Last Friday New York City released the individual performance assessments for 18,000 elementary and middle school teachers in New York City. While teachers have long known how they've been "ranked" based on their students' test scores, the data was made public last week for the world to see. I've spoken at-length with several former colleagues… Continue reading Releasing Teachers’ Individual Performance Assessments Does Nothing to Strengthen Teaching
Category: new york city
A Special Visit
The more things change, the more they stay the same. --Alphonse Karr Last Saturday my cousin got Bar Mitzvahed in New York. I tacked-on a few extra days to my weekend away so Isabelle and I could spend some time with my parents. In addition to spending lots of time with family this past weekend… Continue reading A Special Visit
Baseball & Two December Holidays
Family. Friendship. Generosity. The great American pastime. Interracial and interfaith friendships. All of these topics are woven together artfully by Sharon Robinson in a new book, Jackie's Gift. This is a true story about Sharon Robinson's father, the great baseball player Jackie Robinson, and her family's first Christmas in Brooklyn, NY. The Satlows are a… Continue reading Baseball & Two December Holidays
Stacey’s M.M. Post: Carrying It All With Me
Overstuffed File Tote Originally uploaded by teachergal When I lived in Manhattan I never carried that much stuff to and from school daily. After all, I couldn't negotiate the stairs on the subway platforms at 86th and 103rd Streets with too much in my hands. Therefore, I'm perplexed at how much stuff I take to… Continue reading Stacey’s M.M. Post: Carrying It All With Me
My M.M. Post
I was teaching my kids a developing strategy (i.e., using time lines before you draft) today and created a timeline of the last time I went to Yankee Stadium. (I was feeling sentimental after last night's ceremony, which I watched on television). Since I am going to be developing this timeline into a personal narrative… Continue reading My M.M. Post
PHOTO FRIDAYS: NYY vs. SOX
I loved this guy's shirt... so I took a photo! Originally uploaded by teachergal "You can take the girl out of NY, but you can't take the NY out of the girl!" That's what I say whenever I encounter a Red Sox Fan in Rhode Island. who asks me why I root for the Yankees.… Continue reading PHOTO FRIDAYS: NYY vs. SOX
MEMOIR MONDAYS: Graduating on the Big Stage
Hunter College Graduation at Radio City Music Hall - June 2004 Originally uploaded by teachergal High School Graduation: Princeton, NJ [The (grassy) Mall on Campus] College Graduation: Washington, DC [The Smith Center] First Grad School Graduation: New York, NY [Radio City Music Hall] Second Grad School Graduation: New York, NY [Riverside Church & Columbia Quad]… Continue reading MEMOIR MONDAYS: Graduating on the Big Stage
Stacey’s SOLSC (and it’s food-related… again)
"Stace, we're almost here," I heard Marc say as I opened my eyes. I saw water on both sides of me. Ahead, it said "178th Street," "Henry Hudson Parkway," "Uptown," "Downtown." I knew exactly where I was... The George Washington Bridge, headed into Manhattan. I closed my eyes again. Then, I blinked them back and… Continue reading Stacey’s SOLSC (and it’s food-related… again)
A Visionary in the Bronx
My mother-in-law sent me the link to a story from "The Today Show." It's about an unlikely principal who turned a failing junior high school in the Bronx around... completely. Click here to watch the video.
Posting Poems
One of my kiddos posted a poem (which was shown to me when it was in draft form a couple of weeks ago) this morning. I'm exceedingly flattered that I'm seeing poems dedicated to me on one of my students' blogs. 🙂
Our thinking is evolving
I noticed that Ruth posted her raw thinking earlier today. Let's just say that there's a lot of meta-cognition happening for both of us now that the NCTE Conference is over. I think the Session that got both of us thinking the most was the one with Peter H. Johnston, Katie Wood Ray, and Ralph… Continue reading Our thinking is evolving
Credentials
I checked the mail today and was happy to see something other than bills inside. I received my NCTE National Convention Credentials today. 🙂 Although the program wasn't included in the envelope, there was a link to it, which I'm planning on visiting to make my final selections for Saturday and Sunday. Please leave a… Continue reading Credentials