Ask a child what he did in school today and more likely than not, he'll say "nothing." As parents, we crave information about our kids, but they aren't always very forthcoming with details. To get answers, many mamas turn to their tykes' teachers, often cornering them during inconvenient times like drop-off or pick-up. To make the system easier, many teachers have set up classroom email accounts Read more

The great teaching debate has everyone talking. The Los Angeles Times recently released the results of the LA Unified School District's value-added scores which measure how well a teacher has improved a student's test scores compared to the previous year. The difference between a student's current score and her expected performance based on past test scores is the teacher's estimated "value." Read more

There's a new type of parent/teacher conference! Education has moved to the Internet with everything from supply lists to grades to school assignments being posted online. Some really involved mothers befriend their kiddo's teacher via Facebook. Educators often have their professional life while keeping classroom hours and a social break after the final bell rings. Do you think parents Read more

A Massachusetts teacher should have taught herself this lesson: don't post anything on social networking sites that you want to keep private. June Talvitie-Siple was forced to resign after she made unfavorable comments about students and their parents on her Facebook page. According to one report, Talvitie-Siple used the terms "germbags," "arrogant," and "snobby," believing that she was talking Read more

I met the head of my college's English department the first day of my junior year. Swedish and 6'5", he was like a 40-something Alexander Skarsgård. He was a Renaissance man, and by that I mean he taught literature from the 16th and 17th centuries. It wasn't my area of interest, so he told me he'd be my adviser until I found someone more appropriate. I didn't think that would be necessary, I Read more