The school year is coming to an end. Next year, schools are largely planning to be open for full-time in-person instruction. While that is a welcome change to the impromptu distance learning that schools have been forced to engage in this year, it does have a drawback: People might forget the lessons from the storm…
It is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. This is the time of the year where we acknowledge the contributions and heritage of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. As is the case with every heritage or history month, we should do this year-round. I always try to share some history during heritage months. Typically,…
COVID-19 and the impromptu e-Learning movement that it caused was the biggest education story of last year. Within that story, there were two minor subplots: the digital divide and e-Learning absenteeism. People were quick to blame the latter on the former which is only natural. The digital divide has long established the gap in technology…
COVID-19 has shut schools down all over the country. As more people get vaccinated, they are slowly beginning to open back up. Some areas are still online only. Many are offering hybrid instruction, but nationwide most districts have already returned to some level of in-person learning. US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona expects every district…
It’s state testing season. It is nobody’s favorite time of the year. We have talked at length about how the state tests, however tedious and inconvenient they may be, are a necessary evil. Because of this, schools, students, and parents should take them seriously. With that being said, schools should not be using them as…
If you work in special education, then you have likely worked on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). IEPs are plans developed to ensure that students with identified disabilities receive the instruction and accommodations they need to become successful. These are essentially legally binding documents, and they contain confidential information. IEPs are not top-secret but they…
It is around this time every year that I can expect to receive a host of goodies and knick-knacks from people. My school brings lunch or breakfast. Students sometimes give me nice cards. One year, some wealthy benefactor actually donated tickets to an NBA game. That is certainly a nice gesture, and I did enjoy…
There is a meme going around, well not a meme, a genre of a meme. They typically feature kids from visibly different ethnic backgrounds getting along swell. Usually, the kids are in some type of physical embrace: hugging, holding hands, or something of that nature. This picture is usually labeled with a caption like “Kids…
Most school districts are moving into their standardized testing period. After that, the school year will begin to wind down. Most schools are planning to return to a semi-normal state of existence next year. Much of our discourse around coronavirus has centered on how we could get back to normal and options we are ready…
It’s that time of the year again. All around the country schools are gearing up for their state standardized test. Some may have already started. Test season is one of the most polarizing times of the year. If you are in education then you know a lot of people, teachers, students, and parents alike, who…