Come on Schools — More Polar Vortex School Closings?
She’s back! Published in ChicagoNow, January 8, 2015 Evanston elementary schools are closed again today. Like lemmings, suburban...
Jan 8, 2015
PARCC Standardized Test Divides Evanston – Part I
Published in ChicagoNow, January 7, 2015 It doesn’t take much to stir up a controversy in Evanston. At a Strategic Planning Focus Group...
Jan 7, 2015
Ten #What ifs for Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs
Published in ChicagoNow, January 5, 2015 Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education and linchpin of the education reform craze, recently...
Jan 5, 2015
My Sad History with Standardized Testing
Photo by Anthony Quinn Published in ChicagoNow, December 8, 2014 I have a personal aversion to standardized fill-in-the-bubble tests....
Dec 8, 2014
The Pledge of Allegiance as a Civics Lesson
Published in ChicagoNow, December 4, 2014 At Thanksgiving, for unknown reasons, some of my grandkids started reciting the Pledge of...
Dec 4, 2014
A Third Grader’s 10 Ideas for School Improvement
Guest blogger Published in ChicagoNow, December 1, 2014 Remember the old Dr. Seuss book If I Ran the Zoo? In it, young Gerald McGrew...
Dec 1, 2014
Kindergarten: Creativity Triumphs Again
Published in ChicagoNow, November 24, 2014 Here’s the proverbial picture that’s worth 1,000 words, my grandson’s kindergarten worksheet...
Nov 24, 2014
Fun and Play are Good for Kindergarten – What a Surprise
Literally constructing knowledge Published in ChicagoNow, November 19, 2014 The headline in today’s Chicago Tribune reads “Fun plays a...
Nov 19, 2014
Common Core Testing for Dogs and Cats
Published in ChicagoNow, November 17, 2014 I’m not making this up. In the print version of Scientifics Direct, a very nice catalog of...
Nov 17, 2014
Another Frozen Winter on the Way — Let’s Make Sure the Kids get to Move
Cartoon by Marcia Liss Published in ChicagoNow, November 3, 2014 If you think 2014 was the “winter of our discontent,” just wait to see...
Nov 3, 2014