May 1, 2014
Soon There Will be no More Cursive Writers to Buy Fountain Pens
Otto Tasche & Muji Pocket Pen by Glenn Strong Published in ChicagoNow, May 1, 2014 I have a cousin who makes fountain pens with inkwells....
Apr 22, 2014
An Earth Day Tribute to Our Local Field of Dreams
Posted in ChicagoNow, April 22, 2014 I have lived in the same house in southeast Evanston for almost 40 years. Just two blocks away, at...
Apr 14, 2014
Not Your Mama’s Report Card
Posted in ChicagoNow, April 14, 2014 Boy, has the report card changed over generations. My parents received letter grades in the basic...
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 7, 2014
“Life is a Test” – Really?
Published in ChicagoNow, March 7, 2014 In its March 6, 2014 editorial in the printed paper, the Chicago Tribune asks, “Where is the harm...
Mar 2, 2014
Dr. Seuss Not a Fan of Testing Kids
Published in ChicagoNow, March 2, 2014 Dr. Seuss died in 1991, ten years before the No Child Left Behind Act passed Congress and long...
Feb 21, 2014
Why I Hate the Newest New Math
Published in ChicagoNow, February 21, 2014 (cartoon by Marcia Liss) I’ll confess I’m no math whiz. I dropped out of helping my kids with...
Feb 19, 2014
Kids Need Recess All Year Round
Published in ChicagoNow, February 19, 2014 (cartoon by Marcia Liss) As this “winter of our discontent” rages on with heaps of snow...
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...
Feb 3, 2014
Educational Reform or Time To Switch Direction?
Published in ChicagoNow, February 3, 2014 When my kids were growing up, parents seemed to fall into two groups regarding grades. There...