Chicago’s teachers went on strike in October, suspending instruction for the city’s public school students for 11 days. Educators in the nation’s third-largest school district were seeking higher pay and improved benefits. But they also wanted to reduce the number of classrooms with large numbers of students. The deal the union representing Chicago’s teachers struck with the city […] … learn more→
Author Archives: Kevin
How much of a difference does the number of kids in a classroom make?
Involving kids in making schools sustainable spreads the message beyond the classroom
The recent student-led climate protests reflect the need for schools to provide opportunities to nurture their students’ global, environmentally conscious minds. Modern education isn’t only about teaching kids the traditional concepts of say, English and Mathematics – it is also about helping to develop confident adults and informed citizens. The curriculum goes some way to doing this. […] … learn more→
Accused rapists sue University for disciplining them…as accuser imprisoned for false charges
There are so many derangements on our campuses today that it’s hard for me to cover even the most egregious of them with any regularity. One I’ve neglected is the kangaroo campus court system a quasi-court system where basically admin can do whatever they wants, with a thin veneer of legitimacy attached to it. Words […] … learn more→
Readings: These classics that Harry Potter introduces to your children
“All the children of our world will know his name,” prophesies Professor McGonagall at the beginning of Harry Potter . More than 20 years after the appearance in bookstore of the hero imagined by JK Rowling, it is clear that fiction has become reality. The series in seven volumes that traces the path of initiation of the young orphan was published more than […] … learn more→
Will the NCAA’s move to let college athletes get paid endorsements make a difference? 3 questions answered
1. Will this measure bring new opportunities for student athletes? I think that remains to be seen. For the few college superstars in football and mens’ basketball, there will potentially be more marketing opportunities at the large-scale level, such as national and international endorsement deals, camp appearances and apparel contracts. For others, there may be […] … learn more→
Superscoring standardised admission tests will supersize advantage
On US students’ college-prep checklist, nothing looms larger than college admission tests. That’s why recently announced changes to the ACT might seem like a windfall to students who are concerned that a single test score could determine their whole futures. Starting next fall, students will be able to retake any of the ACT’s five sections […] … learn more→
Halloween: stories of witches to be read to children
Halloween is approaching and the season lends itself to the discovery (or rediscovery) of tales and legends, especially as witches are in the limelight of many children’s books. They can be beneficent or evil figures, according to the tradition from which they come. The first figure, that of the evil witch, often depicted as old and […] … learn more→
Academic freedom: repressive government measures taken against universities in more than 60 countries
Universities around the world are increasingly under threat from governments restricting their ability to teach and research freely. Higher education institutions are being targeted because they are the home of critical inquiry and the free exchange of ideas. And governments want to control universities out of fear that allowing them to operate freely might ultimately […] … learn more→
At these championship-winning schools, coaches sacrifice time and money for players to beat the odds
When high schools compete against each other in sports, often the winner is not the school with the best talent, it’s the one with the most financial resources to help develop and support its athletes. Perhaps nowhere is that stark reality more evident than in Des Moines, Iowa. From 2009 through 2018, football teams at […] … learn more→
Tolkien vs Disney: educate or entertain?
What are the similarities between JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit , and Snow White and Walt Disney’s Seven Dwarfs ? None, except that the two works for young audiences were born a few months apart – the novel in September 1937, the cartoon at Christmas – and they both feature a group of dwarves. Tolkien discovered those of Disney at the beginning of 1939, in a cinema […] … learn more→
