Tag: Teacher Advocacy

AI literacy mandates are showing up in state legislatures and at the federal level faster than most classrooms can keep up with. In this month’s Teacher Reality Check, I’m translating what all of this means for your Monday morning. I’m also telling you about the time a room full of my own students assumed I was letting them cheat, and what that told me about the gap these new AI education policies are trying to close.

Artificial intelligence is changing education faster than most schools can keep up. From AI literacy and ethical AI use to school AI bans and educational technology policy, teachers are being asked to navigate a rapidly evolving landscape with very little guidance. In this episode, I explore what AI in education actually means for classrooms today, why extreme positions rarely help students, and what teachers need to know right now to make informed decisions about artificial intelligence in the classroom.

If you’ve been following the debate about technology in education, you’ve probably noticed the pendulum swinging from “put a device in every student’s hands” to “screens are the problem.” In this episode, I explore what’s driving the current edtech backlash, why smartphones and classroom technology aren’t the same thing, and how teachers can make better decisions about technology integration in the classroom. The goal isn’t to use more tech or less tech. It’s to use tech more intentionally.

If you’re trying to make sense of Georgia House Bill 1084, you’re not alone. As a classroom teacher, I’ve been wrestling with what this divisive concepts law actually means for what I can and cannot say, and how to teach required content without crossing an unclear line. While I’m speaking from Georgia, similar education censorship laws are now in place across more than 20 states, and even teachers without formal restrictions are feeling the pressure to self-censor. In this episode, I break down what House Bill 1084 actually says, where it came from, and what it means for those of us teaching history, civics, and other courses that require us to engage with complex and sometimes controversial topics (all while still helping students think critically and meet state standards).

Back in the summer and fall, I recorded episodes on three big education policy trends. Cell phone bans in schools, teacher evaluations tied to test scores, and the executive order about dismantling the Department of Education. A lot has changed since then. In this mid-year education policy update, I’m pulling clips from those original episodes and jumping in with what’s shifted, what’s stayed the same, and what you need to know right now. If you’ve been too busy teaching to keep up, this is your catch-up episode.

AI policy in schools is a complete mess right now, and if you’re confused, you’re not alone. Federal education policy on artificial intelligence shifted 180 degrees overnight when Trump rescinded Biden’s executive order, only 2 states actually require districts to have AI guidelines, and over 70% of teachers report zero AI training. Yet you’re expected to navigate ChatGPT, academic integrity, and data privacy every single day. In this Teacher Reality Check, I break down what the Biden vs Trump AI policies actually mean for your classroom, which states have mandatory requirements (and what’s coming in 2026), and the critical questions policymakers still aren’t answering. Because while they debate federal mandates, you’re the one figuring it out with real students.

How did two essential needs, education and healthcare, end up on completely different policy paths? This week, I explore the history of healthcare in America. The story is part accident, part design, and entirely relevant to what we see in our classrooms every day. If you’ve ever wondered why healthcare access is tied to employment, while education is a constitutional right, this breakdown will give you the historical context and classroom implications we don’t usually talk about.

Class size legislation sounds perfect on paper, but here’s why it falls apart in real classrooms. With 1 in 8 teaching positions unfilled nationwide and 90% of teacher vacancies caused by people leaving the profession, reducing class sizes isn’t just about funding. It’s about teacher workload, retention, and impossible scheduling constraints. This education policy reality check explores why my AP classes have 30 students despite state caps at 21, and what would actually work instead of more legislation.

The ESSER funding cliff is here, and teachers are feeling it first. Over the past few months, I’ve heard from educators facing delayed paychecks, pink slips, and shrinking support staff. In this post, I’m breaking down what the end of ESSER funding actually means for teachers, how the 2025 policy reversals sent states scrambling, and what we can expect for school budgets, staffing, and salaries in the months ahead.

Every month, I like to take a step back and give a Teacher Reality Check…because sometimes the biggest challenges in education aren’t in the classroom, they’re in the policy decisions that shape it. This time, I’m diving into the high-stakes (and often unfair) world of teacher evaluations. You might think your rating as “effective” or “ineffective” is all about your teaching, but the truth is, it might have a lot more to do with your ZIP code than your skill set.