Alternative Teacher Certification Programs Damage the Soul of Education

Programs like Teach for America and the New York Teaching Fellows have helped to staff some of the most difficult school districts, but while the idea of these programs often looks good, the truth is that they are aiding and abetting in the destruction of education.
As an unsatisfied graduate of the NYTF program, I have [...]

High Stakes Testing Takes Away From the True Purpose of Education

Posted by avoiceinthewidlerness 
I was asked to conduct a workshop for a small group of high school teachers yesterday. Their supervisor asked me to talk about the concept of “purpose” when planning a lesson. I planned for the workshop by starting backwards; in order to plan a lesson we must first plan a topic, in order [...]