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Last update: 18 November 2014
Already selected for inclusion in 2nd edition: 6
Wait-Listed: 18
In Review: 0
On-hold (Not directly applicable or replaced by other entries): 6
Submissions are now closed as of 1 November 2014
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All submissions, as received, are listed here. The following status codes are used:
- (In review): Received and being reviewed by the panel
- (Rejected – personal attacks): The submission contained named individuals and unverifiable personal attacks
- (Rejected – missing requirement): The submission did not have the required cut-and-paste author information and/or publication release
- (Included!): The submission has been voted by the panel to be one of the ones that will be included in the 2nd edition, and already has won at least the basic contest prizes. It is eligible for the top prizes.
- (Wait-listed!): The submission has been voted by the panel as an excellent candidate that is likely to be included in the 2nd edition. A final decision will be made as more submissions arrive in the (unlikely) event too many excellent entries for this same topic means some have to be omitted.
- (On hold): The submission either did not fit the chapters, or other submissions have been selected for that topic.
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The topics and the submissions to date:
Readiness for College
- (Wait-listed) Monique Anair, assistant college professor, New Mexico
- (Wait-Listed) Anon, College writing teacher, Pennsylvania
- (On hold) Daria M. Brezinski, college professor and psychologist, Virginia
(New Topic) To what extent have you witnessed instances of administrative “bullying” to intimidate teachers, including intentional misuse of a charge such as “inappropriate touching.”
- (Included!) M. Shannon Hernandez, College professor and author (and ex high school teacher), New York
The impact of standardized testing on your classes and pressure to pass children
- (Included) Monica S, high school SPED teacher, Washington
- (On-hold) Louise K, retired high school English teacher, California
(New Topic)If you are homeschooling, what were the major factors that led you to that choice?
- (Included) Ashley Kimler, parent, Oregon
(New Topic) Charter schools
- (Included) Sarah B, Middle school social studies and language arts teacher, Colorado
(New Topic) Student attitudes and home life
- (Included) Louise K, retired high school English teacher, California
Misuse of SPED by parents forcing unwarranted IEPs armed with lawyers and paid advocates
The loss of Arts and elective courses in schools
- (Included) Anonymous, spouse of high school band teacher, Florida
- (Included) Regina Paul, President of a non-profit educational consulting organization, based in New York
- (Included) Pavliv, Gregory, Retired music teacher K-12 and Music Education Advocate, New Jersey
Common Core
- (Included) Lois Jarman, High school modern languages teacher, Maryland
- (Included) Nathaniel C. Ashbaugh, Middle school Music teacher, New Mexico
Your experiences with inclusion classes.
- (Included) Jeanie Clemmens, retired high school math teacher, Pennsylvania
- (Included) Maryann Schneider, High school SPED teacher, Pennsylvania
- (Included) Anon elementary school teacher, Florida
- (On hold) Donna R. Dolan, pre-K ESL tutor. NY
- (On Hold) Pavliv, Gregory, Retired music teacher K-12 and Music Education Advocate, New Jersey
Current levels of student expectations and motivations
- (Included) James Howson, retired middle school English teacher and author, Connecticut
- (Included) James Ryan, Motivational trainer and homeschooler, Virginia
- (On hold) Drew Farnsworth, Writing coach, middle and high school, Ohio
- (On hold) JC Sullivan, retired teacher, NYC, NY
Degree of parent involvement – especially parents of struggling students
- (Included) Carol L, Retired high school English teacher, PA
- (Included) Anon, retired high school English teacher, California
Your degree of support from administration when there is a parent conflict
The amount of time that is mandated for non-teaching duties
Cronyism at your school in assignment of classes and paid positions (including coaching, honor society, senior class advisors, LGBT club, etc.)
The impact on children when they learn a school will exert substantial pressure on teachers to find a way to pass them (and forced dumbing down of coursework)
- (Included) Jacqueline Goodwin, retired high school LOTE teacher, NY
- (Included) Anonymous, College professor and High school English teacher, Illinois
Your views of the degree to which the problems in Urban high schools do, or do not, apply to suburban and/or rural high schools
The role of your local union – efforts spent PAC-related versus helping fix education
Things that routinely limit teaching time – either mandates on you, or student-specific reasons
Student homework performance
Student cheating and plagiarism
The amount of time and in-class impact of non-curricula “baby sitting” duties such as monitoring allergies (peanuts, sunscreen, perfume, latex…), food and drinks, drugs, whispers that could be potential bullying, cell phones, time out of class at bathroom, etc.
The pressure to dumb-down teaching, allow make-overs, or give extra-credit packages to insure children pass regardless of effort.
- (Included) JoAnne P, retired English teacher, Wisconsin
The degree to which current school administrators are trained and experienced sufficiently to handle the complex legal and management environment of an urban high school.
The impact on expectation and motivation for those students who have the “Can retake any test” IEP accommodation and/or the “…gets an “A” for doing 50% of the expected class work” IEP accommodation
Your view of the mandates produced by career bureaucrats in your state or federal DoE
Your view of the value of PDP classes
The attitude and “esprit-de-corps” at your school – happy campers or burned out teachers
- (Included) Anonymous, high school teacher, left profession after 4 years, Colorado
- (Included) J.B.Banks, substitute teacher, Chicago IL
The degree to which DoE and school administration mandate conflict with one-another, and add up to many more minutes than available per class
Lifting the Curtain 
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