Author Archives: Janet McMonagle

AFT and NCLB: Well, Let’s Write a Strong Letter to Congress!

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), a union of over 1.3 million members just delivered it’s petition on No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to Congress. Actually, they delivered it to Hilary Clinton. They got a nice photo op too! A whole 10,000 people signed it. That’s online and offline. That’s members AND supporters. That’s less than 1 percent of their membership! I’m so underwhelmed just thinking about it. If 10,000 people sign something in my town of 27,000, that’s a huge message. But a whole 10,000 people out of 1.3 million members? AND additional supporters? The AFT has been doing … Continue reading →

The Scripps National Spelling Bee – Can You Spell These Words?

Weltschmerz Weltschmertz Ursprache Nope, spell check does not work for everything. Spell check correctly identified the first word, Weltschmerz. It correctly identified that the second spelling, weltschmertz, is incorrect, but had no suggestions for it. Ditto Ursprache. But ursprache is correct. After 20 rounds of competition, it was the winning word for 13 year old Katherine (Kerry) Close of New Jersey last night in the 79th Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee. Katherine won over $40,000 worth of prizes, was the first champion to be featured in a prime time broadcast on ABC, and defeated 275 finalists. “But mom,” my 15 … Continue reading →

No Child Left Behind Hoax- Now Coming to an Email Near You!

Well, now it is official. No Child Left Behind is so embedded in the American educational system that an urban legend has been spawned about it! If you are part of a parent/teacher network, a community education group, a watchdog group, or receive e mails about education in general, you are likely to have received this ridiculous piece of hogwash. These hoaxes take on a life of their own, so please be careful before you pass it on. Please take a look at the commentary about the actual policies in the above link. A response from the Department of Education … Continue reading →

Update on Extreme Makeover – (Accessible) Home Edition

Here’s a little update on the house in Bergenfield NJ which will be featured this July in a special 2 hour Extreme Makeover Home Edition. The family has received a charitable gift of $150,000 from the Pinnacle Foundation to cover the increased costs of property taxes for five years, assist with mortgage payments, and to fund the education of their children. Pinnacle Companies built the new house, which is a showpiece of technology that enables people with disabilities to lead comfortable lives. The technology goes beyond mere adaptations and accessibility, it has applications for everyone. The house shows that when … Continue reading →

Bigger Houses

You’re right. Houses are getting bigger. Families purchasing new construction are opting for homes with open floor plans, more bathrooms, two and three car garages, great rooms, high ceilings. And why not? These homes are often well designed, comfortable, and easy living for a family. Some families are finding however, that there are tradeoffs. You can afford a great big house in a neighborhood with a great big commute. Or the cost of maintaining the home is causing you to work more hours, away from your home and family. Perhaps the effort of upkeep is not worth it to you … Continue reading →

Charter Schools

If you would like to find out more about charter schools in your state, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is a good place to start. This national organization keeps tabs on all the statistics for funding, performance, and start ups of new charter schools in each state. These are schools of choice, but they are public schools, featuring innovative curriculum and freedom from some of the regulations found in regular public schools. For a charter school to be successful, parents, teachers and students must be clear about it’s mission, focus on curriculum, goals, needs of the community and … Continue reading →

English College Professors Vote to Boycott Israel Academics

The 67,000 member National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education voted on Monday to encourage a boycott of Israeli academics who have not publicly renounced what it calls Israel’s “apartheid” policies. The boycott is not mandatory, rather it encourages members to cut professional ties with colleagues in Israel who have not publicly renounced the construction of the wall and separate educational systems. Last year a similar action was considered by the American Association of University Teachers, but was withdrawn after criticism of some members. The position of the English academics is somewhat controversial. At their annual conference, the … Continue reading →

The Scripps National Spelling Bee – This Year Broadcast in Prime Time!

It’s that time of year again! The Scripps National Spelling Bee is currently underway in Washington DC for the 79th time. 4 rounds of competition were held today, with championship rounds taking place tomorrow, June 1. The National Spelling Bee was started in 1925 by the Louisville Courier-Journal. In 1941 it was taken over by Scripps, a media company. With the exception of World War II years 1943 and 1944, the competition has been held every year. Only three times have there been co champions. There have been a total of 81 champions, 42 girls and 39 boys. Take a … Continue reading →

Summertime Summertime Sumsumsummertime

What are you doing for summer? The answer to this question has been planned by many parents since January. Summer camps often have their registration in the winter, and their spaces fill up quickly. Sports clinics also have their registration in winter and spring – either they fill, or if there is not enough interest, they are cancelled. Then there are the special programs – the orchestra camps complete with concert schedule for six weeks, the day camps that function as daycare, the honors courses for bright students. Summer can be exhausting! Oh, and teens often learn to drive and … Continue reading →

Year End Thank Yous

The end of the year is approaching, and with it, all the end of the year activities, commencements, ceremonies, programs, and goodbyes. It is a time of year to say thank you to those who have worked very hard for our children, to express appreciation, to acknowledge growth and progress. There are unique ways that you can show appreciation without resorting to yet another plant, gift shop doodad, or too personal a gift. The last year that I had a child in elementary school, I took an ad in the parent association fundraising journal. I named every single teacher who … Continue reading →