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Quick Hits (9.6.11)

4
06 Sep 2011
by Kris Amundson
Categories: Quick Hits

Note: As of today, America is officially Back to School. Here’s our special Teacher Edition of Quick Hits.

What happens when a middle school teacher decides to eat lunch with the students? Last year, this teacher opened her classroom as a safe haven for middle school students who wanted to escape Lunch Room Hell. This year, they can’t leave the cafeteria. So she goes to them . . . (Learning as Leadership blog)

First day shoes. They have to be comfortable, natch. They have to look professional. But most of all, says this teacher, they have to make just (click) the right (click) noise. (Dead Class Pets)

Funny answers to test questions. And we point you to this web site despite having spent many, many hours practicing the piano. So perhaps that makes us . . .

Cause: Tony practices the piano 20 minutes every day.

Effect: He is a big nerd. (Zero Out of Five)

An ode to Mrs. Thomas. And all the other teachers who change children’s lives. (New York Times)

The teacher in Class Struggle opens up. Alexander Russo interviews the teacher whose story formed such a big part of Steven Brill’s new book. (This Week in Education)

About the Author
Kris Amundson, Education Sector’s director of strategic communications, has extensive experience both as a communicator and as a policymaker. On the Q&E, you’ll often find her blogging about the politics of education, accountability, school governance issues, and all things Virginia.
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  1. Kris Amundson September 7, 2011 at 5:43 pm
    As someone who spent ten years in the Virginia General Assembly, I would be the last person to say that legislators act with complete information. But in the defense of the legislators in California, maybe teachers or school board members approached them and asked them for help? I can envision a circumstance in which a school disciplined a student for playing cards, the parents raised a huge stink and pointed out that the discipline code did not expressly prohibit card playing, and the school district then said, "Fine. We'll get it in the Code." Not saying this DID happen, but it COULD have . . . Still, it's just a dumb rule.
  2. CarolineSF September 7, 2011 at 5:25 pm
    I agree about the post -- just pointing out that that isn't unusual. I don't know if other states have such a prohibition -- presumably it's about discouraging gambling, though there's plenty else to gamble on, and gambling isn't one of the scourges that come to mind when we think about the challenges of our educational system anyway. I blame it on the usual -- legislators with no clue what goes on inside schools making laws to govern what they imagine goes on inside schools.
  3. Kris Amundson September 7, 2011 at 12:57 pm
    Caroline - I don't think allowing kids to eat in a teacher's room is weird at all. Neither, frankly, did the teacher. She wrote a delightful slice-of-life blog post that I thought was really well written. That's all the post was about. However, your other info, about no card playing in California schools -- now THAT'S weird. (Can we all break into a chorus of "We've got trouble, right here in River City . . .")
  4. CarolineSF September 6, 2011 at 9:49 pm
    My kids in their urban public schools with experienced union teachers have always had teachers whose classrooms were hangouts during lunch -- why is that viewed as weird? Fun fact: Playing any card game at school is a violation of the California Education Code (teachers have to decide whether to ignore this rule).

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