Coronavirus: Forced Change for Education
All news is focused around the coronavirus pandemic in America and around the world. It is good to be informed, but all day – every day is a bit much for me. My husband and I begin our day with watching the morning news and then turn it off until the evening, but this is […]
Jefferson Journal: Raising the Price on School and Road Construction
Virginia faces billions in expenses for road, bridge and school repair. Why are so many politicians willing to raise the cost of that construction so less construction can be done?
Collective Bargaining in the Schools: Prescription for Problems
Joseph Ocol is the kind of teacher most parents would fight to have teach their daughter. His Englewood, Chicago girls’ chess team won the national championship in 2016 against 60 other schools, an achievement noted in the Congressional Record, by news media and by the mayor and city council. And they’ve gone back since then, […]
How One Man is Leading the Fight for School Choice in Richmond
By Lindsey M. BurkeAlthough he is facing steep opposition from the school board in the city, Green has mobilized parents around Richmond who are supportive of his fight to bring more quality education options to an area that desperately needs them. That fight may not be easy, however. Jason Kamras, the superintendent of Richmond Public […]
For Prepared Citizenship, Civics Education is a Must
Education is usually at the top of the list of national priorities, especially for American Presidential candidates. If one looks at the mission statement for many schools and school districts, it usually includes statements about producing or preparing students for active citizenship. The U.S. should make civics education a priority. Civics education encompasses the study […]
Crash and Burn: How Misguided Policies Ruin Lives
Give Richmond educators credit for brutal honesty. A presentation of the school system’s five-year plan surfaced some devastating data: Only one in ten Richmond high school students is ready for college and a career, according to College Board criteria. If it’s any comfort, that number is up from 9% in the 2017-18 school year. “Finally […]
VCU Study Jumps to Unsubstantiated Conclusions
Richmond-area schools suspend black students at four times the rate of white students, a gap that exceeds the national average, a study by the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education has found. The findings have been duly reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. One in five black students in the region received an out-of-school suspension during […]
An Education Where Students Have Skin in the Game
The Cristo Rey Network, a chain of Catholic schools, has enrolled its first class of 105 students on the former campus of Benedictine High School in Richmond, creating an affordable private-school alternative for dozens of low-income black and Hispanic youth. What makes Cristo Rey unique is the degree to which students and their families put […]
NEA embraces the woke agenda — but votes down “student learning”
(Editor’s Note: Teachers in Virginia who belong to their local Virginia Education Association unit also belong to the National Education Association, and a portion of their dues goes to the NEA, which is why those dues are so expensive. We thought thoughtful teachers who care about their students’ futures might find it valuable to know […]
Cristo Rey Offers New High School Choice for Richmond Students In Need
(Editor’s Note: The Cristo Rey school set to open in September will provide a new opportunities for at risk students … not only in education but in preparation for life. Not only is the school partnering with a large number of Richmond businesses, but a large number – if not all – of the students […]