Seasons of the School Year—May—Flourishing

The edges of the classroom are a little worn, but the weave that holds the class together is usually strong and vibrant this time of year. Perhaps it’s the sense of bittersweet that binds everyone. Continue Reading »Seasons of the School Year—May—Flourishing

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Time to Succeed

Today, a new movement designed to pour more time and resources into our nation’s schools is being launched by a broad and diverse coalition of leaders. Co-chaired by Chris Gabrieli of the National Center on Time & Learning and Luis A. Ubinos of the Ford Foundation, the Time to Succeed coalition is working to ensure that all children in our nation’s high-poverty communities have more and better learning time in school to prepare them for success. I am pleased to be one of 100 founding signatories of this coalition.

Twelve years ago, when my book Time to Teach, Time to Learn: Changing the Pace of School was first published, I proposed a host of possibilities for both extending the amount of time in the school day and for adjusting the pace of learning to better match the way children experience time at different developmental stages of childhood.

In 2007–8 I had the privilege of serving on Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s Education Readiness Subcommittee on Extended Learning Time. The subcommittee was chaired by Chris Gabrieli. His 2008 book, Time to Learn:  How a New School Schedule Is Making Smarter Kids, Happier Parents, and Safer Neighborhoods, documented efforts to create extended-learning time schools in Massachusetts and beyond.

From my vantage point as a developmental educator, I am particularly drawn to the coalition’s goal to ensure not just that children have more time in school, but that they have better time in school as well. This requires that we carefully and skillfully balance the emphasis on common core standards and assessment with a deeper understanding of how to better use time and instructional practices in ways that can truly meet the differentiated needs of students as they grow and develop.

We must resist a return to tracking and retention, already on the increase, for students who will succeed if given extra resources and extra time within the school day. The new paradigm suggested by timetosucceed.com can help all our children have a bright future.

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Appreciation Matters

Yes, it’s Teacher Appreciation Week, so since you’re reading this, thank a teacher today! In this case it’s likely to be a colleague, the teacher next door, or down the hall, someone who’s got your back, brings you a cup of coffee in the morning, knows when your birthday is. Continue Reading »Appreciation Matters

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Some Data on Retention

In my last blog post I made the comment that “You can bet that this shameful consequence (grade retention) is meted out in greater numbers in schools in poorer neighborhoods more frequently than in affluent ones, though probably no one is keeping these statistics.”

Turns out, the inferences are readily apparent in research as pointed out by a colleague who is reading Linda Darling-Hammond’s new book, The Flat World and Education How America’s Commitment to Equity Will Determine Our Future.  Continue Reading »Some Data on Retention

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Retention or adequate prevention … that is the question

A front page story in Education Week (March 28) by Erik W. Robelen titled “More States Retaining Third Graders” shows we have learned little from educational history and, therefore, seemed doomed to repeat it. Continue Reading »Retention or adequate prevention … that is the question

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The Seasons of the School Year—April—Flowering

Light returns afternoons and evenings to the lure of the out of doors; to sports perhaps: girls’ softball, Little League baseball, spring soccer, or maybe skateboarding, bike riding, fishing, digging in the dirt … and brings with it, especially after April vacation, new school struggles Continue Reading »The Seasons of the School Year—April—Flowering

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Building and Sustaining Courage in Schools

On March 28th, Parker J. Palmer, author of The Courage to Teach and other books, led a half-day seminar for 120 educators from New England and New York at Wellesley College. The seminar was titled “Democracy, Public Education & Habits of the Heart: Teaching and Leading in Courageous Schools.” Continue Reading »Building and Sustaining Courage in Schools

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On the Edge of Spring

I want to recommend a book today as this March that came in like an overheated lion goes out like a young lamb shivering in the shadow of its mother. Continue Reading »On the Edge of Spring

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