Promotion, appropriateness and placement

Regular readers and colleagues will know that I believe in developmentally-appropriate programming and am against birthday-based class assignments. Other than in some large cities, and the independent school sector, the typical approach is the latter which precludes the former. So for many families, the best option for "advanced" students, formerly known as "Gifted and Talented" and today often called "curious" (I kid you not!), is acceleration or skipping a grade. However, a recent study suggests that this is not without risk. 

To be (masked) or not to be

The current debates on schools and/or district requiring students and staff to wear masks involve two important considerations. The first concerns the value or efficacy of masks and I leave that to experts in the field. I am not a doctor, epidemiologist or maskologist. The second concerns the authority of the school and/or district to make and apply its own rules and here we are on a slippery slope. In this sense, I worry that we are careening towards a cliff.

Who's your daddy?

An odd situation at a former colleague's school, and the result of mixed-families and changing family definition. One of his students has four fathers. What is a school to do?

Too many educational materials are just not very good

I saw an advertisement today for an "instructional design expert and consultant" who was marketing her plans, activities and strategies. Intrigued, I followed the link and visited her site. Oh dear. While I commend her entrepreneurial zeal, I do hope that if anyone purchases any of her services,  they do so with copious bags of salt. Hopefully no does, but given her LinkedIn profile shows seven years at this, I rather fear that people do. Accordingly, children and learning will have suffered.

The establishment clause

I just had coffee with a former colleague who had read my comments on First Amendment rights and she brought up the establishment clause. This is of course the language which reads that the US government cannot create and enforce a national religion. Her observation was that this is often re-phrased as "freedom of religion" which is only half the story.

The problem with (and for) first amendmenters

We keep hearing claims that the First Amendment allows x or the prevention of y is a violation of someone's First Amendment rights.Yet again and again, whatever happened was not and this prompts the twin questions of does the claimant not know or does s/he know and is consciously misrepresenting those rights. Both have educational implications.

Redlining and Heat Islands

I read something last night as I surfed the web that historical redlining caused and/or contributes to the heat island effect. I find this assertion curious. Let me explain, but first I must define the terms.

What happened to the Florida condo can happen to you

Something in the news about the horrific condo collapse in Florida reminded me of a similar experience. I too own a condo.

Criticism or attempt at destruction?

Several people have sent me reports and commentaries on a clash between parents and an Ohio non-public school. Given the nature of the reporting (and the commentaries), it is clear that this is being seen as a political issue rather than in terms of the underlying issues which are much more important.

Judging children by their date of birth

I have written before, or if I haven't I should have, about the craziness of placing children in classes according to their birthdates. I have been known to call this practice "birthday-based apartheid". It is ludicrous. anti-educational and anti-child.