Month: June 2018


The Gates Foundation Bet Big on Teacher Evaluation. The Report it Commissioned Explains How Those Efforts Fell Short

June 26, 2018

Morgaen Donaldson, a professor at the University of Connecticut, said the initial buy-in followed by pushback isn’t surprising, pointing to her own research in New Haven. To some, aspects of the initiative “might be worth endorsing at an abstract level,” she said. “But then when the rubber hit the road … people started to resist.”



Amanda Powell Named Bloomfield’s Teacher of the Year

June 22, 2018

When Amanda Powell was in eighth grade in Bridgeport her yearbook picture had a space marked “future plans.” Powell’s said “teacher” and that’s just what she became. Now Powell, who started her teaching career at Bloomfield High School seven years ago, can add “teacher of the year.”


Educators Embrace a New Acronym as a Way to Address Behavior in School

June 21, 2018

In a nutshell, PBIS is an approach to addressing student behavior, a sort of scaffolding upon which teachers and administrators build practices to prevent problems and provide the right help for kids who need it. “We focus on the social and emotional success of kids but we do it in the context of academic success,” George Sugai told a packed auditorium at Southwest High School earlier this week.



How Dropping Out of High School Helped Grad Student Learn About Teaching

June 19, 2018

It’s not often that a student who dropped out of high school goes on to pursue a Ph.D., but that’s the story of Neag School of Education doctoral student Kristi Kaeppel. Kaeppel, who studies Adult Learning in the Learning, Leadership, and Educational Policy program, runs a blog called “That Wasn’t on the Syllabus” for the Graduate Certificate in College Instruction program as a graduate assistant. Her blog posts on college education trends and issues included one very personal to her experience: “What Being a High School Dropout Taught Me about Teaching.”


UConn’s Chris Dailey Inducted Into Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame

June 12, 2018

As part of her Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame acceptance speech Saturday night, UConn associate head coach Chris Dailey joked that coach Geno Auriemma sometimes accuses her of alerting referees to his use of foul language, thereby creating the possibility that he’ll get ejected so she can run the team. Not true, Dailey said. Also not true: “A lot of people think my full-time job is holding him back [on the sideline],” she said.



Peter Dart Named New Principal of Goodwin Elementary School

June 12, 2018

After numerous rounds of interviews and evaluating candidates, Peter Dart was recently named the new principal of Dorothy C. Goodwin Elementary School in Mansfield, Conn. With an extensive background in teaching for 22 years, as well as being a principal for six years, Dart was a strong candidate who caught the attention of teachers, parents and administrators early on.