30 Dec, 2010
Family Game Family Game Night Game Night Night
As you venture into a new tradition of Family Game Night or continue on with your current tradition I have three more games to share with you. My family enjoys games that are fun, use skill, creative, and interesting. The following games fit the bill on all counts. Moreover, they are designed for a wide age group so the whole family can enjoy.
Line Up
LineUp is for those with memory skills down to the detail. A revealing game that is not only fun but improves observation skills the more you play. Having played this game many times I know this to be true. My kids did not need as much memory work as I did but I could see each of them paying closer attention to detail. Read full post…
23 Dec, 2010
Congress has sort of a settled the question of what should happen next with the federal budget: A more-than two-month freeze on all K-12 spending, not something many districts are likely to cheer about.
But, now that a much more GOPish Congress will get to decide next year’s spending levels, I’m wondering what will happen next for Race to the Top, the administration’s signature K-12 program, and the Investing in Innovation grant program. Both were created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provided a $100 billion bonanza for education.
Both those competitive grant programs, especially Race to the Top, are closely associated with President Barack Obama. The president really wants to see it extended for another year. Read full post…