I’m going to a bloggers conference. My first. I am qualified because I write this blog. But maybe there’s something else that qualifies me. I write what matters to me. I represent 3.2 million educators in America’s public schools, colleges and universities. And when you represent people, you try to give voice to them. 
But that’s not what I do in this blog.
In this blog, I am selfish. I don’t write what somebody tells me to write. I don’t write about something that someone voted on. I write about something that matters to me.
I feel justified because, after all, I’m one of those 3.2 million educators. I figure I was elected because somebody out there liked what I had to say and how I said it. So I’m going to a bloggers conference to meet other people who don’t let somebody tell them what to write or what to feel.
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Posted in: Education, Events, Policy.
Tagged: Education · education caucus · lily eskelsen · netroots nation · nn10
I wasn’t all that excited about spending a rare vacation day as the guest speaker at a high school summer class this week. But it was irresistible. The topic was: Teachers. And what we wanted. And why. And I could give my opinions.
I said to the kids, “You’re building the perfect teacher. Give me a word that describes this person.”
They started shouting out: Caring. Fun. Smart. Competent. Inspiring. Energizing. Understanding. Interesting. Fair. Respectful. A Good Listener. A Good Student.
(“A Good Student? “ I asked. “Yes,” said a girl. “I want a teacher who’s always learning.”)
Wow. I mean, really. Wow.
I explained that I represented 3.2 million educators who wanted to be all those things.
I explained that we live in a world where hundreds of thousands of politicians wanted us to be all those things. Business Billionaires. Rocket Scientists. Mommies. They all want us to be all those things.
The kicker is ‘How’.
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Posted in: Education, General.
Tagged: education reform · teachers
I used to have a bulletin board in my classroom that read: Thou Shalt Not Whine. In my 6th grade, you weren’t allowed to complain about something unless the next words out of your mouth were: And here’s what I’m going to do about it.
I was proud of the passion that some of our most accomplished teachers and support professionals threw into Doing Something about preparing our students for the skills and knowledge they will need to succeed in the 21st Century.
I was proud that we didn’t wait for the federal government to get this right. States (who own the primary responsibility for educating their communities’ children) decided not to whine about the testing insanity that has come to replace standards.
Amazing state partners came together to Do Something about it and create voluntary Common Core State Standards outlining what students should know and be able to do.
The federal government gave us the mindless gimmick called No Child Left Untested. It’s a testing game that has abandoned real standards. The Common Core takes us in a different direction. It’s is a critical first step in an effort to provide every student with a comprehensive, content-rich and complete education that develops the whole, blessed child.
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Posted in: Education, General, No Child Left Behind, testing.
I knew what was coming. I knew from the pre-show questions the producer asked me off camera how “balanced” the Friends would be.
Q. Wouldn’t you say that the key to reform is to fire bad teachers, which is now impossible?
A. Well, I’m so glad you asked the question because a lot of people out there don’t understand that all teachers have is a fair way for a good teacher to defend herself if she is treated unfairly and that process is develo…
Q. Excuse me, but wouldn’t you say that it’s impossible to reform schools because unions protect bad teachers from being fired?
A. Again, there’s a lot of misunderstanding. Our unions reformed teacher pay and dismissal processes years ago to protect good people from being fired because an administrator didn’t like a teacher’s religion or wanted to pay men more than women or lay off black teachers before white teachers. We work to make sure good people are protected from discrim…
Q. Excuse me again, but wouldn’t you say that the problem with schools today comes down to bad teachers and the unions that protect them?
A. Oh fer cryin out loud are you totally out of your mi…
So, I knew what was coming.
I had my few minutes on Fox & Friends to discuss what needed to be done to help the children who live in our country’s most challenged neighborhoods and who come to school with every disadvantage imaginable.
I knew the questions would all be hostile. I knew that the guest on my right would blame our teachers. I knew the guest on my left would blame our unions. I didn’t want to blame anybody. I wanted to talk about Putnam City West High School. Continue reading →
Posted in: Education.
Tagged: Media · priority schools
May 21st, 2010
by Team Lily.
Lily has a great new podcast on the Keep Our Educators Working Act.
Listen to Lily’s interview on education jobs, and then take action! Please join the “Speak Up For Education and Kids” page on Facebook, and check out this flier for information on calling your members of Congress!
Posted in: Podcast.
Tagged: jobs · Keep Our Educators Working Act · Podcast
