Category Archives: Problems Facing Schools
We Don’t Expect Nurses To Buy Bandaids, So Why Should Teachers Have To Buy Classroom Supplies?
I’m always amazed at how much money my sister in-law spends on supplies for her second grade classroom. It’s really astounding…there’s the aquarium and fish tank for the class project, books for the class library, art supplies (somethings aren’t made with construction paper), decorations and special snacks for the end of the year Hogwarts Party…just to name a few.
What Teachers Are Spending
The Associated Press recently reported that teachers in classrooms across the country are spending their own money to insure that they have needed supplies. Teachers spent almost $400 on school supplies and $540 on instructional materials for the 2009-2010 school year, according to a survey conducted this year by the National School Supply and Equipment Association.
Do Your Friends and Family Run and Hide When They Know It’s School Fund Raising Time?
My poor Mom is a woman who just can’t say, “no.” She has a niece and a nephew who always seem to be selling something…cookie dough, candles, pizzas, wrapping paper, gift bags, popcorn, magazine subscriptions…it’s never ending. At the rate Mom is buying the school should dedicate a wing of the school in her honor!
What’s a Parent to Do?
I don’t doubt in these tough economic times that schools feel the need for fundraisers, but I’ve got to think that there are some fundraisers that are more beneficial to the schools (and to the parents, family members and friends who are guilted into buying a $25 tub of microwave popcorn).
Same Sex Math Class…Can It Be Seperate But Equal?
First of all, I have to confess that I just don’t like math. I don’t like it now (take a look at my unbalanced check book register if you don’t believe me) and I didn’t like it when I was in school.
I think that one reason I didn’t like math in school was because of how competitive math class could be. To me, math class was sort of like a game and the winner was the person who could answer the question correctly the fastest…that was never me. It seemed that the boys in my math classes just thrived on this competition and I just hated it.
Sugary drinks still in our Schools!
I am just going to say upfront that I’m shocked. I really have a hard time with this. Schools are still putting sugary drinks into the hands of our kiddos. Often times we have no control over what our kids drink when they are at school because we send lunch money to school (with good faith!) and then our lovely kiddos get to choose what they drink with lunch. We tell them to choose milk, but we all know that most kids will choose the sugary alternative over milk. So why is it even available??? Don’t we all want our kids to be healthy? If it’s not an option, then it’s won’t be a concern!
Are E-Readers the next big thing in education?
An E-Reader such as Amazon’s Kindle or even an Apple iPad are a bit of a buzz in the education world. Educators are wondering if these electronic readers can aid students with reading disabilities. Can these devices ease the burden on students and teachers when it comes to how much time it takes to get printed text in the hands of visually impaired students? What effect can an E-reader have versus a book with printed text where one can turn back pages to skim and scan for information and clues one might have missed on the first read?
No Easy Answers
Does Character Education Really Work?
Does your child’s school participate in a Character Education program? Many across the country do. These programs are designed to teach kids everything from good manners, to how to handle a bullying situation, to what respect and caring mean. They often take up class time that could be used to teach academics, which some would say is alright – IF the programs are truly making a difference.
Questionable Results
Is creativity just “fluff?”
Schools are being asked to do all sorts of things these days: teach math, science, and reading, incorporate lessons on morals and values in some cases, and march the fine line of using discipline effectively and purposefully. But is there any room left in the day for creativity? I ran across a blog written by Anthony S. Colucci that questions just that. His title, “What Would Walt Disney Learn in School Today?” was catchy and got me thinking.
What Would Disney Learn?
How do you know if a school is a “good school?”
I just finished reading about some “good” schools. Schools where the principal is being praised for raising the achievement level of the students. I also read how people feel schools are failing our nation’s youth. Then I read Nancy Flanagan’s article in the Washington Post that pointed out things may not be what they seem.
What does Good Mean?
You Can Lead A Kid To A Healthy Lunch, But How Do You Get Them To Eat?
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ne of the most thankless jobs in the world has to be the school “lunch lady.” No matter what she does she just can’t win…she makes healthy lunches and kids won’t eat them…she offers a la carte items that kids will eat and we turn into a nation of obese kids. What is a “lunch lady” supposed to do?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is here to help her with a $2 million initiative that will allow food behavior scientists to find ways to use psychology to improve kids’ use of the federal school lunch program and fight childhood obesity, according to the Associated Press.
