In a recent blog post, I used the phrase "witch hunt" in reference to additional new tests meant solely to assess teacher performance.  Commenters agreed, and I particularly appreciated what reader Sandy had to say on the topic:

This is my fifteenth year and I feel more burnt out than ever. When will parent be held accountable for their children and stop acting like teachers are against their kids? I wouldn't be teaching if I wanted to leave students "behind."

It seems that teachers are no longer given the benefit of the doubt, as if a vast portion of us are presumed to be lackadaisical and incompetent in our jobs.  We all agree that there are "bad" teachers in any school or district.  But I'm beginning to deduce that it's easier for "the powers that be" to assume the worst about teachers, rather than reflecting on what's really wrong in our educational system and making the tough changes to fix it.

Apparently, the world of tutoring in New York City private schools has spiraled out of control lately (in my opinion).  Parents are paying top dollar for 50-minute tutoring sessions for not just SAT preparation, but also any given individual subject.

So while you may not be able to charge hundreds of dollars per hour as a tutor, I still recommend becoming a tutor if you have the time, expertise, and interest.  It's a fun and straightforward way to complement your teaching work.  Even elementary school students sometimes need tutors, but you may also be surprised by how you can apply your K-6 skills in a wide variety of ways.

How to Become a Tutor

How to Implement Your Tutoring Business Plan

How are you choosing to spend your summer vacation this year?  Whether it's a few weeks or a few months, every teacher has a choice: recuperate and rest or continue working on your professional goals.  Perhaps you'll be teaching summer school, attending professional development conferences, or reading the latest teaching treatise.  But maybe you've had a rough year and need to rejuvenate and regroup before the coming school year starts.

Here's how to know whether you should take it easy or keep on trucking through the summer months.  I'd love to hear about your summer plans.  Personally, I choose to use summer break as a time to refresh my mind and refill my well so that I can bring my most energetic, enthused self back to the classroom in the Fall.

Sometimes the rhetoric surrounding education reform and theory can start to feel unnecessarily convoluted.  I like this item in the Washington Post because it goes back to basics and makes education sound simpler than it's felt in awhile.  Best of all, many of the author's points are backed up with studies and citations, such as this Stanford University study that shows high-stakes testing (in the form of the high school exit exam) don't produce increased learning.

What do you think is being ignored in Education these days?