What's Good?

Recently on TLN the supremely awesome and totally radical Ellen (Blissed out in San Diego) asked us, "What's good in education? I am going to post my list below but the great thing was that the ever attuned John Norton smelled a TLN group article and published some of what each one of us said at teachermagazine.org. Then, Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, the tech Guru(ess?) at 21st Century Learning published her list. So, I thought, wouldn't it be nice to generate some positive Chi or Karma or whatever and challenge some other edbloggers to come up with a list.

Mr. Russo, Ms. Jacobs, Ms. Wonkette... consider this a challenge.

So, what's GOOD AND RIGHT in your educational world right now? No qualifiers, no buts, just a celebration and appreciation of what is wonderful.

My student who is fighting leukemia is in remission and will spend a month
at home communicating with our class using her blog and a webcam.

70% of my at-risk 4 year olds are reading at a Kindergarten early first
grade level.

My assistant doesn't hate me (she is new) and she came into work on a day
she was planning to be out because I was going to miss a half-day.

United Streaming.

Blogs let me have conversations with policywonks that wouldn't look me in
the eye in person.

My state level teacher leaders network (the Virginia forum) is back on its
feet.

In 2001 president Bush implemented a standardized test for preschool. It was
put into place to help defund Head Start. Since kids all over the country
did great on the test, because it was not a valid assessment, and because it
is stupid to test preschoolers, it has been dropped from the Head Start
reauthorization.

No more administering national tests for preschoolers. YEAH!