NOW THAT THE question of raising the charter school cap in Massachusetts has been resolved, at least for now, I am hopeful that we can begin to examine and discuss other necessary changes to our educational system here in the Commonwealth. I say this with a certain amount of trepidation, as it seems that every time those discussions arise the […]
Todd Gazda
Posted inEducation, Opinion
Charter narrative gets story wrong
A narrative is like a room on whose walls a number of false doors have been painted; while within the narrative, we have many apparent choices of exit, but when the author leads us to one particular door, we know it is the right one because it opens. – John Updike AS THE CHARTER school […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion
Time to put standardized tests to the test
IT’S THAT TIME of year again. State standardized testing season is upon us. Across the Commonwealth students in grades 3 and up will have the opportunity to prove what they have learned over the course of this year through their performance on a standardized state assessment. At least, theoretically, that it is what these tests […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion
Stop the attack on teachers and schools
The beatings will continue until morale improves… -Unknown THESE ARE CHALLENGING times to be in education. Today, more than any other time in our history, education is in the national spotlight. Since the publication of a 1983 report by a commission established to examine public education in the United States entitled A Nation at Risk, […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion
Educating the whole child
IT IS A brave new world for public education in this country as schools become a focal point for ideological battles where policymakers seek to shape the educational environment to one which standardizes the process for all students in an attempt to promote the concept of equity. Â However, this system, fixated on standardized assessment and […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion
Replacing No Child Left Behind an inadequate step in right direction
         It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge          –Albert Einstein DURING MY PROFESSIONAL career in education, I spent a short time (a year and a half) as an elementary school principal, […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion
More charter schools are not the answer
IT SEEMS THAT the debate over charter schools is once again heating up in Massachusetts. Proposed legislation by Gov. Charlie Baker, a lawsuit on behalf of students denied charter seats, and an upcoming ballot question all seek to raise the cap on the number of charter schools in the state. Recently, I had the opportunity […]