Entries by The Learner First

Measuring the why of student success

Standardized tests are supposed to objectively show what a learner knows. The theory goes that if all students answer the same test questions, you will get a clear picture of who knows what. But that isn’t how it works in the real world because students aren’t as standardized as the standardized test’s they are taking. […]

Failure is not an option

Federal Education policy makes targeting the lowest performing schools the priority. It is widely understood that school performance across the US is uneven. While some schools are performing very well, others are in dire need of help. Under No Child Left Behind, interventions for schools that did not meet the federal standard were predefined by […]

Cesar Chavez Teacher, Molly Jaynes: Part One

After working in Oklahoma City Public Schools for two years, we interviewed teachers, administrators and community members about their work with The Learner First. This is part one of our interview with Molly Jaynes, an elementary school teacher. The interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length. Can you tell me a little bit about […]

Cesar Chavez Principal, Laura Morris: Part Two

After working in Oklahoma City Public Schools for two years, we interviewed teachers, administrators and community members about their work with The Learner First. This is part two of our interview with Laura Morris, a school principal. Part one can be read here. The interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length. What is […]

Cesar Chavez Principal, Laura Morris: Part One

After working in Oklahoma City Public Schools for two years, we interviewed teachers, administrators and community members about their work with The Learner First. This is part one of our interview with Laura Morris, an elementary school principal. The interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length. As a principal, how has the overall experience […]

Teach Kids, Not Topics

Beginning your career as a teacher is exciting – it’s one of the most important roles someone can fill. Every day creates opportunities for positively or negatively impacting the lives of the children we teach and the future of the world as a whole. In my first year of teaching, I was asked to teach […]

Cesar Chavez Librarian, Heidi Tuers-Jackson: Part Two

After working in Oklahoma City Public Schools for two years, we interviewed teachers, administrators and community members about their work with The Learner First. This is part two of our interview with Heidi Tuers-Jackson, an elementary school librarian. Part one can be read here. The interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length. Have […]

Cesar Chavez Librarian, Heidi Tuers-Jackson: Part One

After working in Oklahoma City Public Schools for two years, we interviewed teachers, administrators and community members about their work with The Learner First. This is part one of our interview with Heidi Tuers-Jackson, an elementary school librarian. The interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length. I wanted to ask you a few […]