For me the key to effective classrooms, schools and school districts is leadership. As SCOTUS Judge Potter Stewart said in a decision, “It’s hard to define but I know it when I see it, (he was referring to pornography) can also be used to define leadership. From sports coaches at the highest levels to restaurantContinue reading “The Failure of Leadership: Ineffective School, School District and School System Leadership is a Pandemic”
Tag Archives: learning
The Key to Impactful Instruction: “Ownership of Practice”
From the mayor: I changed my mind, I no longer oppose mayoral control and an appointment, a new chancellor, a long time superintendent. Over his first few weeks the mayor’s team has skillfully rolled out his public relations machine The “machine” placed “puff pieces” in NY Times and Chalkbeat, snippets of the new chancellor’s accomplishmentsContinue reading “The Key to Impactful Instruction: “Ownership of Practice””
Can the Mayor Multi Task? Addressing Chronic Absenteeism Should Be At the Top of His List
The end of year data shows NYC is one of the safest cities in our nation, Gothamist reports, New York City is on track to record one of its lowest-ever yearly homicide totals in 2025. The homicide totals in recent years are drastically lower than those going back to the 1990s, when the city onceContinue reading “Can the Mayor Multi Task? Addressing Chronic Absenteeism Should Be At the Top of His List”
Mayor Mamdani Chooses a Chancellor
Mayor-Elect, and only hours away from Mayor Mamdani began briefing insiders re his choice for chancellor, Kamar Samuels, a Department of Education lifer. See NYT here and Gothamist here. On the cynical side I’m asked, “Whose his rabbi?” You don’t make it to the finish line without the right push. Chancellors these days run theContinue reading “Mayor Mamdani Chooses a Chancellor”
Putting the Cart Before the Horse: Should We Take “The Road Less Traveled?”
Our current chancellor is aggressively campaigning to be continued in her job: the first question should be, are we satisfied with the current education model? Eric Nadelstern, a former deputy chancellor offers prescient advice, Mamdani’s biggest mistake at this time would be to focus on a governance system before his administration has come up with a better system ofContinue reading “Putting the Cart Before the Horse: Should We Take “The Road Less Traveled?””
Time for Mayor Mamdani to be Bold, Time for a Bottom Up School System
“The school is the primary unit for delivery of services to students and parents, and should also be the primary decision maker for all matters large and small. And who better to make decisions about curriculum, instruction, assessment, budget expenditures, purchases, et al than those who know each kid’s name, their families, and the communities they comeContinue reading “Time for Mayor Mamdani to be Bold, Time for a Bottom Up School System”
The Portrait of a Graduate: 21st Century Skills or a Knowledge-Based Curriculum
Aside from a few sentences, education has played virtually no role in either the primary or the current mayoral campaigns. Cuomo yes and Mamdani no on charter schools, Cuomo yes, Mamdani no on mayor control, no policy papers (aside from Cuomo’s 25 Point Education Plan released in May) and Mamdani’s recent announcement to end GiftedContinue reading “The Portrait of a Graduate: 21st Century Skills or a Knowledge-Based Curriculum”
The Portrait of a Teacher
In the fall of 2019, I attended an SED/Board of Regents regional meeting that began the discussion of Graduation Measures followed by COVID, a blue-ribbon commission, endless Zooms, finally Regents Exams optional replaced by the Portrait of a Graduate competencies assessed by a range of tasks, the tasks to be determined. What is the PortraitContinue reading “The Portrait of a Teacher”
City and State Education Summit: Lauding the Present and an Uncertain Future
City and State is a wonderful source of local and state news, every morning brief summaries with links pop up, flip through, links into what you’re interested in, for a news nerd like me a nice way to begin the day, City and State also runs what they call summits, the leading voices in a range ofContinue reading “City and State Education Summit: Lauding the Present and an Uncertain Future”
Is Teaching an Art or a Science?
If I use the same brand of golf clubs as Scottie Scheffler or use the same tennis racket as Novak Djokovic will it improve my game? Obviously, nonsense. How about if my parents were superb athletes? Maybe. How can I assure my children will be successful athletes? or musicians, or dancers? Maybe gene splicing, CRISPR Continue reading “Is Teaching an Art or a Science?”
Ed in the Apple: Blogging on the Intersection of Education and Politics Title 