Year: 2014

On Teaching Ferguson Part One

On Teaching Ferguson Part One

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Recently, a University of Iowa grad student invited me to speak at a panel titled Teaching Ferguson: Race, Riots and Critical Reflections for Classroom Teachers. The invitation was timely, as I’d just read an editorial from Michelle Alexander, an author and criminal justice reform advocate. Michelle describes challenges she encountered as she told her 10-year-old son about Ferguson. Several questions popped when I finished the editorial. How can adults best facilitate a conversation about Ferguson and related topics with youth, some of who are too young to grasp the dimensions of this issue? And for those who can grasp the gist of Ferguson, what can educators do to accurately convey the subject in a manner that is respectful and values differences of opinion? Another event required my attendance, so I was unable to appear at the panel. This blog captures my talking points. Continue reading “On Teaching Ferguson Part One”

On Teaching Ferguson Part Two

On Teaching Ferguson Part Two

Reading Time: 2 minutes

I spoke with a community member who said an altercation between students occurred after they had a charged discussion about the Darren Wilson grand jury outcome. Although a small part of me supports keeping Ferguson out of classrooms, reality is many students already reacted to what has unfolded since the death of Mike Brown. Leading facilitated conversations with students is practical, as this gives students a way to decompress and even be forward-looking. This is not a lightweight task.  Part one of this blog exemplifies what can go wrong when controversial subjects are arbitrarily introduced to classrooms. This blog, On Teaching Ferguson Part Two, highlights what contributes to leading a bold but successful dialogue around this sensitive topic. In addition to these tips, I encourage teachers to become familiar with the basics of facilitating race-related conversations and how to maintain a healthy atmosphere during the course this dialogue. Continue reading “On Teaching Ferguson Part Two”

Facilitating Communities of Education Professionals

Facilitating Communities of Education Professionals

Reading Time: 4 minutes

CoP Growing
No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.

–John Donne, No Man is an Island

 

We are all parts of communities where we engage daily – with family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues; face-to-face, online, and on the phone; as parents, volunteers, members, and even dissenters. I could go on and on with this list. For each of these communities we take on different roles; join for different reasons; look for different outcomes; and bring different expectations about what we get, what we give, and how we and other community members interact. Continue reading “Facilitating Communities of Education Professionals”

Senior Policy Analyst, Deb Hansen, Retires

Senior Policy Analyst, Deb Hansen, Retires

Reading Time: 3 minutes
Enjoy your well-earned retirement, Deb!
Enjoy your well-earned retirement, Deb!

This month the team at West Wind Education Policy is proudly celebrating the career of our own Deb Hansen. It has been an honor for all of us to share the capstone years of her career. During the past four years, Deb has lent her wisdom and experience to West Wind: she has been an expert adviser on an array of education policy issues; a guide to new employees entering the field; and a knowledgeable, passionate, and considerate colleague to all of us.

Her dedication and quest to understand new developments, grow her own knowledge, and challenge her own ideas have changed the way we work at West Wind. Deb understands and appreciates how hard deep inquiry can be and she approaches projects carefully and with consideration. Yet, even in the face of difficult change, she never lowers her standards. Her poise, determination, and empathy make her an invaluable colleague and a great friend to have in your corner. Continue reading “Senior Policy Analyst, Deb Hansen, Retires”

On Grace and Gratitude

On Grace and Gratitude

Reading Time: 3 minutes

download.jpg memoryThis blog is a letter to my colleagues at West Wind Education Policy, written as I end my tenure at West Wind and as I phase into retirement from the education profession.

Dear West Wind Friends and Colleagues,

This month marks both the anniversary of four years of employment at West Wind and my retirement.  These years of service with each of you has been a wonderful capstone to my life’s work as a teacher and in support of teachers.  I hope that in my time at West Wind, I have cultivated relationships and a way of working together that brought dignity and grace to our shared workplace.  I have been thinking a lot about grace.  The word “grace” comes from the Latin root word “grat” which has many meanings — pleasing, agreeable; giving something not asked for, out of kindness; and to be thankful, appreciative.[1] It is my ongoing aspiration to give something not asked for, to demonstrate kindness, to act with grace – not just at work, but all the time. Of course, this goal demands constant reflection, self-discipline, and relentless effort. Colleagues, I ask you to forgive those occasions when I didn’t quite meet this challenge and accept my thanks for the countless times your grace-filled actions and gestures contributed to our collective work, cemented friendships, and made working at West Wind such a pleasure. Continue reading “On Grace and Gratitude”

Are Teachers Still Widgets? Five years after the Widget Report

Are Teachers Still Widgets? Five years after the Widget Report

Reading Time: 4 minutes
Tim Daly, President of TNTP
Tim Daly, President of TNTP

Five years ago, TNTP (formerly known as The New Teacher Project) released The Widget Effect, a report that influenced the debate about educAre Teachers Still Widgets? Five yearsator workforce policy-making and generated advocacy for policies such as improved teacher performance evaluations, administrator training, and performance-based pay.

According to TNTP, the report identified a widespread problem in schools across the country – “near total failure to acknowledge differences in teacher effectiveness”. The study examined twelve school districts in four states and found that almost all teachers were rated “good” or “great” on their formal performance evaluations, and that very few teachers were given “poor” ratings. These researchers reported that teacher performance played an insignificant role in hiring decisions, compensation, and professional development. In the twelve districts studied, a teacher’s performance only became an issue when it was so problematic that dismissal was considered, yet findings revealed that dismissals rarely occurred.[1]  Continue reading “Are Teachers Still Widgets? Five years after the Widget Report”

Learning to Celebrate

Learning to Celebrate

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Celebrate (2)My children’s elementary school recently celebrated our 60th birthday.  We gathered at the school, listened to alumni who are now junior high and high school students play orchestral music, ate cookies, picked a few remaining vegetables from the school garden, and spent time with our friends and neighbors.  Retired teachers, staff, principals, and alumni returned to share their memories.  We heard story after story about how the school changed lives and how teachers, staff, and principals impacted generations.  It was a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon – and it was a celebration of our community, our students, our school, and an acknowledgement that education matters deeply to us. Continue reading “Learning to Celebrate”

Interesting is Good, but Wonderful is Better

Interesting is Good, but Wonderful is Better

Reading Time: 4 minutes


How often do you think to yourself as you are learning something new, “That was interesting.”?  Do you ever wonder how often students reflect on a completed lesson, “Hmm, that concept just introduced was interesting.”  Or “My homework was pretty interesting today.”

Now consider this statement.   “Interesting is good.  But Wonderful is better.” Continue reading “Interesting is Good, but Wonderful is Better”

Communal Reading

Communal Reading

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Communal Reading (2)Are you picturing several people sitting cross-legged on big floor pillows, drinking herbal tea, and reading poetry aloud between gentle yoga stretches? While that sounds appealing (and before I had kids you might have hit the nail on the head with that image), that is not what I mean.

For the past few days I have spent a chunk of my evenings reading Reyna Grande’s memoir, The Distance Between Us, the story of her family’s emigration from Mexico to the U.S. The story is powerfully relevant as the U.S. attempts to deal with large numbers of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum. When Reyna was 2, her father left her hometown of Iguala, Mexico, to find work in the United States. Her mother left Reyna, age 4, and her two siblings for the U.S. two years later, to return to them a single mother. When she was 9 Reyna and her siblings came to the U.S. and after several years the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act allowed them to become U.S. citizens. Continue reading “Communal Reading”

Do We Understand How Hard It Was to Get Michael Brown to Graduate?

Do We Understand How Hard It Was to Get Michael Brown to Graduate?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Mike Brown GraduationLesley McSpadden, the mother of Michael Brown, emphatically questioned if we understand the amount of effort required just to see Michael graduate. Unfortunately, the answer to her question would become buried underneath a wealth of information that followed her son’s death and a charged debated about Michael’s character.

At the center of this discussion is whether Michael contributed to his death. The conversation is hard to comprehend because it not only questions if Michael Brown could have prevented the manner in which he was gunned down, but it primes another misguided question: Can behavior modifications in general stop oppressive practices? This line of thinking is problematic because the agents of change are those who experience discrimination, not powerful systems and key players that have a genuine ability to decrease and even stop discrimination. Continue reading “Do We Understand How Hard It Was to Get Michael Brown to Graduate?”

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