Finding Common Ground - Education Week Blog
There is so much debate in education, whether we are talking about public education, private education, inequalities in what is offered to children, or high stakes testing and property tax caps. Media outlets have a tendency to focus on the negative side of debates and sometimes they vilify people in the process. Finding Common Ground is not about vilifying people but searching for a common understanding.
As educators we have a positive or negative impact on our students and it is up to us to decide which one is the way we wish to be remembered. Three days a week, Peter explores issues that cover the emotional and social issues children face. He has focused on high-stakes testing, teacher and administrator evaluation, safeguarding LGBT students, drop-out prevention, school discipline, reaching students who are at-risk, and other topics that effect educators, students and parents every day.
In addition to writing blogs that focus on those important issues, Peter has also had the opportunity to interview some of the most recognizable names in education such as Diane Ravitch, Richard Rothstein, Howard Gardner, Carol Ann Tomlinson, Michael Fullan, Charlotte Danielson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Todd Whitaker and many others.
Two of Peter's most popular blogs are No Testing Week and High Stakes Testing is Not a 21st Century Skill and Why educators should join Twitter. No Testing Week is something Peter created to take the focus off of testing in the school where is the principal and put it on the students. All educators should have some weeks that are free from testing.
Finding Common Ground is read nationally and internationally. He enjoys hearing from readers, so if you like/dislike something you read on Finding Common Ground, contact him at toasterpond@hotmail.com. Hopefully we can all find some common ground together.
