A Mirror, a Choice and a Question for July 4

There’s a mirror at the end of displays in the Dr. Martin Luther King National Historic site at Atlanta Georgia. As I learned in visiting last week, there’s a question next to the mirror.  It’s a quote from Dr. King, who won the Nobel Peace Prize. Just 1.5 miles away at President Jimmy Carter’s Library, there’s a comment about choice. Each of these items: the mirror, the question and the comment, are relevant for July…

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More than 2,000 honor outstanding high school musicals

Joe Nathan Column – Why did more than 2,600 people jam into the Orpheum Theater in downtown Minneapolis last week?  They came to praise and promote high school musicals, during one of the  most remarkable youth programs I’ve ever witnessed. It was rowdy, rousing and reassuring.

Sarah Cartright, a prize-winning performer who recently graduated from Eastview High School told me, “High school…

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Here's a recent report from KIPP showing the % of their graduates, who also graduate from a 4 year college is 4 times that of students from similar families, measured by income.  The critics of KIPP, (many of whom have not done the hard work of actually starting and operating a school that successfully serves low income youngsters) are, as always, out in force (some displayed here on Fireside).

Having worked with KIPP folks in several states, I can affirm they are far from perfect. …

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Noted that several people on Fireside seemed delighted by Michigan Professor Gary Miron's attacks on KIPP.  Having been on a panel with Miron, I can report that he regards the charter movement as a "distraction."  He is hardly a neutral observer (neither am I).

But I know several of you share his views that the real problem with students is too many poor people - and that schools can't overcome this.

 

You may want to read the response from KIPP to Miron's…

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Move beyond “teacher bashing” term to help students

Joe Nathan Column — How many references to “teacher-bashing” turned up on a quick “Google-search?  Would you believe about 2.6 million?

For those not used to working on the Internet, “Google” is a quick way of gathering information on a particular subject. It’s clear that the term is used constantly.  But I don’t think it helps anyone – educators, schools, or most important,…

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Recognizing that there are outstanding district & charter public schools, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has introduced legislation that would allow the state to identify and then give $ to some outstanding district & Charter public schools.  Part of their idea would be to help others learn from them.  We've used this approach for more than a decade.  We've found many educators eager to learn from eachother.

by Joe Nathan

Imagine someone visiting and videotaping teachers  who make a huge difference with…

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