November 2011
3 posts
4 tags
21st Century Skill-Critical Thinking-Is Not So New
After being in education for 35 years, I have to chuckle when I read about skills necessary for life in the 21st century, including the skill of critical thinking. Back in the 1970s when I began my teaching career, critical thinking was all the rage. I had a colleague who was such an advocate he considered creating a critical thinking course. Learning to think critically is a fundamental life...
5 tags
Merit Pay For Teachers Won't Work
One of the educational issues touted by conservatives has been implementation of a system of merit pay for teachers. On the surface it sounds logical, pay teachers for producing, just like in business. The reality, however, is much more complicated.
The concept of merit pay for teachers has been around for at least thirty years. I can remember a colleague, who was in graduate school, calling me...
4 tags
Issue 2 Defeated In Ohio
Last Spring, the newly elected Republican-controlled legislature and governor surprised the citizens of Ohio by passing Senate Bill 5, which eliminated collective bargaining (among other things) for Ohio’s public employees.
I’ll focus on the education ramifications of this bill since I’m a retired teacher. Teacher pay would no longer be based on a “step” system, but...
