Amy P.’s Post

Students’ scores in mathematics and reading continue to decline nationwide. At the same time, public school principals continue to leave the profession. Building strong school leadership may help turn the tide on these trends. Roger Goddard and Minjung Kim, both faculty in the Department of Educational Studies, will conduct new research to examine the impact of an improved leadership professional learning intervention. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3Bs6zad.

Whitehead on Education Read his Twelve Principles of Education and then do an honest accounting of how many of these you recognize in today's KPI-obsessed schooling. This is not a flippant remark. There are many decent and recent scholarly studies that point to the origins of our modern maladies as society and leadership "getting dumber" over time. This itself is a complex set of ideas, including, of course, Iain McGilchrist's claims that modernity has self-selected for left-brain-ism, as laid out in his magnum opus The Master and His Emissary -- https://lnkd.in/gC6siKK5 Arguments more from a pedagogical stance are well made in Taylor-Gatto's book: Dumbing Us Down -- https://lnkd.in/gK2nh7M2 (Note: the attached article also contains link to Sir Ken Robinson's widely seen TED talk about Creativity and Education -- A MUST WATCH) https://lnkd.in/gXrsdVAQ

Thinking about new ways to organize a school?- you might want to check out this resource: https://lnkd.in/er_5EGDy "How Much Does a Great School Cost?" is chock full of novel and inspiring ideas about how schooling could be radically different and would cost less. If you are dissatisfied by current schooling and want to be stimulated to new action that will radically improve learning read this book, and start using some of its ideas."-- Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto, Author of Leading in a Culture of Change

Article - The Importance of producing high-quality graduates At the core of my work as principal was a heartfelt dedication to student outcomes. That is the reason I became a teacher in the first place. I loved teaching. I wanted to shape young people's lives, inspire them and educate them. I wanted to show them they could be something more wonderful than they ever thought possible. A teacher’s impact on a young adult continues into the next generation. It makes sense that one of my core values as a principal was to ensure that each student graduated from my school with hope and the anticipation of a bright future. Read the full article here - https://lnkd.in/gWd7qsF8 #educationalleadership #schooloutcomes #principals #aspiringprincipals

Ever pondered the transformative power of exigency in higher education? 🤔 ✨ 📘 Authored by Chuck Ambrose & Mike Nietzel, this read is lauded for its clear, accessible insights and actionable advice for leaders and boards eyeing significant changes. But here's the question: Do you agree with their stance on utilizing exigency as a positive force? 🛠️💡 This book isn't just for the decision-makers; it's crucial for faculty and staff too, prepping them for potential shifts and arming them with knowledge on exigency arguments. 📖🎓 What's your take on this approach? Could it be the playbook we need for navigating higher ed's complex landscape? 🚀 #EducationReform #HigherEd #LeadershipDebate

Open Letter to NYSC Corps Members. Dear Corps Members, I write to you with a matter of great urgency that concerns the future of our students and the integrity of our educational standards. During my junior secondary school years, I encountered a #mathematics #teacher—a Corps member—who, despite his best intentions, ruined and made mathematics hell for us. This experience left many of us grappling with the subject throughout our senior secondary school, struggling to rebuild a shaky foundation. It has come to my attention that this was not an isolated incident. There are numerous accounts of Corps members avoiding complex topics, sidestepping questions, and leaving students without a thorough understanding of the subject. This practice not only undermines the students' learning experience but also erodes the very standards we strive to uphold in education. The question then arises: why are Corps members assigned to classrooms if not to enhance the learning journey of these young minds? The answer should be self-evident; to impart knowledge and inspire a love for learning. However, when Corps members are placed in roles that do not align with their expertise, both the students and the Corps members are set up for failure. To those of you serving in the classroom, I implore you to embrace this challenge as an opportunity for growth. If you find yourself teaching subjects that once posed difficulties for you, take this as a chance to master them. Prepare diligently for your classes, seek out resources, and engage with educational content that can bolster your understanding and teaching methods. Remember, the year you spend teaching can profoundly influence the lives of your students. It can either be a year of positive impact or a year that hinders their academic progress. Choose to make it the former. Strive to be the teacher who lights the way, not the one who dims the prospects of our future leaders. In service to education and our collective future. Lotachukwu Ernest Eze #Education #NYSC #Teaching #Learning #UnlockBigchange #Students #Nigeria

*Professors and Mediocrity?— Oui* Here’s an excerpt that hits too close to home re- professors, academia, higher education culture, the ‘fight’ for relevance, and most importantly, excellence vs mediocrity, from one of my favorite reads- The Four- by Scott Galloway. “The top dozen professors at Stern are in demand globally and get paid $50,000 or more to speak at a lunch. I’d venture their average annual income is $1 million to $3 million. The rest (“good”) are now competing with Khan Academy and the University of Adelaide (both offer “good,” the former online). These “good” professors teach executive education for modest extra income, or complain about the dean in a primal scream for relevance, as they make a fraction of what their (marginally) better colleagues make. The difference between good and great can be 10 percent or less, but the delta in rewards is closer to 10 times. The “good” professor’s average annual income is $120,000 to $300,000, and they are overpaid—and easily replaced. The university can’t fire them, thanks to tenure, so it pretends to be concerned and (mostly) ignores them. It makes them department chairs, assigns them to committees, and comes up with a host of excuses for their mediocrity.” Scott Galloway. The Four. Penguin Publishing Group Your take? Video- DC Monuments- Happy Fourth #academia #highereducation #tenure #professors #goodreads #happyfourth #july4 #dc #excellence #mediocrity

🌍📏 What should we value in education? Join the discussion on the importance of values in measuring educational institutions. Find out why philosophers of education should be part of the conversation in our latest blog post! #EducationValues #PhilosophyMatters #Measurement https://lnkd.in/gsre6CpH

Deficit-minded thinking kills dreams and allows a system that helped to create inequalities in the first place keep going. “This approach also implicitly encourages deficit-minded thinking. Instead of addressing a fragmented curriculum as contributing to the problem of student attrition, or reflecting on opportunities to improve instruction, or asking what the institution could do to support students in entry-level general education courses, deficit-minded thinking ascribes students’ challenges to their own lack of preparation or low motivation, or worse, places the onus on already marginalized students for the fact that the system fails them, further perpetuating inequities. We must take responsibility for problems caused by generations of deficit-minded thinking around student failure.” — Radical Reimagining for Student Success in Higher Education by Jo Arney, Timothy Dale, et al. https://a.co/1xHiEXZ

Regardless of developments, the future of higher Ed, at its core, is students and education. Teaching/education-focused specialists know this, face this, and the new network #TEFA outlined here, is: Inclusive: recognising the diversity in teaching/education-focused roles including levels, disciplines, titles, and workload. Open: co-creating a safe (and brave) space for teaching/education-focused academics who wish to connect and share, including their allies, sponsors, and similar third space colleagues. Visible and Valued: raising awareness of and advancing the important work of teaching/education-focusedacademics across the Australian HE sector. Community-led: For teaching/education-focused academics, by teaching/education-focused academics relying on teaching/education-focused participation and contributions.