Want to improve Michigan’s schools? Ask teachers, not Gov. Snyder
A jointly-authored article from Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and State Superintendent of Schools Brian Whiston appeared recently in The Detroit News. The article was supposed to be a defense of the...
View ArticleThey aren’t angry about statues
Someone is going to have to explain to me the “grievances” these idiots in Charlottesville are protesting about, with their Tiki torches and baseball bats. I’m white, and try as hard as I can, I just...
View ArticleToo little, too late, Mr. Trump…
At this point, 3 days after Nazis marched through an American city, killing one woman and terrorizing thousands of peaceful citizens, there is nothing that Trump could say that would do him any good....
View ArticleLet’s talk about apologies and do-overs…
In the last week or so, we’ve seen two incidents that have generated an apology, and the apology’s evil twin, the do-over. The second, and far less troubling, was the “adorable” social media rant...
View ArticleZombie Education Reform Strategy #459
To save you from having to read this claptrap, I’m going to share the gist of a new “report” on teacher preparation programs from David Bergeron & Michael Dannenberg. Who the heck are these guys,...
View ArticleBetsy DeVos thinks schools are like food trucks: here’s why she’s wrong
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos made headlines this week at Harvard University. I’m still confused as to why Harvard invited her to speak at an event allegedly focused on public education–she never...
View ArticleLove your public schools? Help us protect them!
As the saying (curse, actually) goes, “May you live in interesting times.” And we certainly do. Like many of you, I wake up every day, pour my first cup of coffee, and switch on the TV to see what...
View ArticleWhose Truth is Marching On? A GOP Primer on Veracity
As an academic who works in the world of words, it’s been by turns horrifying and fascinating watching Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore and his defenders try to rationalize...
View ArticleRoy Moore: Poster Child for Republican, Conservative, and Christian Values
We’ve been seeing a lot of posts and news pieces lately about how Roy Moore, the alleged child molester about to be elected to the Senate from Alabama, does not represent the Republican Party,...
View ArticleThe Educational Malpractice of Ms. Moskowitz
Elizabeth Green, the founder of “Chalkbeat,” an online education site, is out with a fawning, sycophantic puff piece on Eva Moskowitz, the leader of the Success Academy network of charter schools in...
View ArticleEngler Wrong Choice for MSU
Michigan State University is the faculty, staff, and students, not “Communications and Brand Strategy,” teams of overpaid lawyers, and “University Advancement,” whatever that is. The purpose of these...
View ArticleNaming the Toxic Male Elephant in the Room
“I have been training with rifles and pistols since the first time my Dad took me to shoot. Age 8. I know the laws to carry. I have spoken with LEO’s about it. I have a lawyer who works with concealed...
View ArticleArm Teachers? Yes! (But not with guns…)
Teachers can’t get their schools to pay for the professional development they need for the jobs they have now. Most teachers I know are paying out of pocket for travel to and from conferences,...
View ArticleEnough with the bonuses, Mr. President*!
In the aftermath of yet another horrific school shooting, this one leaving 17 students and teachers dead in Parkland, FL, President Trump has ignored the cause of the problem, and has instead offered...
View ArticleThe stunning hypocrisy of Betsy DeVos
Betsy DeVos tweeted the other day about the lack of innovation in today’s public schools, saying: “Most students are starting a new school year that is all too familiar. Desks lined up in rows. Their...
View ArticleBetsy DeVos is wrong about competition improving public schools
Betsy DeVos claimed last night, in her disastrous “60 Minutes” interview with Lesley Stahl, that “choice” (in the form of vouchers and charter schools) is the solution to improving public...
View ArticleThe sinister motive behind Trump & DeVos’ plan to “harden schools”
The news has been full of reports over the last few weeks on the need to “harden” our schools in response to the seemingly daily onslaught of school shootings in our nation. Many of our elected...
View ArticleBetsy DeVos attacks teachers as “defenders of the status quo”–here’s why that...
Speaking at a conservative political conference recently, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos called teachers and public education advocates “defenders of the status quo.” Indeed, it has become one of...
View ArticleBetsy DeVos says charter schools are the Uber or Lyft of “school choice”–and...
Secretary of Education and Saturday Night Live fixture Betsy DeVos is fond of saying that picking a school should be as easy as choosing an Uber or a Lyft. She bases this belief on the economic...
View ArticleWhy underestimating Betsy DeVos is not just wrong–it’s dangerous
I’ve been seeing a number of thoughtful, well-intentioned posts lately from very intelligent friends, wondering how and why Betsy DeVos could be so uninformed about schools and education, and whether...
View Article
