People choose to become educators for a variety of reasons, and become them in a variety of ways. Mr. Stevens became a physical education teacher because he wanted to bring together helping people with his passion for sports and physical activity. Ms. Long became a teacher as a result of her interaction as a youth… Continue reading Becoming An Educator
This is a guest post by Hannah Inglut, Assistant Principal at Success Academy Springfield Gardens. She has been working with Success Academy since 2013, when she started as a kindergartner associate teacher at SA Harlem 1. She won an ETHOS Excellence Award in 2017 and has held a variety of roles throughout her time at… Continue reading How Does This Success Academy School Leader Transforms a Kindergarten Classroom Into a Family?
‘Why are you taking your time?! Do your damn job!’: An Unlikely Friendship Between Two NYC Teachers.
I’d like to tell you about a friendship I developed with a fellow teaching colleague, one that grew from a complete loathing for one another. Michael Crump was our school’s athletic director, basketball coach and dean. He was also a licensed social studies teacher. In the role of a dean, you are responsible for maintaining… Continue reading ‘Why are you taking your time?! Do your damn job!’: An Unlikely Friendship Between Two NYC Teachers.
Joseph S. Lento is a licensed Teacher of Orchestral Music and School District Administration. In 2014 President Obama named him a National Teacher of Arts and Humanities. Joseph has commendations from Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. In 1999 he was named NYC Public Schools Bronx County High Schools Teacher of the Year.… Continue reading The NYC Department of Education Wants to Reserve Seats in Elite High Schools By Race. Here’s Why That’s Wrong.
They say if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. I’ve taken that adage to heart as I begin a new role of preparing pre-service teachers to educate our City’s students. If you read my blog posts, you know that I have not been shy in expressing my concerns about the… Continue reading This Traditionally-Trained Teacher Is Cautiously Optimistic About NYC DOE’s Alternative Routes To Teacher Certification
In my November 5th post, In Mixed Ability Classrooms, Who Is Really Doing the Teaching, I reiterated my contention that it’s very difficult for teachers to work effectively in a classroom where students come in with wildly different levels of preparedness. This post triggered intense pushback on Facebook from teachers, who insisted they had been… Continue reading Should Teachers Forbid Students From Learning Outside of School? What Happens When They Do?
The other day I was watching a video on Instagram where a little girl in daycare/pre-kindergarten was telling her teacher how she needs a day off from her (the teacher) and these “kids” that get on her nerves. I was in stitches watching it and I thought to myself, “this little girl is really smart!”… Continue reading Looking Past The Attitude: What Black Teachers See In Black Students That Other Teachers Don’t.
Last month District 15 in Brooklyn announced the elimination of all screening processes for admission to middle school. (Yes, even the performing arts one).) Instead of taking into consideration grades, test scores and more, Park Slope’s 11 middle schools will assign seats by lottery, with 52 percent of slots in every school set aside for… Continue reading Who Will (And Won’t) Benefit From Unscreened NYC Schools
This is a guest post by ShaRhonda Knott-Dawson, the mother of two free-spirited, strong-willed girls and whose husband should be appointed a saint for co-existing in the madness that is their life. She writes on politics, education, current events and social justice. This piece was originally published at Education Post. Dear Fellow Parent Warriors, While every… Continue reading A Back-to-School Love Letter to Parents of Kids With Special Needs and Disabilities
Arne Duncan served as President Barack Obama’s Secretary of Education from 2009 to 2015. This August, he released a book, How Schools Work: An Inside Account of Failure and Success From One of the Nation’s Longest-Serving Secretaries of Education. Many of Duncan’s lessons are applicable to New York City. Here, we break down three of… Continue reading What Would Pres. Obama Do About NYC’s SHSAT Schools, College Readiness, and Teacher Quality? Hear From His Secretary of Education!
