Why wouldn't policy makers, business people, and those who have never lived a day in a public school think that if they opened the doors to competition, schools would improve? Here is why. It defies imagination that teachers working with students would work harder or better or differently if they were competing to keep them in their classrooms and schools.  It is offensive to think that we don't bring our biggest hearts and highest skill to the school and classroom every day. But,…

One size fits all doesn’t even work for something as simple as a t-shirt. So how can you expect that approach to work in a learning environment? Education is something personal in and of itself. Your students are going to take the things they learn and apply them to their everyday lives, and every one of their lives is going to be different. By personalizing…

Leaders have many functions to perform. That myriad of roles complicates the nature of the relationships a leader can develop and maintain within the organization and the community. Leaders will inevitably be faced with situations where they must require the faculty and staff to respond with immediate compliance. But, most issues and situations allow for the space and time to act with understanding and compassion, to be the lead listener.  …

 And also fixing it.

 My conclusion is that illiteracy in the United States is mostly a result of social engineering. John Dewey and the rest of his gang wanted all children to be in a muddle together. That is, after all, the central goal of socialism.

Reading has been badly taught for 85 years, with the results that millions of children don't read and often can't read.…

 In the wake of a bitter and unprecedented election cycle, and a wave of hate speech and bullying in American schools. it is hard not to feel discouraged. I wake up at night, fearful for the many communities targeted with hateful rhetoric and violence. Social media can help us repair communities and document incidents, but it can raises new questions for educators.

For example, a video of students in Royal Oaks, MI …