Last week I attended a meeting sponsored by the NYS Alliance for Public Education. The forum discussed current controversies and issues in public education including the Common Core Learning Standards, teacher evaluations, Governor Cuomo's 2015 Education Budget and the NYS assessments given to elementary students in grades 3-8. My interest in attending the meeting was … Continue reading Testing boundaries
Category: Schools
Feeling testy about NYS assessments
How much do you know the mandated state exams administered to elementary school students in New York State? What do you know about these tests and their significance? Have you heard about Assemblymember Jim Tedisco's bill proposal to allow parents to "opt out" of the required tests? If these three questions were on a test … Continue reading Feeling testy about NYS assessments
Getting educated – 500 miles worth of lessons
Three day weekends should leave those fortunate enough to have had 3 consecutive days off feeling relaxed and satisfied. There definitely were some moments during the 72 hours which prompted some pretty positive emotions, but the overwhelming sensation I'm experiencing right now is simple exhaustion. As I am inclined to do, I scheduled the weekend … Continue reading Getting educated – 500 miles worth of lessons
Dog years and the passage of time
The youngest of my "boys" recently celebrated his first birthday and, while the occasion was a happy one to mark, I also noted the date with a tinge of sadness. That year certainly went quickly. When I thought about the number of years we got to love Cassidy (12.5) and started doing simple math in … Continue reading Dog years and the passage of time
12/13/14
Yesterday's date was remarkable because it was the last time in our lifetime, barring some crazy medical advances, that we will see a consecutive numbers date. What begin with 1/2/3 is now over for the current century. Pretty momentous, don't you think? I've learned there are occasions which demand recognition for various reasons - holidays, … Continue reading 12/13/14
Writing my son’s college essay (in my mind)
Dear Prospective College Admissions Officer - Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I can only imagine how many of these letters you must read and how difficult it must be to evaluate potential students from mere words and numbers on a page. Since neither words nor numbers adequately describe my oldest … Continue reading Writing my son’s college essay (in my mind)
Reflecting on 30 years
Despite my attempts at processing the hundreds of distinct thoughts and images in my head following my trip to the past last weekend, my mind is still in a whirl. During my drive north, while I tried to assert a sense of order to all that had been stimulated in my head, I realized that … Continue reading Reflecting on 30 years
