It’s exciting to see that millions of young people are voting for the first time. We’re about to see if we’ve adequately prepared them for what comes after the campaigning is done, the votes have been counted, and the difficult work of governi

Are We Paying Enough Attention to Civic Education? Should We Care?

Oct 9th, 2020 6h 13m

Civics instruction is surprisingly uninteresting to many at a time when a practical understanding of civics is more important than ever. Are we paying enough attention to civics?Follow on Twitter: @eduflack @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetworkPa

Time to Teach Students (and Ourselves) to Accept That Everyone Doesn’t Agree With Us

Oct 3rd, 2020 5h 34m

The presidential debate between the tw0 2020 nominees was an epic teachable moment, but the lessons were obscured. Among the takeaways is that we have drifted far from being a civil society, and we’ll need to adjust our expectations. But yes, t

OPINION: Hybrid Learning - Is This Really the Best We Can Do?

Sep 30th, 2020 90h 3m

We’re talking about spending $175 billion to socially distance students on school buses, put shower curtains and plexiglass in classrooms, buy hand sanitizer and make sure we can do deep cleaning after every class. That’s $175 billion for shor

OPINION: Learning Pods - Are Micro Schools the Solution?

Sep 24th, 2020 9h

Parents concerned about a pandemic-driven return to forced homeschooling are considering collaborating to create learning pods. The model brings together four families, and in some cases, a shared tutor to continue student learning if schools

OPINION: Back to School: Why No One-Size-Fits-All Approach Will Do

Sep 16th, 2020 12h 3m

As we explore the varied approaches to reopening schools this fall, we’ll be well-advised to start with the premise that the decision needs to be locally defined, not federally mandated.Follow on Twitter: @eduflack @jonHarper70bd @bamradionet

Patriotic Education: Accurately Teaching What America Was, Is, and Can Be

Sep 12th, 2020 4h 12m

As the administration calls for patriotic education, voices are raising concerns about a whitewashed education sanitized of the darker realities of America’s past and present. How do we accurately teach what America was in the past, is today, a

Gap Year? How Can We Adapt Our Expectations Without Writing Off a Full School Year

Sep 3rd, 2020 4h 12m

There’s a growing chorus of voices flirting with the idea that the 2020-2021 school term may just have to be a gap year. Is this a viable solution to the continuing pandemic-driven challenges we face?Follow on Twitter: @eduflack @jonHarper70b

Assessments During Hybrid Teaching: Is This a Good Time to Throw Out Testing?

Sep 3rd, 2020 3h 40m

Last school term many mandated standardized tests were suspended due to pandemic-drive disruptions to teaching and learning. As we look to reopen schools with hybrid and virtual learning, many educators hope standardized tests will go away for

Assessments During Hybrid Teaching: Is This a Good Time to Throw Out Testing?

Aug 3rd, 2020 4h

Recognizing the Limits Symbolism and the Need for a Historical Reality Check

Jul 3rd, 2020 10h

As the overnight leap in our national consciousness is driving the fall of confederate statutes around the nation, we'll need a rise in our historical awareness to see meaningful change.Follow on Twitter: @eduflack @jonHarper70bd @bamradionet

Literacy Is a Constitutional Right: So How Do We Ensure That All Kids Can Read?

Jun 8th, 2020 3h 20m

The research is pretty clear and we know what to do to make sure every child can read. Let’s talk about what’s getting in the way?Follow on Twitter: @eduflack @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork.Patrick Riccards is the executive director of Be

How Can We Make Teaching American History More Interesting?

May 8th, 2020 4m 1s

The recent NAEP scores reveal a declining command of American history among the current crop of students. What can we do to make history more relevant and interesting to the next generation?Follow on Twitter: @eduflack @jonHarper70bd @bamrad

Teacher Evaluations in the Midst of Forced Remote Learning?

May 2nd, 2020 4m 18s

Teacher evaluations are always a difficult issue to discuss, but COVID-19 and has put many teachers in situations that raise a whole new spectrum of challenging questions. Where do we go from here?Follow on Twitter: @eduflack @jonHarper70bd

Time to Slow Down and Take Closer Look at What Students Really Need Right Now

Apr 20th, 2020 4m 18s

A recent survey, along with various other signals from parents and students, suggests that perhaps it's time to pump the brakes and look around at what our students really need at the moment.Follow on Twitter: @eduflack @jonHarper70bd @Rapi

Equity, Access, and Online Learning, Oh My!

Apr 14th, 2020 3m 55s

This week I take another look at the equity gap in our rapid transition to online learning. How do we close it?Follow on Twitter: @eduflack @bamradionetworkly that we are seeing the beginning of a ever.Patrick Riccards is chief communications

Managing the Evolving New Normal In Education: Reactive Versus Proactive

Apr 3rd, 2020 3m 38s

There's a growing consensus that COVID19 maybe the most massive driver of education reform in history. Some will go kicking and screaming, others will be reactive, but what if we lean into this coming change and approach the future proactively?

Wait! Is Online Learning the New Black?

Mar 17th, 2020 4m 11s

This is not just a new moment in time. It is more likely that we are seeing the beginning of a new reality unfolding that will change education forever.Follow on Twitter: @eduflack @bamradionetworkPatrick Riccards is chief communications and

Surprises in the Proposed Federal Budget for Education

Feb 20th, 2020 3m 39s

The administration's education priorities and its proposed budget are now available for all to see. But a surface review might miss a surprising but unintended possibility.Follow on Twitter: @eduflack @bamradionetworkPatrick Riccards is chie

Students Say Social Media Is Tearing Us Apart: How Do We Reverse the Trend?

Feb 10th, 2020 4m

According to a new study, the irony of social media and connected education is that it's tearing students (and us) apart. What are we going to do about that?Follow on Twitter: @eduflack @bamradionetworkPatrick Riccards is chief communication

Getting the Most Learning from the Exceptional Teachable Moments Ahead

Feb 4th, 2020 3m 48s

As we look out on the next 10 months we see numerous teachable moments on the horizon. How can we make the best of these opportunities in our classrooms?Follow on Twitter: @eduflack @bamradionetworkPatrick Riccards is chief communications an

[OPINION] Solving the School Prayer Problem You May Not Know We Have

Jan 21st, 2020 3m 58s

Prayer in school is back in the news with a new policy from the administration that aims to solve a problem you may not know we have.Follow on Twitter: @eduflack @bamradionetworkPatrick Riccards is chief communications and strategy officer fo

Per Pupil Spending: Is This the Magic Metric We Need to Watch?

Jan 16th, 2020 4m 2s

We have spent a lot of time and energy debating the impact of per-pupil spending on academic achievement. What have we learned?Follow on Twitter: @eduflack @bamradionetworkPatrick Riccards is chief communications and strategy officer for the

Wait! Are You Teaching Civics, History, or Social Studies From a Text Book Written Decades Ago?

Jan 6th, 2020 3m 57s

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts recently sounded the alarm. Teaching civics has fallen by the wayside during a time when civic education is more important to our students than ever. What do we need to do to bring the way we are teachi

An Historic Teachable Moment: Is It Too Hot For Classroom Discussion?

Dec 12th, 2019 3m 46s

It’s times like these that scream out for us to discuss with our students what’s going on in the world around us. Are we prepared to teach at this most critical teachable moment?Follow on Twitter: @eduflack @bamradionetworkPatrick Riccards