Stories from School: Practice meets Policy

Shifting the Culture-Part 1

2012-02-12T08:00:00-08:00

By Tamara Travis and Mark have recently touched upon two issues that I am working to get my head around: addressing an institutional culture of sameness and how to equitably budget my time and energy for students all over the...

Walking my Talk

2012-02-11T15:30:00-08:00

By Mark A few posts ago, I unknowingly issued myself a challenge. I've written here at SfS for a few years, I've been a leader and advocate in my own district, and I've contacted my legislators via email and phone......

Alphabet Soup Season

2012-02-10T07:00:00-08:00

By Tamara WELPA, MSP, MAP…. What I used to think of as second semester (or even spring) has now become in my mind “Alphabet Soup Season”. It is also when my instructional year is put on hold for seven weeks....

Teacher Choice?

2012-02-08T07:57:00-08:00

By Tom Well, now that National School Choice Week is behind us, maybe we can use this week to discuss a related topic; one that hasn’t come up yet on this blog: teacher choice. It’s one thing to choose a...

The School of the Future

2012-02-06T06:39:00-08:00

By Travis The school of the future will not be housed on a cloud, or a floating pod. The school of the future will not have whole sides of buildings made out of windows, nor will students sit, discussing great...

What to do when you need someone to tell you what to do.

2012-02-03T20:16:56-08:00

By Mark If you were not aware already, the way we teachers are going to be evaluated in the state of Washington is undergoing change. (I've mentioned it here at SfS twice before: first here, and then a follow up...

I Swear!

2012-01-31T05:22:00-08:00

By Travis It's final’s week. Students have worked hard all semester and we are deep into final exams. There is a silence that has fallen over the school like late winter snow. I hear the clickty clack, tippity tap of...

A Good Custodian

2012-01-29T01:00:00-08:00

By Mark Caretaker, keeper, steward, guardian. One who protects, maintains, facilitates. Teachers are custodians of our children and thus our future. I strive to be a good custodian. Someone else who strives to be a good custodian--a true caretaker, guardian,...

An Education Worth Paying For

2012-01-26T22:46:18-08:00

By Tamara With levy renewal votes on the horizon for many of Washington’s districts I’ve been thinking a lot about what an education worth paying for should look like. I think we can all agree a solid grasp of fundamental...

The Bill That Shifts The RIFs

2012-01-25T12:41:38-08:00

Each spring the uncertainties of student enrollment, teacher transfers or retirement, and funding make budgetary predictions difficult. To remain financially sound some districts send out pink slips to the newest teachers. In no way is this ideal. These teachers face...

Which students deserve my time and energy

2012-01-23T20:28:03-08:00

By Mark Here's some data for you. Between my first and second period English classes, I have 60 students total. Certainly, a reasonable number for a large high school. At the six-week progress report in October, a whopping 15 of...

I'm Not a Student Driver Anymore

2012-01-20T09:57:39-08:00

By Kristin Something's been bugging me lately. While I support testing to gauge whether a child's where she's supposed to be or not, and I support using that information as one of the many possible measures of a teacher's impact...

Charter Schools - No Lincoln Continental

2012-01-19T07:31:55-08:00

By Kristin Here's a Lincoln Continental. I had the opportunity to have the entire back seat to myself one long summer drive, going from Atlanta to Miami, and I'm here to tell you that the back seat was bigger than...

Charters Schools in Washington?

2012-01-18T16:41:35-08:00

By Tom I’m pretty sure my house needs a new roof. It’s not leaking right now, but it looks like it might. There’s moss here and there, and the shingles look old and limp, like they’re about ready to give...

Praise (Part 1.)

2012-01-17T01:00:00-08:00

By Mark One day my oldest son, at the time a kindergartner, came home distraught. Eventually, my wife and I were able to coax out the whole story. He said he'd done everything he was supposed to do: day after...

How Education Can Benefit From NOT Meeting

2012-01-15T21:24:56-08:00

By Travis It has been 15 years since I started teaching and I have taught in a number of schools, spending the most time in three. Each time I move to a new school, I see an environment for greatness...

The McCleary Decision; the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2012-01-08T18:09:05-08:00

By Tom After enjoying Mark’s take on the recent Washington State Supreme Court’s McCleary decision, you now get to endure mine. Sometimes two views on the same topic is a good thing. Sometimes it’s not. First the good: The decision...

The Supreme Court... so now what?

2012-01-05T17:26:36-08:00

By Mark You've probably read about it: The Washington State Supreme court stated in an 85-page opinion that the State of Washington has not met it's constitutional obligation to fully fund its public schools. (Here's the actual majority ruling in...

Resolutions and Reform

2011-12-31T19:17:17-08:00

By Tamara We talk a lot here about reform: change in education. But do those conversations lead us to action? Or more conversation? Not that more conversation is bad. More conversation is often needed to flesh out ideas. It's New...

Time Management

2011-12-31T04:41:00-08:00

By Tom There are about seventeen hours from the time I say goodbye to my students until the time I say hello to them the next day. Of those seventeen hours, I like to spend about eight in bed. That...