The chair of the Texas Senate Higher Education Committee has a bone to pick with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), the curriculum standards that are supposed to tell teachers what students must learn in each grade and subject. That much was clear from the insistent line of questioning Sen. Kel Seliger, Republican of Amarillo, pursued with witnesses at a hearing...
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Share My Lesson, the American Federation of Teachers, and Texas AFT hosted 45 active and retired teachers in Austin the weekend before last for an around-the-clock session of updating and creating more than 200 lesson plans and teaching resources, covering all subjects and grades. These resources are now available for free download on click here.
Read MoreA considerably diluted resolution complaining about new College Board guidelines for Advanced Placement U.S. history courses passed by a vote of 8 to 4 at the State Board of Education on September 19. The majority sought to reproach the College Board for insufficient positive emphasis on American ideals of liberty and free enterprise and too much emphasis on conflicts and...
Read MoreAs part of a back-to-school tour across the nation, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on September 11 visited a Corpus Christi ISD classroom that is on the cutting edge of instructional innovation. In that classroom at the Metro School of Design within Miller High School, science teacher Jenna Ruiz-Ortiz coaches teams of middle-school students as they eagerly tackle...
Read MoreWith a student population that is ever more challenging, teachers need every bit of help they can get to engage effectively and deliver a sound education in their classrooms. While much will depend on the outcome of big policy and legal battles for the funding our schools require, teachers can help each other with tools like the Share My Lesson online exchange...
Read MoreThe Texas Education Agency has announced that its online “Project Share,” an attempt to provide an online professional learning community for Texas educators and students, is in trouble. Here’s the announcement TEA made on May 7: “The Texas Education Agency (TEA) recently confirmed news that ConnectEDU has filed for bankruptcy protection. ConnectEDU is the parent company of Epsilen. Epsilen provides...
Read MoreOn the plus side, members of the State Board of Education meeting in Austin this week took a step forward toward a curriculum that better reflects the demographic diversity of Texas. On the minus side, they are going to continue to consider making a serious misstep—taking money from charter-school promoters to pay for travel to visit out-of-state charter operators who...
Read MoreTexas AFT joined dozens of state legislators and a broad array of education and community groups today in support of adding an optional elective course in Mexican-American studies to the state curriculum for students in high school. Texas AFT legislative counsel Patty Quinzi’s testimony submitted to the State Board cited with approval a recent op-ed article by state Sens. Sylvia...
Read MoreOn April 8 we expect the State Board of Education to begin considering additions to the menu of course offerings that form the state curriculum for high schools. We are pleased to join SBOE member Ruben Cortez, Democrat of Brownsville, and others in suggesting the addition of an elective course in Mexican-American studies. You can add your voice to the...
Read MoreOn March 11-13, Share My Lesson, the largest online community of American educators sharing lesson plans and other teaching materials, will host an unprecedented virtual conference of 24 webinars for educators and parents. The webinars will address a range of topics, including creative ways to teach the arts and natural sciences, proactive and positive behavior-management tips, and ways to cultivate...
Read MoreEducators have a chance to capitalize on students' interest in the Winter Olympics unfolding now through February 23 in Sochi, Russia. As the world celebrates sport and international competition, you have an exciting opportunity to engage students in Olympics-related lessons in physics, writing, math, social studies, civics, reading, and more. Check out the Olympic Winter Games collection of teaching resources...
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