I had the privilege of appearing on Dan Yorke State of Mind last night to talk about a few important education issues —the first is related to funding proposals designed to cripple charter schools and the second is about a recent report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute about the proven benefits of teachers who… Continue reading A Visit to the TV Studio and a Radio Chat
I am always grateful for the opportunity to visit Dan Yorke State of Mind and talk about what is happening in our schools or at the state house that will impact our schools—and last week was a doozy. Dan and I don’t always agree on everything but we certainly resist the 2019 fad of hating… Continue reading A Visit to the TV Studio with Dan Yorke—We Talk Salisbury Steak, Emily Post, and the Governor’s Gift to the NEA.
There is always much to talk about on the education front and I invariably enjoy the opportunity to sit down with Dan Yorke to talk about it. This time we covered Universal Pre-K proposals, broad-brushing students based on immutable characteristics, and the importance of having parents at the table in a meaningful way. We laughed… Continue reading A Visit to the TV Studio!
When Dan Yorke (of Dan Yorke State of Mind) asked Ken Wagner, Rhode Island’s Education Commissioner, about our math scores being “in the dumper,” Wagner replied with one simple explanation: “We have a problem with fractions.” And it was clear from the conversation that the problem isn’t limited to our students but extends to the… Continue reading We Have a Problem With Fractions
There is something really special about any school’s first graduating class and the recent college signing day and subsequent graduation at Blackstone Valley Prep (BVP) was no exception. Located in tiny little Rhode Island, this school bears the scars of political battles that were ultimately won because of courageous and relentless people who believe that… Continue reading Mexico Brought This School Its First Valedictorian
It is always a pleasure to visit the set of Dan Yorke State of Mind and have a conversation about education issues. I wasn’t planning to talk about a devastating school shooting when I was booked to do the show but obviously that was the first thing to come up. After talking about the complexity… Continue reading TV Appearance with Dan Yorke—Tragedy in Florida, Strengthening RI’s Consent Law, and Proficiency Goals that Are Too Low
As I continue on my Bowflex journey—I’m in week 2—I found myself again leaning on my Governor to to get me through a work out. This time, instead of it being her annual State of the State address, it was a rare visit to the television studio as a guest Dan Yorke State of Mind.… Continue reading BowFlex Update and Still No Mention of Student Outcomes (But We Did Get a Little Closer)
Lauren Hopkins is the latest teacher in Rhode Island to be awarded what is widely considered the “Oscar” of teaching. It is the Milken award, a prestigious recognition of teaching excellence by the Milken Family Foundation that also comes with a cash prize of $25,000. Like all the greatest teachers, Hopkins is convinced that learning… Continue reading We Have a Winner (And She Says It’s All About Relationships with Kids)
I am lucky to have the opportunity to occasionally share what I know and think about local education issues on Dan Yorke’s radio and TV programs. I wrote about the situation in Warwick earlier in the week here and appeared on Dan Yorke State of Mind the next day. Since my appearance, a tentative agreement between… Continue reading My Thoughts on Teacher Sick Outs and Unreasonable Demands in Warwick
We all agree we need to do a better job of protecting kids and while an explosive story plays out in Providence and a principal finds herself charged with a misdemeanor, we realize we have more questions than answers. In the aftermath of the arrest of a Providence elementary school principal for failure to contact… Continue reading I Got To Talk About Protecting Kids on TV!
