Monthly Archives: November 2008
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. … Continue reading
Filed under Drinking Age
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 … Continue reading
Filed under Meal Programs
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. … Continue reading
Filed under Cell Phones
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 … Continue reading
Filed under Differentiated Instruction, Inquirer Articles
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 … Continue reading
Filed under Textbook Shortage
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 … Continue reading
Filed under Performance Pay
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 … Continue reading
Filed under Dr. Ackerman's Strategic Plan
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 … Continue reading
Filed under Parental Involvement
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 … Continue reading
Filed under English Language Learners
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 … Continue reading
Filed under Dr. Ackerman's Strategic Plan, SRC
