The other night a “school” called Bishop Sycamore played national football powerhouse, IMG Academy. At the time, Bishop Sycamore was claiming to be a big-time football school as well. ESPN televised the game between the two seemingly top tier programs. It has since come out not only is Bishop Sycamore not a “big-time football school”…
Can you answer, “What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?” How about, “What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?” These are two questions from the 2008 version of the citizenship test. Social media and media interviews have shown that some adults lack a basic understanding of civics knowledge….
Parents carefully and quickly light the candles on the birthday cake. Family and friends squeeze in close and sing “Happy Birthday to You.” Then the birthday person is told, “Close your eyes. Make a wish and blow out the candles.” This tradition has been around for decades. I don’t know how many of those wishes…
Mask mandates have become a source of tension. The governors of Texas, Florida, and Arizona have issued mandates banning masks from being mandated which have put school districts in those states in a challenging position. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey also recently announced that he would withhold funds from schools who implement a mask mandate. Educators…
Principals have many roles and responsibilities in their schools. One of those roles must be academic instruction. School leadership is not for everyone. Teachers who desire to climb the ladder to become a school leader to escape teaching and learning should not be administrators. Strong administrators need to have a solid understanding of instruction and…
A battle is brewing in schools across the country. The battle is over the truth being taught. As my colleague Andrew Pillow recently emphasized, there is too much misinformation about COVID-19 spreading. Pillow suggested that we have to take a look at the education system and acknowledge the role it has in misinformation being spread….
As COVID-19 continues to rage on and even evolve so too does the misinformation associated with it. Granted there are still concepts we do not know. However, there is plenty we do know for a fact and in today’s climate even those things are being questioned. I have recently realized that I am on the…
Less than two weeks into the school year, my boys were back to remote learning. My twin sons had been 100% remote last year during all of fourth grade, and they were super excited about returning to school in person. Last Monday, my son came home with a fever and looked horrible. I inquired about…
Coronavirus has not ridden quietly into the sunset as many people had hoped and even predicted. The scourge of 2020 is still alive and kicking in 2021 and appears to be evolving. Some would argue the Delta Variant of COVID-19 is even worse than the original, particularly for children. Early research says this particular brand…
In a letter to parents, Dr. Virginia Caine said, “We are tired of the virus, but it’s not tired of us.” The letter included updates and information to encourage parents and caregivers to stay vigilant to prevent the spread of the virus. Initial CDC guidance, before the school year began, stated vaccinated people no longer…