Author name: Munzir Forbiz

Education Secretary: Standardized Tests Should No Longer Be a ‘Hammer’

Standardized tests should be used as “a flashlight” on what works in education not as “a hammer” to force outcomes, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said during a speech last week. The statement reflects a shift in thinking since annual testing became federal law more than 20 years ago, and it echoes past comments from Cardona, who …

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Teachers are leaving, forcing this school to cancel classes. Lowering professional qualifications does not fix shortage, educators say

It’s January, the middle of the school year, and yet tenth grader Lala Bivens is preparing for her first day at a new school. Bivens started fall classes at One City Preparatory Academy, a new charter middle and high school in Madison, Wisconsin, but on January 13 a teacher shortage forced the school to shut …

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What students told us they love about 5 stellar teachers

In each of these educators, students said they found a friend, mentor, role model, and more. “Abbott Elementary,” a wildly popular television sitcom centered on an optimistic Philadelphia school teacher, will return with new episodes this week — just in time for a new school year and following a successful Emmy Award run. Chalkbeat asked readers to …

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I’m not a licensed teacher. How do I do a good job when I have to sub?

Follow the teacher’s lesson plan. Form relationships with students. When all else fails, use your acting skills. I am a non-licensed central office district employee. There are times over the past years when I have been required to substitute in schools.  What is the best way to establish relationships with the students and have a …

I’m not a licensed teacher. How do I do a good job when I have to sub? Read More »

What students told us they love about 5 stellar teachers

In each of these educators, students said they found a friend, mentor, role model, and more. “Abbott Elementary,” a wildly popular television sitcom centered on an optimistic Philadelphia school teacher, will return with new episodes this week — just in time for a new school year and following a successful Emmy Award run. Chalkbeat asked readers to …

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I’m tired of watching my students with disabilities get pushed out of school

Teacher burnout cannot be an excuse to exclude children with challenging behaviors. Lately, amid reported teacher shortages, I see TikToks, blog posts, and forum discussions detailing the reality of teacher burnout and the impossibility of being an educator, social worker, nurse, and librarian all in one. Anyone who has worked in education knows too well this …

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As pandemic complicates recruitment, Teach for America’s incoming class expected to hit a 15-year low

Facing a sharp drop in applications, Teach for America is expecting its smallest crop of first-year teachers in at least 15 years, new data from the organization shows. The organization expects to place just under 2,000 teachers in schools across the country this coming fall. That’s just two-thirds of the number of first-year teachers TFA …

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Philadelphia school district sees ‘dramatic increase’ in midyear teacher resignations

169 teachers have left the Philadelphia School District since December Dozens of teachers have left the Philadelphia school district within the past two months, and filling those spots has proven to be difficult, school district officials say.  From the beginning of December through the middle of February, the district has seen a “dramatic increase in teacher resignations compared to previous …

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With teacher departures surging, Philly schools unveil plan to stem tide

The School District of Philadelphia, like other districts across the nation, is facing a teacher and staff shortage as the coronavirus pandemic hits the two-year mark. At Thursday evening’s school board meeting, district officials put a number on the staffing challenge, while board members approved two measures aimed at addressing the problem. At the start of …

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Letter: $11 per hour to sub at a Utah school? Executive orders won’t solve teacher shortage. But higher pay might.

Recently I was informed by my employer that, because of an executive order signed by Gov. Spencer Cox on Jan. 31, I could take up to sixteen hours of personal leave to work as a substitute teacher in one of Utah’s public schools. Curious, I decided to examine substitute teacher pay where I live, in …

Letter: $11 per hour to sub at a Utah school? Executive orders won’t solve teacher shortage. But higher pay might. Read More »