I went to a professional development session on standards-based grading the other day, and here are the main ideas. Formative assessments (practices) should not be factored into grades. This menas homework and classwork is not graded. Only summative assessments Read More...

According to an Eastern Washington newspaper, peanut butter may be a weapon. Read the story here . Posted in Administration, Discipline Read More...

As cited in a recent editorial the Washington State Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that “the names of teachers must be disclosed only in sexual misconduct cases where the alleged misdeeds are substantiated.” This supports due process rights and protects Read More...

I have decided to change my late work policy, partially based on the comments I received when posting my previous article about my late work policy. I had mentioned that my stated policy is that all late work needed to be turned in within a week of the Read More...

Just as some teachers feel their authority is usurped by unsupportive leaders and parents, coaches often feel the same way. I have frequently heard from coaches that parents wield their power like a sword, a weapon to brandish when they disagree with Read More...

One of my criticisms of NCLB is that it causes too many schools to focus all of their attention on the bottom 25% of a school’s population while ignoring the middle- and upper-level students. Some of the effects of this focus in my school are: fewer Read More...

I’m currently in my 9th year of full-time teaching, and I’ve learned a great many lessons the hard way as I’ve navigated my way through administrative minefields, labyrinthine bureaucracies, challenging curricula, and diverse students. Read More...

Sometimes sports do reflect the general state of education, and this week is no exception. As Craig Smith notes, two possible WIAA state sports rules could be created and: could be called “Archbishop Murphy Rules.” One would suspend a student Read More...