Civics
Moving from Fiction to Non-Fiction
Moving from Fiction to Non-Fiction
Oh, my sides! So much to say about this cartoon from The New Yorker. The librarian is moving the following…
The Language and Law of Your Location
The Language and Law of Your Location
Whatever device you are reading this on is probably tracking tons of data about you right now, including your geographic…
Oh Hell Yes. NYPL Resurrects the Mobile Library
Oh Hell Yes. NYPL Resurrects the Mobile Library
What literacy does for individuals and families cannot be overstated. To many in our communities, bringing the books to them…
Teach FM: You Can Test for Exceptionalism or Equity, But Not Both
Teach FM: You Can Test for Exceptionalism or Equity, But Not Both
In this episode, I offer my take on the challenge of high-stakes testing. At its core, I suggest that high-stakes…
What If Education Prepared Children for Life, Not Jobs? A Philosophical Cartoon Explores
What If Education Prepared Children for Life, Not Jobs? A Philosophical Cartoon Explores
Schools do a lot of things. One of the things we expect them to do is to prepare children to…
Teach FM: No Child to the Top
Teach FM: No Child to the Top
In this episode of Teach FM, I offer a brief overview of how the Bush Administration’s No Child Left Behind…
Teach FM: All the Presidents’ Students (How Presidents Frame Public Education)
Teach FM: All the Presidents’ Students (How Presidents Frame Public Education)
Just a friendly reminder: education is not in the federal Constitution. Instead, the United States has fifty different definitions of…
Teach FM: Schools are Stuck in the 19th Century–But Not in the Way You Think
Teach FM: Schools are Stuck in the 19th Century–But Not in the Way You Think
You often hear that the public education system is stuck in the 19th century. I agree, but not in the…
W.E.B. Du Bois’s Inky Visualizations Teaches Us How Powerfully Humanizing Data Can Be
W.E.B. Du Bois’s Inky Visualizations Teaches Us How Powerfully Humanizing Data Can Be
For years now, I have occasionally seen 19th century data visualizations attributed to W.E.B. Du Bois. Always struck by them…
Teach FM: This One Fact Will Change the Way You Think About Public Education
Teach FM: This One Fact Will Change the Way You Think About Public Education
In the latest episode of Teach FM, I share the one fact about public education in the United States that…
Some or All of the Above: College Board’s Timely Lesson on Education Reform
Some or All of the Above: College Board’s Timely Lesson on Education Reform
When a friend asked me what I thought about a recent New York Times column lauding College Board’s overhaul of…
Famous Writers? Not So Fond of Schools. But They LOVE Libraries.
Famous Writers? Not So Fond of Schools. But They LOVE Libraries.
I had mixed feelings reading how famous writers talked about formal education. They criticized its effects while holding up the…
Did 19th century Reconstruction cause 21st century poverty in the Bronx? What a Better Question!
Did 19th century Reconstruction cause 21st century poverty in the Bronx? What a Better Question!
While working with a history teacher in the Bronx recently, I asked her why students should want to learn what…
Teach FM: Tom’s 15 Minute Overview of New York School Accountability And the Secret 12% Rule
Teach FM: Tom’s 15 Minute Overview of New York School Accountability And the Secret 12% Rule
I am having a blast podcasting. Thank you for all the fantastic feedback. Here’s episode 2 where I break down…
My NEW Podcast Asks: Are Public Schools Succeeding or Failing?
My NEW Podcast Asks: Are Public Schools Succeeding or Failing?
In my new podcast series called Teach FM, I explore some of the most pressing question in public education. Each…
The Curious Case of New York State School Accountability Changes
The Curious Case of New York State School Accountability Changes
There are about 2.6 million students who attend schools in New York State. 1.1 million of those students are in…