Move over Kid President, how about Kid Superintendent!

Check out this awesome idea started by @rock_supt in the Rockwood School District... sorry Kid President, perhaps it's time for you to move over! :)

"I want to find someone who can help me with an important mission," says Dr. Knost. "We need a voice – a Rockwood Kid Superintendent – to be the ambassador for the 21,500 students in Rockwood."

Read the entire post on Rockwood's website about how a student can be the student representative for the Rockwood School District: http://goo.gl/oqKLwC 

What an awesome idea! Hopefully by sharing this, other districts will start their search for their first Kid Superintendent.

Is this really what we want in our schools?

I walk down the halls of an elementary school and catch sight of a group of students walking single file.

The teacher walks at the front of the line as each student follows the one in front of them like a line of baby ducklings following their mother.

All the students are looking straight ahead with their hands crossed neatly behind their backs.

Perhaps most noticeably, all the students have their cheeks puffed out full of air making what teachers and students know as 'bubbles.'

Read more here about these 'bubbles:' http://goo.gl/VWzgZi

Another teacher walks by and praises the students for creating such a wonderful line while having some of the biggest and best bubbles she has ever seen.

The students aren't making any noise and are marching almost militantly down the hall toward their next destination.

Full disclosure... I've never been an elementary teacher nor have I ever worked in an elementary school. So, it's quite possible that I'm missing the boat here and don't fully understand the justification of this practice.

I do, however, understand the importance of walking the halls without disrupting others and I understand keeping one's hands to themselves. I also understand that some of our early elementary students have never had any type of structure in their lives, so their ability to act around others can be challenging.

Having said all that, I just wonder if there is another way we can accomplish what we are trying to accomplish without this rigidity... I wonder if this is how I'm going to want my son, Emory, to be treated...

Check out some of the responses I got on Twitter when I tweeted this question: image: https://twitter.com/justintarte/status/637989365105467392

10 unique and creative classroom designs:

@bball_tracyj's 5 grade classroom at Clark Vitt Elementary

Library video production room at @umswildcats

@jkelley7222's classroom at Beaufort Elementary

Kim Bruno's 4th grade classroom at Clark Vitt Elementary

@erobbins2ndgrade's classroom at Central Elementary

The reading tree in @misshinsonin3rd's classroom at Central Elementary

Continued from above...

@megangerling's kindergarten 'think table' at Beaufort Elementary

@jhalltech's video production room at Union High School

'Readbox' Image via @crestviewmiddle

Each student has their own mobile space for materials in @bobblehead99's 5th grade classroom

Continued from above...

@bobblehead99's 5th grade classroom at Beaufort Elementary

10 reasons it's a great time to be in #education

As many of us start up or get ready to start up another school year, we have much to look forward to and much to be excited about. Here are 10 reasons why I believe it's a great time to be in education:

1) - Global competition is increasing and the pool for career opportunities is becoming more fierce. As the world seems to get smaller, students are being forced to compete with an even larger pool of applicants for colleges, for jobs, and for life in general. It's my belief that through this increase in competition, both schools and students will rise to the occasion to ensure all kids are prepared to be successful regardless of what path they choose in life.

2) - Everyone thinks they know what is best for education. Now, some would argue this is a bad thing, but the reality is, everyone and their mom (I love you mom) seem to think they are an expert in education. On the positive side, this has brought education to the forefront as of the most important and pressing issues facing society. The fact that everyone has a past education experience means education will always remain a top priority.

3) - Technology is changing the way the world does business. Technology is enabling things to happen that were never before possible. This has huge implications for education as a whole. Education systems are no longer limited to what they can or can't do; they are limited to their creativity and their ability to think innovatively.

4) - Students are bringing more and more knowledge and experience into the educational setting than ever before. When in history have students been able to teach the teachers and be an instrumental part to the educational process as much as they are now? This shift has continued to push the mindset that educators are no longer simply dispensers of knowledge; but rather are facilitators and instigators of self-directed learning by students. In this environment, educators can learn just as much from their students as the students can learn from them.

5) - College education programs are getting better and better. Now, I'm not saying we can't continue to improve here, but I believe college education programs are doing a better job of preparing young teachers to be successful in an education career. This includes moving education programs away from just theory and approach to actual hands-on learning alongside mentor teachers. More college education programs are getting future teachers into classrooms earlier on and pairing them with more experienced mentors. Not perfect yet, but definitely getting better.

6) - More and more districts are collaborating with local businesses. This is a very exciting aspect of education now. Local businesses and the overall business industry have a vested interest in seeing kids who are prepared and are ready for the work force. The more partnerships that are formed between school districts and the business industry, the better prepared our kids will be upon entering the job market.

7) - We are learning that money is not the single determining factor for student success. It's easy to believe and often misleading when people say that money is the most important factor when determining overall student success. First off, we need to discuss what 'student success' means, but secondly, there are countless examples of schools and districts that are finding success who would not be characterized as 'wealthy' schools or districts. Of course, money does help, but don't assume if you don't have money you can't find success. Success may not be easy to find, but I assure you it comes in more forms than just the green type.

8) - Schools are once again becoming the center and hub of the community. Too often there is a disconnect between the schools and the community in which they serve. This is slowly but surely changing. Our schools in our districts are becoming centralized hubs of not only student learning, but also learning for parents and people within the community. If schools aren't there to serve the community, then how could we ever say we are truly serving our students?

9) - Innovation and creativity are all around us. Keep your eyes and ears open because there are a lot of great things happening in education. As schools and districts continue to do a better job of telling their stories, the positives of education are becoming more and more prevalent. What once was a story dominated by all the negatives, is slowly shifting toward a story that emphasizes the positives and the opportunities around us.

10) - Every single day educators get to impact, influence, encourage, support, guide and help students become the best they can be. If this doesn't make you feel that it's a great time to be in education, then perhaps it's best you make room for someone who does...

The importance of student-teacher relationships: From the mind of a 6th grader...

At our all staff district kick-off event, our superintendent asked a 6th grade student from one of our elementary schools to speak on the critically important topic of student-teacher relationships.

Imagine how nervous this student was to speak in front of 400+ adults on what it means to have positive relationships between students and teachers.

Though scared and nervous... I think he nailed it!


Here are Tanner's top tips for good relationships between students and teachers:

1). Good relationships with students increase their focus because if you like your teacher, you're going to pay attention to her/him.

2). Relationships decide what type of attitude your classroom has. If you have good relationships with your students, you will probably have less 'I don't want to learn attitudes.'

3). Relationships decide a student's attitude toward school and affect their self-esteem. A good relationship between a teacher and a student helps their self-esteem because the student knows you care about them and they want to think good about themselves.

4). Your relationship with your students mostly decides how much respect you get.

What a powerful message from a 6th grade student! Thank you for sharing this important message with our staff Tanner!

The ONLY question we should be asking ourselves...

10 questions to help start the grading conversation at your school:

1). Do you include student behaviors (effort, participation, adherence to class rules, etc...) in student grades?

2). Do you believe in grade reduction for work turned in late?

3). Do you believe extra credit and bonus points should be a part of a student's grade?

4). Should academic dishonesty result in a reduced grade?

5). Should group work be graded on a group basis or on an individual basis?

6). Do you include pop quizzes and timed assessments in your overall assessment structure?

7). Do you believe every activity or assignment that is completed should be graded and recorded in the gradebook?

8). Do you average all of a student's scores throughout the course of the semester?

9). Do you believe all students should be doing the same assessments for it to be fair?

10). Do you believe there is a place for zeros in grade reporting?

10 questions to ask yourself before giving an assessment:

1). What's the point and purpose of the assessment?

2). Is this a preventative check-up (formative) type assessment or an autopsy (summative) type assessment?

3). Did your students have any voice and input into the assessment design and/or assessment process?

4). Are you able to assess more than one learning objective/goal with this assessment or is the assessment isolated to one specific learning objective/goal?

5). Is the assessment aligned to what you are currently teaching in a format similar to the way you've been conducting your instruction?

6). Will you provide multiple assessment formats for students to demonstrate their mastery/skills in a way of their choosing or will there be just one format? 

7). Does the assessment have a learning component to it that supplements the current learning objectives and goals?

8). Does the assessment allow for students to self-assess and track their overall understanding of the content/skills?

9). Are there a wide-range of questions at varying degrees of difficulty? What is the ratio of level 1 basic recall questions to level 4 higher order thinking questions?

10). Will you allow redos of this assessment? If not, please refer back to your answers in questions 1 and 2. Does this affect your decision not to allow redos?

BONUS: How authentic and realistic is the assessment format when compared to something a kid would experience when not in the traditional school setting?

10 myths undermining #education...

Myth 1 - Students will abuse and take advantage of a situation if we treat another student 'differently.' We all believe in differentiating, personalizing, and customizing the educational experience for our students as much as possible. Having said that, many believe that if you do something perceived to be 'easier' for one student or you 'cut them slack,' then other students will exploit and use this situation to their advantage. Here's the deal, what's fair isn't always equal, and what's equal isn't always fair, and a majority of students aren't going to take advantage of a situation just because you treated another student 'differently.'

http://goo.gl/Uo2PFN

Myth 2 - Students learn from 'zeros.' When a student receives a zero for not completing an assignment (this could be for numerous different reasons), there's a myth that the student will learn from the zero and learn not to repeat this behavior. For the record, I'm still waiting to find the kid who gets a zero and says 'I have now seen the light and I will no longer commit myself to such atrocities and hence forth all of my future assignments will be turned in completed and on time with a little pretty bow on top...' Zeros teach kids compliance and make grades a weapon rather an instrument for learning.

Myth 3 - Teachers need lots of 'summative' type assessments and excel spreadsheets to determine if a kid has actually mastered the content/skills. Teachers work with their kids on a daily basis and they know their kids really well, both academically and personally. For some kids, they see their teachers more than they do their own parents. It's unprofessional and degrading to educators to think they have to give their students a formalized 'test' just so they can prove what they already know. Save the time, save the aggravation, and focus on continuing to learn...

Myth 4 - More rigor is a good thing. We don't need more rigor in schools... if you've ever seen the definition, then you would probably agree that more rigor is NOT a good thing. How about appropriately challenging our students... that makes more sense to me:

Myth 5 - If a student has an 'A' they've obviously mastered all the content/skills for that particular course. Far too often we get lost in what grades really mean, and unfortunately, we are finding more and more that a grade really isn't very aligned with actual content/skill mastery. Pressure from students, parents, and society, make it difficult to transition away from grades, but the closer and closer we look at grades the further and further away we get from actual definitive proof of learning.

Myth 6 - We have to toughen kids up for the next grade level and/or life experience. How often do we hear a teacher say 'well, in _____ grade this is how they do it.' Or, even better, 'in the real-world you'll have to do _____.' When we say these phrases to kids we are basically saying that their current life and existence pale in comparison to what they will experience next year or later in life. We are also saying that to prepare you for a certain level of misery later in life you need to experience misery now. We don't prepare kids for what's next by making them endure misery now... we teach them and hold them accountable to learning so the next level of misery isn't so miserable.

Myth 7 - When we offer rewards and incentives to get kids to perform at higher levels we are going to get a sustainable and long-lasting positive difference in their effort and overall performance. We live in a society where saying 'what do I get' is far too commonplace. Kids and adults always want to know what's in it for them. This strategy and mindset of using extrinsic motivators and rewards to get better and higher performance is short-term at best. Perhaps you get a boost in performance for a couple weeks, but eventually that 'reward' is going to wear off and the current reward will no longer be enough to warrant that level of performance. True reward is born out of intrinsic motivation and a self-driven interest in doing whatever the task may be. Rewards and incentives are a dangerous game to play and I fear the game has been spinning out of control for a while now...

Myth 8 - Kids need schools to learn. Kids can and are learning all the time. It's time for education to stop assuming that learning can't occur unless it's in a classroom with four walls and a teacher in a school. In fact, we should be embracing and encouraging students to take advantage of the learning that's always around them. The sooner we educators can break down the 'mindset' barrier of when and where learning can occur, the more relevant and applicable formal education will become for our students.

Myth 9 - To be a good and 'tough' teacher, you need to give out tons of homework and do lots of pop quizzes. Parents hate to see their kids at home without any homework because without any homework they assume the students aren't learning anything, thus the teacher must not be teaching anything. This couldn't be further from the truth. Aside from the negative effects of homework and the fact that many students are missing out on what really matters as a young kid growing up, homework is becoming a 'love of learning' killer.

Far too often homework is used to replace a lack of class time and kids are expected to teach themselves and learn on their own. Many kids then struggle and end up doing the work incorrectly anyway. If the kids can already do the work, then homework becomes a simple task of compliance. Lastly, pop quizzes should be avoided. If you trust the validity of your assessments, you shouldn't fear the kid knowing your expectations and knowing the exact time and place of the assessment. Pop quizzes shift the focus away from the content and skills, and put the focus on kids being stressed and pressured... neither of which are good for academic performance.

Myth 10 - School is preparing kids for the real-world. Kids are experiencing the real-world each and every day and believe it or not, school is a part of that real-world. Let's stop treating school and outside of school as two separate entities and acknowledge that the more they become one, the better off our students will be.

Don't give up on sharing that idea...

You know that idea you shared with your colleagues...

You were so excited to share the idea and you spent plenty of time trying to figure out the best way to get this information out to your colleagues. You tried to put yourself in their shoes so you could make this idea relevant and applicable to what they were doing. You even found a couple additional resources to complement the idea you were enthusiastic about sharing. You envisioned their response and knew they would be greatly appreciative of your time and effort to share an idea you think would benefit their practice, and most importantly, their students.

Unfortunately, the way it played out in your head isn't exactly the way it played out in real life...

If you are new in your position or new in your district, or if you are just trying some new things and new approaches, you most likely know what it feels like to share something with such passion and enthusiasm only to feel as if your words were falling on the proverbial deaf ears.

It's not a good feeling, and after getting that feeling several times, it's easy to see how some educators decide to work in isolation and simply focus on doing "their thing" rather than the collaborative and open-communication approach we would all benefit from.

It may be tough not to, but the easy thing to do is to give up on sharing new ideas. New ideas cause people to feel uncomfortable because it is the unknown, and it's human nature to fear what we don't understand. Additionally, it's easy for the person who is sharing these new ideas to be ostracized and cast aside as someone who is "pushing" their own agenda.

What you might not realize is that even though it appears these new ideas are going unnoticed and that people are ignoring anything and everything you say, I can almost guarantee that a few people are taking notice. Even more so, I would be willing to bet they are secretly having conversations about these ideas and possibly even trying them out in their classrooms. 

This won't be evident (at first), but after a while a few pockets of "initiators" will begin to form. People who didn't hear the idea first hand will begin talking about this new approach because they are hearing it second hand from others. You might even get a nice email thanking you for taking the time to share. You might... 

You might also never hear anything. You might never know how this idea or how the time you spent talking about it affected those around you. Even though you might not ever know, is not an excuse to stop doing what you do...

Don't give up on sharing that next idea.

We can't afford for you to give up. Our kids can't afford for you to give up...

8 things every student deserves...

One of the things I miss most about my job is the connection and relationship with students. For me to speak and work with students, I really have to go out of my way and to make it happen. Unfortunately this doesn't happen nearly as often as I would like, but my recognition of that is incentive enough to make it a priority; a renewed priority this school year...

What's clear to me is that our students deserve and need a lot from us:

1). Every student deserves to have someone who won't give up on them; someone who will encourage them, support them, and reassure them that there are those who believe in them. #youmatter

2). Every student deserves to have the appropriate tools and resources available to them that will allow them to find success. We are rightfully obligated to provide the necessary tools for our students, and this must be a part of the bigger picture when it comes to available resources and personnel.

3). Every student deserves to have similar and equal opportunities that others may have; the opportunity gap we have in education is broadening the gap between the 'educated' and the 'non-educated.' We can't continue to allow this to happen when we are talking about access to learning.

4). Every student deserves the benefit of the doubt. Far too often we assume students are doing something wrong and not doing what they are supposed to be doing. When we assume, we tend to be incorrect.

5). Every student deserves a teacher who believes that what's been done in the past is NOT the only factor when determining what to do in the present and what to do in the future. The choices we make affect our students... we can't hold them back because we are scared to do something we aren't comfortable with.

6). Every student deserves the opportunity to design, create, and explore. We must create a safe environment for our students to feel comfortable with doing things they have never done before. This level of comfort and trust makes everything else possible.

7). Every student deserves to have the best teacher. Far too often we put our newest and least experienced teachers with our most challenging and most at-risk students. Shouldn't we have the best teachers and most experienced teachers working with our students who can most benefit from their skills?

8). Every student deserves a teacher who is willing to take a risk and take a chance. Sometimes it's appropriate to play it safe, while other times it's necessary to take a chance and step outside the box. Students all need someone who is willing to be different and someone who is willing to travel this journey with them...

Still not sure about redos/retakes... then read this:

There are still lots of questions in regard to redos/retakes in the educational setting. Many of the questions raise legitimate concerns. It's my hope to address many of those concerns below. I'd like to recognize Rick Wormeli for all his work on this topic as he's been influential in helping move our district forward with our grading and assessment practices.

What about all the time it will take to allow students to do redos/retakes... the schedule is already jam-packed, so where will we find time for this?

This is a valid question and is one of importance. If schools believe 'if' a kid learns is more important than 'when' a kid learns, then redos/retakes should have a place within the school day. Also, we can't expect kids to come in early or stay after to participate in the redo/retake process as not all kids have that opportunity. Redos/retakes are about ensuring kids learn what's needed to be learned... if learning is a priority, then finding time shouldn't be a problem.

What about the kids who take an assessment and then five minutes later say, 'I want to do a redo/retake now.' How is this teaching the student to prepare for an assessment?

For a student to be able to redo/retake an assessment, they should first have to go through a 'relearn' process. Having a redo/retake policy is an opportunity we provide students because we believe learning is a priority. Having said that, a student must first demonstrate through a 'relearn' process that they are indeed ready for a redo/retake. Simply having a kid redo/retake an assessment the next day hasn't allowed that student time to learn the material, so the results of the assessment won't be any different. Whether it means a student doing some additional practice or completing missed work or simply having a short conversation with the teacher, the student must first demonstrate that he/she is ready for a redo/retake before being granted that opportunity.

What about colleges... they don't allow redos/retakes, so shouldn't we be preparing kids for what they will experience in college?

If or whether colleges are allowing redos/retakes frankly shouldn't be a concern of PreK-12 education. At the end of the day our job is to prepare kids to be successful in life. We prepare kids to be successful in life (and college) by ensuring they learn. And to ensure ALL kids learn we need to embrace the practice of redos/retakes. Just because colleges use outdated pedagogical practices doesn't mean we should subject our PreK-12 students to these same practices...

What about the students who don't need the redos/retakes... won't they think this isn't fair?

This is a partial myth... students who demonstrate mastery the first time really don't care if it takes another student three or four times to demonstrate mastery. However, the parents of the students who mastered it the first time are the ones who care because they want to believe their child deserves something more for learning the material faster. Learning isn't a competition, and when we allow it to be, we are creating a hostile environment for all of our students. Also, the students who demonstrate mastery the first time around don't have the same uphill battle as the students who require redos/retakes. The students participating in the redos/retakes are also having to keep up with the current classroom learning so in reality they are doing double the work.

What about cheating since the student will have already seen the assessment... won't they just remember the assessment and then look up the answers?

Sure, this could be a concern if the redo/retake assessment is always exactly the same. The trick here is not always using the same assessment when doing redos/retakes. Allow students the opportunity to demonstrate mastery in a different way to eliminate the concern of cheating and/or memorizing the assessment. Remember, the key of allowing redos/retakes is to aid in the learning process, so if a student is able to demonstrate mastery in a different format, then that should be perfectly acceptable. Also, don't ask students to re-demonstrate mastery once they've already showed you they can do it. Only ask kids to redo/retake the parts of an assessment that weren't done at mastery level to save time and keep the focus on enhancing learning.

What about the grades for all the redos/retakes... since it might take a student multiple attempts to demonstrate mastery, shouldn't all the grades be added together and then averaged?

If we take an average of student grades as they are going through the learning process, then we are reinforcing an environment where students aren't going to want to fail and aren't going to want to take risks. Learning requires failure and requires risk taking, so we shouldn't allow the grades a student receives when first learning the material to negatively impact a student's grade in the end. Practice is practice, and the way a football team practices all week long in preparation for the big game doesn't mean they start with more or less points on Friday night... they still start with zero. Focus on most recent evidence when it comes to mastery and grading. Lastly, when we average grades we distort the overall accuracy of our grades.

What about in the real-world... the real-world doesn't allow redos/retakes so aren't we sending the wrong message to our students?

Dear Principal: A few things I'd like you to know...

Dear Principal,

I'm sure you are just as excited as I am for the upcoming school year. The summer has been full of learning for me and I am definitely recharged and ready to do this!

There are however some things I'd like you to know and some things I will need from you this school year. Please don't take this as me telling you how to do your job, as your job is very difficult and encompasses much that I probably don't understand. Please read this with an open-mind and remember that I love my job and I aim to do what's best for our students.

1). I'm planning to try some new things this year that I've learned this summer as well as just wasn't able to fit in last year.

I need you to understand that when I try these new things they may not go over well. There may be confusion in my classroom and it might just be a total disaster. But, I do promise to learn and improve from what I'm trying. Having said that, if you come in to do an observation and I'm trying something new, I need you to understand I'm taking a risk. And, just as we tell our students, it's OK to fail sometimes because that's an important part of the learning process.

2). If we are going to be gathered for a staff meeting, please do everything in your power to keep it positive and constructive. 

I know the hot trend now is to empower building staff and to allow them to run and control meetings in an effort to get buy-in and to get ownership in the process. I completely agree with this approach, but at the end of the day, you're our leader and I assume you were put in this position because you have a specific skill-set and expertise that allows you to move our building to consensus. Sometimes when teachers lead the meeting, not all voices are heard and the meeting can become disconnected and confrontational. We need you to be present and we need you to ensure this doesn't happen. Most people don't enjoy confrontation, so the idea that we will 'police' ourselves isn't always sound. There is nothing more frustrating than seeing a meeting high-jacked by a personal agenda while building administration sits by and does nothing.

3). If I make a mistake, please let me know. If someone else makes a mistake, please let them know and not me.

There's an epidemic in leadership that undermines the integrity of leaders all around the world. It's simple... don't reprimand and lecture everyone about a problem that you are having with only a few people. As Todd Whitaker would say, don't use the 'blanket monkey' to avoid dealing with those few individuals who are causing the problem. When you speak to the entire group about an issue, we all start to second guess ourselves and worry if you are talking to us. Do everyone a favor and increase the chances of eliminating the problem by going directly to the source. Your entire staff will appreciate this, I promise you.

4). Push me in my thinking and help me grow as an educator.

This is difficult for some people, but it comes with your job, so hopefully you can handle it. I need you to push back on my ideas and some of things I'm doing in my class. I need you to help me grow and develop as an educator. I need you to be an instructional leader in our building. Now, I'm not saying I want to be completely torn and ripped apart when I share an idea, but push me and question me and make me squirm just a little bit to justify my idea and approach. This will help flush out my true goals and objective and create clarity in what I'm trying to achieve. I might not like you at the moment, but I will respect you in the end.

5). We are all busy and we all have a full plate. Help keep my plate full of what matters most.

Yes, there are things you will be told we need to do from the 'higher-ups.' Yes, there are things we need to do to stay in compliance and stay legal. Yes, there are pieces of information and data you need to help in your decision making process. But, let's not forget why we are here and what our primary focus should be. Help me and others in our building to keep the focus on student learning. Avoid as much as possible asking us for mundane paperwork and menial tasks that steer us away from what our ultimate focus should be. We will need your protection and coorperation here because it's very easy to say it will only take a few moments. Each time we say it will take just a few moments a small puppy somewhere cries because we all know that nothing takes just a few moments. Also, all these 'few moments' tasks seem to pile up quite quickly.

Thanks for taking time to listen and please know we are all looking forward to a great and wonderful school year!

Thank you,

Your favorite teacher...

An open letter to all educators...

I write this post for all those who call themselves educators.

I write this post for superintendents and the schools boards for whom they work.

I write this post for both central office and building level administrators.

And finally and perhaps most importantly, I write this post for teachers of all grade levels and all content areas.

There is a vicious epidemic that has been spreading and continues to spread unchecked across the globe. The achievement gap that is so often spoken of is merely a cover for what is really happening.

We don't have an achievement gap, we have an opportunity gap...

We have schools that are providing life-changing opportunities and experiences that others can't even fathom. We have kids who are doing work in their classes that is both impacting and affecting the world in which they live while other kids are doing worksheets from outdated textbooks about material and content they can't relate to.

There are kids who are being positioned to be game-changers in their respective parts of the world while others are being comfortably placed among the ranks of industry that is disappearing with skills that haven't been in demand in a decade.

The opportunity gap is widening at an accelerated pace during a time when technology and global connectedness are soaring.

Sure, it's easy to say that kids and their families have a choice as to which schools they attend. Families can move to different communities or choose to attend private or parochial schools that provide some of these wonderful before-mentioned opportunities.

But there's a reality that most know but seem to ignore.

Most families and students don't really have a choice as to where they reside and where they attend school. Communities are built around schools and more frequently than not, those schools who offer vast opportunities exist in communities that most can't afford. The 'haves' and 'have nots' legacy is deeply entrenched in education.

For educators, there are many variables that we can't control and as a result we must learn to work with and accept what we are presented.

This challenge can look very similar to an excuse and justification for why we can't or aren't able to do something.

I refuse to let what we can't control dictate what we can or can't do... and so should you.

When you go to school, fight for what our kids don't have. Fight for the opportunities our kids can only dream of. Fight for the opportunities our kids can't yet dream of. Fight to put an end to the opportunity gap and whatever you do, don't use it as an excuse.

Remember, the next time you hear about some school or district doing something amazing with their kids, keep in mind that the only thing preventing you from doing the same or preventing you from doing something better, is you...