Mar 23, 2015
Magic Johnson, Mayor Emanuel, and School Custodians
Not easy to get playdough out of rugs Published in ChicagoNow, March 23, 2015 Gus Lira has been Cherry Preschool’s custodian for most of...
Mar 17, 2015
Last Weekend’s Inappropriate Kindergarten Homework
Homework or draw Hot Lava Man? Hot Lava Man wins! Published in ChicagoNow, March 17, 2015 I really do not want to keep writing about...
Mar 12, 2015
Excessive Testing Removes Bulletin Boards and Children’s Imaginations
From Meriwether Lewis Elementary Published in ChicagoNow, March 12, 2015 A Chicago Public School teacher, who served as a proctor for the...
Mar 9, 2015
What Schools Could Learn about the Importance of Recess from a Third Grade Science Fair Project
Cartoon by Marcia Liss` Published in ChicagoNow, March 9, 2015 On Tuesdays, I watch my third-grade granddaughter after school. My...
Mar 6, 2015
Still Rethinking the School Calendar
Published in ChicagoNow, March 6, 2015 While watching Morning Joe yesterday, I almost fell off of my exercise bike when they happily...
Mar 2, 2015
More Absurd Kindergarten Homework
Published in ChicagoNow, March 2, 2015 If you thought it was crazy to expect a 5-year-old who can’t read yet to do “reading...
Feb 23, 2015
Rethinking the School Calendar
Published in ChicagoNow, February 23, 2015 A recent posting on the Evanston, Illinois Parent Facebook page exclaimed, “According to...
Feb 19, 2015
Kindergarten Homework is Absurd
The Valentine train he drew instead of the homework Published in ChicagoNow, February 19, 2015 My grandson has kindergarten homework. ...
Feb 2, 2015
How School Closings and Snow Days Hurt our Kids
Looking out my back door this morning Published in ChicagoNow, February 2, 2015 Today it makes sense to close school. Roads are unsafe...
Jan 12, 2015
PARCC Standardized Test Divides Evanston – Part II
Published in ChicagoNow, January 12, 2015 Back in 1969 when I was teaching high school English, a colleague questioned how I gave a...