Nancy Sizer examines the kaleidoscopic forces active in high school seniors’ lives to describe their particular opportunities and pressures. She moves beyond sympathy, reminding us that this transitional year, exciting and terrifying to many students, is often consumed by the frenzy of college admission or other post-high school role pursuit followed by the crash of senioritis, compounded by unique family
Since not all small school restructuring outcomes are equal, care must be taken to insure that these resources and efforts will be truly productive. The last thing small school proponents want to see is a future in which school downsizing ends up on the dead fad pile, with students reaping few benefits from it, funding agencies declaring it a bust,
“Of all the teachers in our school, I like Miss Bonkers best. Our teachers are all different, But she’s different-er than the rest.” My introduction to Dr. Seuss’ final work, Hooray for Diffendoofer Day!, came as I was moving to a new position and putting closure to my time as a teacher in an Essential school. From its nontraditional subject
In her school leadership work and in her writing, Deborah Meier powerfully sweeps aside distractions and identiWes how schools work best for all students. In Schools We Trust focuses on three elements that create good conditions for teaching and learning: small size, self-governance and choice-that is, that students and teachers elect to be part of a school community. Schools with
Learning as a Political Act is a collection of articles describing diffculties that minorities and other underserved students have had in their struggles to become educated. Several pieces describe educational visionaries’ successes, demonstrations that all students can learn in schools where teachers have high expectations for all and offer their students the means to learn in all disciplines. I especially
Many Coalition schools have incorporated advisories into their school structure to helping students find personal connection and opportunities for growth in school. Schools that find advisories essential to their success have learned that they need to devote thought, time, resources, and training to put advisories at the center of school life. Several years ago, to help each other bolster the
Daniel Burgess, a junior at Poland Regional High School in Poland, Maine, doesn’t mince words. “I’m a procrastinator,” he says, “And I will do a lot to get out of assignments that I don’t like.” Last year, Dan approached his Sophomore Core Portfolio with trepidation. But Dan eventually realized that the Portfolio was a unique opportunity, a chance to focus
United States Department of Education Smaller Learning Communities Program In its third year, the Smaller Learning Communities grant program invites high schools with a thousand or more students to submit proposals to receive funding for initiatives to create or expand smaller learning communities. With a total of $142 million in funding, the program awards both one-year planning and three-year implementation
I’m wary of books with “soul” in the title; it’s so faddish -and of those with “character”; they’re often too doctrinaire for my taste. But this book is a gem. Moving, wise, and practical, Kessler’s book reminds us that while our educational system largely avoids conversations of deep meaning, for fear of treading too close to the spiritual, our students