Teacher in a Strange Land
From January 2010 to September 2018, Nancy Flanagan, an education writer and consultant focusing on teacher leadership, wrote about the inconsistencies and inspirations, the incomprehensible, immoral and imaginative, in American education. She spent 30 years in a K-12 music classroom in Hartland, Mich., and was named Michigan Teacher of the Year in 1993. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: teacher leaders.
Education
Opinion
Reform vs. Anti-Reform: Quoth the Raven
There is no secret "reform critic" handshake. There are more people speaking out against "reform" because--well, because they're finally mad as hell and...etc.
Education
Opinion
The Mix Tape Metaphor
We're losing our cultural roots. Seasonal music draws from deep cultural wells located around the globe, from the distinctive societies and environments we came from, as well as our common beliefs.
Education
Opinion
The Ghost of Christmas Presents
Don't we have much bigger fish to fry, educationally speaking, than fretting about setting strict guidelines for what parents can spend on a present?
Education
Opinion
Money and Motivation--and Teachers
In America, we're stripping teachers of much of their classroom autonomy, and questioning their mastery. Once we remove teachers' intrinsic purpose, no amount of money will pull promising candidates into long-term careers in the classroom.
Education
Opinion
Re-Gifted: The Prickly Politics of the Academically Able
Honestly, I have never met a parent who said "Well, nobody in my family is gifted, but I fully support a special teacher, classroom, budget and field trips for the gifted kids. Because those kids are going to be the leaders of tomorrow--not my children."
Education
Opinion
Cheating the Gifted?
A quick look at our most gifted leaders--Americans whose work has saved or enriched millions of lives--tells us that being identified as "gifted" is never a prerequisite for world-changing discoveries or great statesmanship.
Education
Opinion
You Don't Know How Much I Needed This! Six Ideas about Professional Growth for Teachers
When was the last time you heard a teacher exclaim "You don't know how much I needed this?"
Education
Opinion
The Pyramid, the Funnel and the Megaphone
In which direction should the dialogue about school reform run? What would happen if we turned the pyramid on its side, rendering all parties equal and the conversations horizontal and bi-directional?
Education
Opinion
Time-Traveling Teacher
Is newer always better, when it comes to education? Might some values and practices be timeless?
Education
Opinion
Are Teachers Dumb?
What happens when you confuse "quality teacher" with actual teaching quality?
Education
Opinion
Because I'm Worth It?
Are teachers overpaid? How much does compensation matter in building a high-quality teaching force?
Education
Opinion
Tricks and Treats
Teachers usually approach Halloween with a mix of stoic resignation and determined tolerance for excess. As in: I got through this before, and I can do it again. Pass the Kit Kat bars.
Education
Opinion
Why I Like Tests
The huge increase in testing hasn't told us a single thing we didn't already know about who holds the cards in the education game, who will take home the biggest piece of the pie. We don't need more data.