May 15, 2014
If You Cancel the Kindergarten Show, Do It for the Right Reason
Photo by Quinn Norton Posted in ChicagoNow, May 15, 2014 It’s the Manic Month of May – and every kid must perform. Parents, you know what...
Mar 28, 2014
Reading Incomprehension – Common Core Standards in Action
Reading when not in school Published in ChicagoNow, March 27, 2014 You would think a former teacher and English major with a master’s...
Mar 24, 2014
Preschool Without Play
A robot transformer created by my grandson Posted in ChicagoNow, March 24, 2014 Driving my 4-year-old grandson to his preschool in...
Feb 5, 2014
All Work and No Play
Published in ChicagoNow, February 5, 2014 It's been over 25 years since Robert Fulghum published Everything I Wanted to Know I Learned in...
Jan 10, 2014
Standards Driven Education Reaches Preschool
Published in ChicagoNow, January 10, 2014 (cCartoon by Marcia Liss) Now I’m really angry! Cherry Preschool, which I founded and directed,...
Dec 6, 2013
Grading First Graders, Seriously?
Published in ChicagoNow, December 6, 2013 On December 3, 2013, the most recent scores from the Program of International Student...
Nov 22, 2013
Why I am Mad at Arne Duncan Today
Published in ChicagoNow, November 22, 2013 (Photo: Rachel Monroe/Monroe's Dragonfly) Today, on the 50th anniversary of the assassination...
Nov 6, 2013
No More Time Outs
Published in ChicagoNow, November 6, 2013 (Photo by Marco Nedermeijer) My 4-year-old grandson who lives in another state wondered when...
Oct 25, 2013
Mister Rogers, Doctor Seuss, & Tests
Published ChicagoNow, October 25, 2013 A friend of mine who trains Chicago public elementary school teachers how to teach reading was...
Oct 23, 2013
No child left behind, or leave no child behind - a big difference
Published in ChicagoNow, October 23, 2013 Most of this post was printed in the Cherry Preschool newsletter in January of 2006, but it...