Why Lower the Drinking Age? To Avoid Responsibility

by Christopher Paslay
 
I’ll tell it to you straight: The Amethyst Initiative, the movement by college administrators to lower the drinking age to 18 in the United States, is a sham.  A fraud.  A farce in five acts.
 
Founded by John McCardell, former president of Middlebury College in Vermont, and supported by presidents from over 100 of [...]

Thanksgiving is a Time to Feel Grateful, Not Guilty

by Christopher Paslay
 
As my wife and I prepared for today’s Thanksgiving dinner earlier this morning (it’s at our house for the first time this year), all at once it hit me how lucky we are, how fortunate we are to have our health and a great house and a caring family to share the holidays [...]

District Must Declare War on Cell Phones

by Christopher Paslay
 
In an article last spring in the Philadelphia Inquirer, local radio talk show host Michael Smerconish proposed that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania should take the death penalty off the books because it is so rarely enforced. 
 
“. . . the death penalty in the commonwealth is a sham, a paper tiger, and a form [...]

Bring Tracking Back to Classes

by Christopher Paslay
 
Ask any professor of education about differentiated instruction and they’ll tell you it’s the hottest thing since Joe the Plumber.  For those not up to date with current education jargon, allow me to give a textbook definition of differentiated instruction:
 
“To differentiate instruction is to recognize students varying background knowledge, readiness, language, preferences in [...]

Where Are All the District’s Textbooks?

by Christopher Paslay
 
At a recent School Reform Commission meeting, a freshman at Sayre High School complained to District officials about her school’s lack of textbooks (Shortage of books plagues some city schools, Inquirer, 11/20/08).  She explained that each of her classes had only one set of books, and that she wasn’t issued an extra copy [...]

Can Performance Pay for Teachers Work in Philadelphia?

by Christopher Paslay
 
It’s no secret that Philadelphia School District officials are looking to implement performance-based teacher pay in an effort to increase student achievement.  Although statistics show that performance pay is used in 10 percent of America’s school districts and affects up to 20 percent of K-12 teachers and students, awarding pay bonuses to teachers [...]

District’s Strategic Plan Must Reflect Its Core Beliefs

by Christopher Paslay
 
Currently, the Philadelphia School District has five Core Beliefs:
 
          1.  Children come first.
 
          2.  Parents are our partners.
 
          3.  Victory is in the classroom and facilitated by a strong instructional leader.
 
          4.  Leadership and accountability are the keys to success.
 
          5.  It takes the engagement of the entire community [...]

10 Reasons Why Philadelphia Parents Don’t Attend Teacher Conferences

by Christopher Paslay
 
Parental involvement in Philadelphia public schools is notoriously low.  Over the past decade, less than 10% of my students’ mothers and fathers have shown up for school functions such as Back to School Night and Report Card Night. 
         
Colleagues of mine from other parts of the city report the same problem: The [...]

Parents of Immigrant Children Must Help Shoulder Language Burden

by Christopher Paslay
 
Last Sunday, 200 parents of non-English speaking families gathered in a South Philadelphia church to complain to district officials that they wanted more bilingual accommodations in schools. 
 
Although I’m a committed educator, I admit I feel a pang of anger when I hear parents of immigrant children complaining about the lack of language [...]

Parent Roundtables are a Step in the Right Direction

by Christopher Paslay
 
I must give the Philadelphia School District credit: They have publicly acknowledged that parental and community involvement is an important part of improving education in the city of Philadelphia.  Last Thursday night (11/6), Dr. Arlene Ackerman hosted the first in a series of monthly parent roundtables at district headquarters at 440 North Broad [...]