Unschooling offers Tiana Kubik’s family a chance to stay connected while learning. “It’s about creating a culture in our home that allows us all to thrive and learn together.”
CPS High School Admissions: Cut-Off Scores
Usually I hate the whole high school admissions process in Chicago Public Schools–it puts 7th-graders under undue stress and reminds us forcefully of the system’s baked-in inequity of opportunity. However, last night it was a pleasant relief to see parents on my Facebook feed celebrating their children’s high school acceptances. So, in hopes that talking about high school admissions is…
Rebuilding Classroom Communities Means Getting Connected in Every Way Possible
This is what my classroom looks like now: Twenty video squares light up my screen, Brady Bunch style. Each vignette holds a teenage student, encapsulated in their own world. One strokes a golden retriever, one lounges in pink-spotted pajamas, another chases a little brother out of frame. At the end of our meeting time, the girl in the pink pajamas…
My COVID-19 Homeschool Doesn’t Look Like This, And That’s OK
A friend of mine–who, not surprisingly, is a teacher–planned this daily COVID-19 homeschool schedule for her kids. I’m impressed by her ability to develop such a well-planned daily routine. And, my days working from home with my 10-year-old in tow will never look exactly like this. Fellow COVID-19 homeschool parents, fear not if you don’t have your kids’ days planned…
When This Crisis Is Over, You Can Count on Me for Free Hugs
“This next assignment may be challenging for some of you,” said Laurie Mulvey, one of my favorite college professors. “What I want you to do is create a sign that says ‘Free Hugs’ and then go to a safe location and hold it up. Give wholehearted hugs to those who take you up on it. But, most importantly… notice. Notice…
What’s Happening to School Nurses Not Directly Hired by CPS? A Nurse Tells Her Story
For many years, the issue of school nurses in Chicago Public Schools has been a sore point for kids, parents and the nurses themselves. Last year, according to WBEZ, the district had only directly hired 300 school nurses, though it operates more than 500 schools. Since the mid-1990s, CPS has been contracting with private nurse staffing agencies to fill the…
High School Students: Codecademy Offers Free Scholarships Now
For a motivated high school student who wants to learn job-ready skills related to computer programming or data science, online boot camp Codecademy is offering 10,000 scholarships for high school and college students. Codecademy offers free courses all the time, but its paid Pro level comes with live help from advisers via chat. It relies more on text than on…
Learning Differently From Home: One Mother’s Story
Diana Chacon, of Chicago’s McKinley Park neighborhood, is the mom of 6-year-old Leo, an active, curious boy who happens to have ADHD. I spoke with her yesterday about how she and Leo are learning and managing from home. Being home all day is tough, especially for a child as sociable and physically active as Leo. “He misses his friends. He…