Show Notes:
During today's show, we discuss the following topics during our first segment:
More than 1 of every 10 students receiving a diploma from a D.C. public high school last year missed most of the academic year, according to an investigation released Tuesday that casts a shadow on a district that has trumpeted improvements in graduation rates.
In our second segment, we bring back Hot Takes! and talk about school awards, teacher evaluations, tracking students to specific careers, and extracurricular activities.
In our final segment, we bring back another beloved segment all about #DearBetsy! During #DearBetsy, we discuss Devos' most recent speech that posits that Bush 2 and Obama's respective education reforms have done little to impact students.
Resources Mentioned/Referenced:
Devos: Nothing Presidents Barack Obama or George W. Bush did in Education Reform Really Worked
What to do with extracurricular activities?
Article about just Ballou High School (WaPost)
DC Graduating Chronically Absent Students (WaPost)
Ask the Right Questions and Learn Something (WaPost Op-Ed)
Not Ballou's Fault (WaPost Op-Ed from Valedictorian)
Is it time to get rid of math? The guys debate the usefulness of math requirements (along with other public education requirements) in our schools today and what it might mean to think differently.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/02/06/end-useless-math-requirements/
Welcome back! The guys are back and just in time for a "year in review" session of the Ed's Not Dead podcast. During this episode, we discuss some of the articles listed below, and begin to touch upon the stories we think will be at the forefront of education news come 2024. Happy New Year!
Year in Education 2023 Review
January: Seizing on Parents’ Frustration, GOP Governors Push for Education Savings Accounts
February: Florida Just Became the Nation’s Biggest School Choice Laboratory
March: Schools Still Pouring Money Into Reading Materials That Teach Kids to Guess
April: Teen Mental Health Crisis Pushes More School Districts to Sue Social Media Giants
June: Due Process, Undue Delays: Families Trapped in NYC’s Decades-Long Special Ed Bottleneck
July: COVID Recovery Has Stalled for Most Students
August: New Study: Schools Prioritizing Social-Emotional Learning See Strong Academic Benefits
September: ChatGPT Is Landing Kids in the Principal’s Office, Survey Finds
November: Six Hidden (and Not-So-Hidden) Factors Driving America’s Student Absenteeism Crisis
December: Sales Skyrocket for Phone Pouch Company as In-School Bans Spread
For our first official episode of our 7th year on the pod, we welcome veteran Ed's Not Dead guest, Phyllis Fagell on the pod. Phyllis is a licensed clinical professional counselor, certified professional school counselor and journalist.
We discuss her most recent book, Middle School Superpowers: Raising Resilient Tweens in Turbulent Times, what's changed since her last appearance on the pod, and what's next for middle school life.
Buy Phyllis' book via her website: https://phyllisfagell.com/ or anywhere you get your books!
Follow Phyllis on Twitter https://twitter.com/Pfagell and Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/phyllislfagell/
Big shout out to Tom Siddons at Sleepy Lizard Avocado Farm in Florida! Buy your avocados and mangoes today via his website @ https://www.guacfarm.com/home
The gang is back...for an hour LOL
After a lengthy hiatus due to personal and professional obligations, the dudes are back in force.
The dudes discuss the recent Hugh Hewitt piece on banning smartphones in school, catch up on the year in review, talk about summer plans, and what's next for the Ed's Not Dead team (hint: Ed is DEFINITELY not dead)!
The Superintendent Series (Part 2 with Dr. Monifa McKnight)
The Series continues with Ed’s Not Dead’s examination of the courage and lived experiences of school system leaders and the successes and challenges of public school systems. We’ll be interviewing three courageous leaders who are leading their school systems to better days after three immensely difficult years. This episode features Dr. Monifa McKnight, Superintendent of the Montgomery County Public School System in Maryland - the 15th largest school system in the nation.
Over the last two decades plus Dr. McKnight has served as a classroom teacher, staff development teacher, school based leader and middle school principal, led MCPS’s program to develop school-based leaders, deputy superintendent, and now the first African American female superintendent in one of the premier school system’s in the nation.
On today's pod, we welcome a very special guest in our Superintendent Series with Dr. Darryl Williams, superintendent of the Baltimore County Public School system. Dr. Williams is a highly experienced and successful educational leader who has held a variety of important roles in public ed: from teacher to principal to superintendent, Dr. Williams has spent 30 plus years improving outcomes for students and we are so excited to have him on the pod!
We also discuss Stephanie Saul's piece about the NYU Organic Chemistry professor who was fired after students started a petition and shared their grievances about his teaching and communication styles. Who is to blame?
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/03/us/nyu-organic-chemistry-petition.html
The dudes have returned with gusto! They talk about the dreaded teacher shortage, teacher certification and degrees, and much more.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/09/13/teacher-requirements-shortage-jobs/
The gang also chats with Scott Joftus, co-founder and president FourPoint Education. FourPoint engages with school systems and leaders in the areas of school and district improvement, system reviews and strategic planning, and leadership development.
Joftus is also a member of the Montgomery County, Maryland board of education, the 14th largest school system in the United States.
How can middle school leaders ease the transition to high school? https://www.k12dive.com/news/how-can-middle-school-leaders-ease-the-transition-to-high-school/625897/
What is most important when planning for transitions between schools, individual grade levels, and what do we know what works in the best interest of kids?
We also had the pleasure of bringing teacher, and instructional leader Miriam Plotinsky on the show to talk about her new book: Teach More, Hover Less: How to Stop Micromanaging Your Secondary Classroom.
https://www.amazon.com/Teach-More-Hover-Less-Micromanaging/dp/1324019875
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