Disqus - Latest Comments for jessufgit

Re: Ed Reformers: Champions of the Wrong Theory of Learning

Jessica Horton — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:51:42 -0000

Marion, I love this piece, but I don't know if I agree with your addition of Bill Gates to the New Progressives. He has spent a great deal of money investing in alternative schooling strctures, and I do believe that he is trying to find out how children will be most successful in school. The core problem I believe is how politicians define success... To be honest, now living outside of Florida I can see how FCAT Science was somewhat a step in the right direction.... Not the testing itself, but the level of questioning that students were asked to attempt. Teachers should be working with students on problem solving, critical thinking and reflection. Our textbooks, and lecture format classrooms are s direct contraction to being able to meet those needs. If we want really progressive, let's get the textbook companies out of decision making when it comes to curriculum.

Re: (Some) FL Republican Legislators’ Letter to Crist: Veto #SB6

Jessica Horton — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 20:13:28 -0000

Thanks for posting this Jason. Let's hope this appeals on the right level to Crist.

Re: 10 Gaps in Education (that don’t get enough press)

Jessica Horton — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 08:50:18 -0000

The Moral Gap- The expectations we have on how students should behave without spending any time on social skills instruction or involving the parents in a discussion on what expectations should exist.

Re: Educators Rethink Science Teaching

Jessica Horton — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:38:03 -0000

Love this article, we need to bring as much attention as possible to practical, inventive, thoughtful, engaging ways to teach science. Science is one area that when well taught excites students from every demographic. It shapes the way we look at the world around us. What a great way to involve students in changing their own future.

Re: Dick Cheney: The New Inquisitor General of Education (parody)

Jessica Horton — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 21:01:38 -0000

adore you! You are like a fine wine, you only get better with age... very funny!

Re: Equality for Students or Undermining of Public Education?

Jessica Horton — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 07:22:53 -0000

But that is just it Jason.... Gifted does qualify currently, but some programs are being whittled down to mere enrichment programs rather than providing the alternative instructional methods that gifted students truly require. Peanut allergies are actually the "disability" that are taken most seriously in your list of above special needs students. Perhaps because it's the only life threatening condition and therefore the one with the highest likelihood of litigious action if not dealt with appropriately. It would be ridiculous of course for those students to require special instruction in order to academically succeed, but if their school was not protecting the safety of their child, those parents should absolutely be allowed to take their dollars elsewhere.

I never thought that I would be an advocate of private school vouchers, and I still have extreme reservations about public money being used at religious institutions as I have always felt that those two systems should never mix. However, I am more concerned about the lack of ability public schools have to meet the needs of all students. If educational excellence is what we seek, why just stop short of serving all? Why is it okay if we operate on the philosophy, "Well most of the kids learned something...." Vouchers wouldn't remove students from public schools that are adequately serving the kids in attendance, it would just provide an equal ground to all students to learn in an
environment more suitable to their academic needs.

What concerns me even more is the lack of culpability for private schools who receive vouchers. Transparency must be created in any institution that takes tax payer funds, and these schools must be held up to an equal standard and assessment process as public schools. I admit that I do not know what that standard would be with special needs students to consider, but I think it's time to discuss alternatives.

Re: Teaching as Competitive or Cooperative?

Jessica Horton — Tue, 19 May 2009 22:34:07 -0000

25 minutes ago
Chad, I definitely see your point about about how schools competing with each other can help teachers to collaborate to help the school as a whole succeed. We were definitely seeing that trend when FCAT came out because schools became competitive with each other for those top scores. And I think it kind of goes against the nature of teachers to ruthlessly compete, not sharing lessons or ideas, so I'm not sure if making schools more competitive would actually change the fundamental behaviors of our kind. But I sure didn't like the way we were publicly flogged. I've never disagreed with standardized testing, it's an important tool to assess progress and modify instruction, but why publicly beat a group of kids that is already down? Let schools get their scores, let the district analyze them and modify policy, administration, curriculum accordingly. Of course the parents should have access, and provide the information to those who search public record. Just don't grade us! It's humiliating and demoralizing.

Jason, if I knew the how of how to make all my brilliant ideas work, don't you think you would be calling me Governor Horton by now? I just dream it....
No seriously, I'm a dreamer and idealistic, and all the great ideas I have would take a major shift in the thinking of the masses, but if you think about how far we have come as a nation in just the last few decades, (segregation - integration - Obama), then you realize that anything is possible. More importantly, people support honesty, integrity, and equality, so if we really focus on what's right for kids, I think that the population will follow suit. My mentor Bobbie Buckingham told me time and time again, you have to be 100% for the child. If everything you say and do is with the child in mind, then the parents will respect what you say. They might not respect it today or tomorrow, but they will respect that you have the best interest of their child in your heart. Therefore we must plan educational policy only with the children in mind and let the dollars follow suit, not allot dollars first and make the schools follow suit.

I was thinking today as I was listening to XM radio. A discussion was taking place about antibiotics being used in farm animals raised for slaughter, and how it was contributing to the development of MRSA strains of infections. They also mentioned a local farmer who said that he didn't use hormones because the increase in production was negligible when compared to the cost of hormones and the safety/health of the animals. Then the host pointed out that this was just a local farmer, not a huge mass production minded farm. Which led me to the thought.... why aren't our local groceries buying local? Why aren't our school lunches being made using locally grown food? Why have we disconnected with the resources that are directly in our grasp?

Futhermore, why aren't we requiring more involvement from our student's families? Everyone has various gifts and talents that contribute to the education of our kids, why aren't we learning how to pull more from our communities and citizens to further our schools?

I agree that from a budgetary standpoint, community schools with teeny class sizes may seem impossible. And even though the voters of the State of Florida agreed that class sizes needed to be small (and grant you 22 was much better than 30 in a portable, which I had one year), 22 was still twice as big as I think we should aim for. Start by holding out the carrot... attract more professionals to education with bonuses, opportunities to advance and increase your salary and benefits with service and training, and repayment of college loans. Work on establishing more charter schools, with sponsors that support the mission of the school (i.e Nike could sponsor a school that specialized in athletic development , River Sports Outfitters could sponsor a school that focused on outdoor education). And inspire (or demand) the community/parents get more involved not just with dollars, but with time.

Okay enough daydreaming for now....