The Tutors See Stereotypes and Gender Bias in SAT. Testers See None of the Above

Testers that create standardized test for students to measure their growth have come under more and more scrutinize for their fairness in all areas. Also, critics question whether the test measure all types of learning that are taking place in the classroom environment. There is a push to do away with standardized testing by educators. However, politicians and people from outside education such as, the Gates family and the Walton family, continue to push for standardized test to be the measure of how well a teacher is performing. When you have the type money, power and influence these two families have, whatever they want typically gets down. For this reason, I do not see standardized testing going away very soon. This is in spite of the fact it is proven in the most successful public education programs of other countries, that standardized testing is not the most successful way to teach children. Again and again, when you research other countries with successful education programs, they list keeping politicians out and limiting testing as one of the factors that they believe is leading to their success.

Derek Fitzhnery 

Read more on Stereotypes and Gender Bias in SAT, HERE

The Best Way to Fight With Your Teenager

One of the toughest issues a parent has to deal with is arguments with a teenager. There is a point in a child's life that it seems they disagree with every decision you make pertaining to their well being, and you simple want to prevent them from suffering the consequences later in life. Such as poor grades or maybe not poor grades but not making the grades they are capable of making. As a parent you want them to have the best opportunity for a college so you find yourself trying to convince them to illuminate the things that are keeping them from making the grades they are capable of making, and this begins the argument.

Compelling new research suggests that constructive conflict between parent and teenager hinges on the adolescent’s readiness to see beyond his or her own perspective. In other words, good fights happen when teenagers consider arguments from both sides, and bad fights happen when they don’t. I have raised 3 teenagers and they all had moments where they reasoned through the argument and moments where they refused to see the perspective I was trying to give them. I'm sure many parents go through the same thing. 

This article discusses the different ways a teenager can handle an argument and the problems with some of those.

Derek Fitzhenry

Please read more HERE

Can’t Sleep Through The Night? Maybe A Siesta Is The Answer

[Sleeping twice] provides two periods of increased activity, creativity and alertness across the day, rather than having a long period where sleepiness builds up across the day and productivity wanes.Sleep researchers Melinda Jackson and Siobhan Banks


Sleep is considered the most important health issue of your daily life. Of course what you eat is important but if you aren't getting enough sleep it will catch up with you. The standard is 8 hours but I'm certain some can live a healthy life with less.

It's always been a belief that taking a nap during th day can disrupt your nights sleep. However, here is an article that debats that belief.

Derek Fitzhenry

Please read more HERE.

Supreme Court Upholds Affirmative Action Program at University of Texas

"The decision, Fisher v. University of Texas, No. 14-981, concerned an unusual program and contained a warning to other universities that not all affirmative action programs will pass constitutional muster. But the ruling’s basic message was that admissions officials may continue to consider race as one factor among many in ensuring a diverse student body".

President Obama was pleased with the decision. “I’m pleased that the Supreme Court upheld the basic notion that diversity is an important value in our society,”  President Obama was asked if this ruling should include All minorities and he directed the question to the intent of Affirmative Action adoption......... "People of Color need a level playing ground but African Americans began this fight due to unfair laws and suffered from years of discrimination that prevented African Americans a fair shot". 

Obama agreed that there may need to be some language changes in the original doctrine of Affirmative Action so that minority is understood to mean African American in certain situations and also "People of Color" as a group have become the majority in many cases and"white people" are the minority. The initial language of Affirmative Action is specific in it's intent of helping African Americans but the word "minority" is used in the body of the document to describe African Americans.

Currently at UT admitted students who finished in the Top 10% of their class. After that they use several other criteria including race. Affirmative Action lowers these requirements for African Americans so that they can be admitted. Fisher challenged this policy because she was not admitted but had higher scores than other African Americans who were admitted.  

"In other countries, such as the UK, affirmative action is rendered illegal because it does not treat all races equally. In such countries, the focus tends to be on ensuring equal opportunity and, for example, targeted advertising campaigns to encourage ethnic minority candidates to join the police force. This is sometimes described as "positive action."  Somc American opponent's point out the devaluing of a person by selecting a person based on their social group and not their qualifications and accomplishments.  

Derek Fitzhenry

Read more on Supreme Court Decision HERE

Supreme Court Upholds Affirmative Action Program at University of Texas

"The decision, Fisher v. University of Texas, No. 14-981, concerned an unusual program and contained a warning to other universities that not all affirmative action programs will pass constitutional muster. But the ruling’s basic message was that admissions officials may continue to consider race as one factor among many in ensuring a diverse student body".

President Obama was pleased with the decision. “I’m pleased that the Supreme Court upheld the basic notion that diversity is an important value in our society,”  President Obama was asked if this ruling should include All minorities and he directed the question to the intent of Affirmative Action adoption......... "People of Color need a level playing ground but African Americans began this fight due to unfair laws and suffered from years of discrimination that prevented African Americans a fair shot". 

Obama agreed that there may need to be some language changes in the original doctrine of Affirmative Action so that minority is understood to mean African American in certain situations and also "People of Color" as a group have become the majority in many cases and"white people" are the minority. The initial language of Affirmative Action is specific in it's intent of helping African Americans but the word "minority" is used in the body of the document to describe African Americans.

Currently at UT admitted students who finished in the Top 10% of their class. After that they use several other criteria including race. Affirmative Action lowers these requirements for African Americans so that they can be admitted. Fisher challenged this policy because she was not admitted but had higher scores than other African Americans who were admitted.  

"In other countries, such as the UK, affirmative action is rendered illegal because it does not treat all races equally. In such countries, the focus tends to be on ensuring equal opportunity and, for example, targeted advertising campaigns to encourage ethnic minority candidates to join the police force. This is sometimes described as "positive action."  Somc American opponent's point out the devaluing of a person by selecting a person based on their social group and not their qualifications and accomplishments.  

Derek Fitzhenry

Read more on Supreme Court Decision HERE

Supreme Court Upholds Affirmative Action Program at University of Texas

"The decision, Fisher v. University of Texas, No. 14-981, concerned an unusual program and contained a warning to other universities that not all affirmative action programs will pass constitutional muster. But the ruling’s basic message was that admissions officials may continue to consider race as one factor among many in ensuring a diverse student body".

President Obama was pleased with the decision. “I’m pleased that the Supreme Court upheld the basic notion that diversity is an important value in our society,”  President Obama was asked if this ruling should include All minorities and he directed the question to the intent of Affirmative Action adoption......... "People of Color need a level playing ground but African Americans began this fight due to unfair laws and suffered from years of discrimination that prevented African Americans a fair shot". 

Obama agreed that there may need to be some language changes in the original doctrine of Affirmative Action so that minority is understood to mean African American in certain situations and also "People of Color" as a group have become the majority in many cases and"white people" are the minority. The initial language of Affirmative Action is specific in it's intent of helping African Americans but the word "minority" is used in the body of the document to describe African Americans.

Currently at UT admitted students who finished in the Top 10% of their class. After that they use several other criteria including race. Affirmative Action lowers these requirements for African Americans so that they can be admitted. Fisher challenged this policy because she was not admitted but had higher scores than other African Americans who were admitted.  

"In other countries, such as the UK, affirmative action is rendered illegal because it does not treat all races equally. In such countries, the focus tends to be on ensuring equal opportunity and, for example, targeted advertising campaigns to encourage ethnic minority candidates to join the police force. This is sometimes described as "positive action."  Somc American opponent's point out the devaluing of a person by selecting a person based on their social group and not their qualifications and accomplishments.  

Derek Fitzhenry

Read more on Supreme Court Decision HERE

For-Profit-College Fiasco: Why a Watchdog Needs a Watchdog

This is why the "watchdog" needs a watchdog.

"Despite receiving over $150 billion in federal grant and student loan dollars every year, higher education is largely a self-regulated industry. Instead of directly determining whether colleges are good enough for federal funding, the government outsources that decision to private accreditors, which are governed and financed by colleges themselves. Accreditors set and enforce their own standards. For-profit colleges that operate nationwide can shop around to find the accreditor with the easiest" terms.

Derek Fitzhenry

Read full article HERE

We Need Schools….Not Factories!

Winner Of the TED Prize 2013, Sugata Mitra 

What a great statement..."But what got us here, won’t get us there. Schools today are the product of an expired age; standardized curricula, outdated pedagogy, and cookie cutter assessments are relics of an earlier time. Schools still operate as if all knowledge is contained in books, and as if the salient points in books must be stored in each human brain — to be used when needed. The political and financial powers controlling schools decide what these salient points are. Schools ensure their storage and retrieval. Students are rewarded for memorization, not imagination or resourcefulness". Sugata Mitra, blog is an excellent look at where we need to take education. Unfortunately, I don't think these type of experimentation in education will take place in Public Education due to the control of the politicians and the failed but continues thought process that testing is the answer to quality education for all students. 

This statement "From Plato to Aurobindo, from Vygotsky to Montessori, centuries of educational thinking have vigorously debated a central pedagogical question: How do we spark creativity, curiosity, and wonder in children?" was the starting point for teachers and their desire to educate people.However, the education community today starts with, "how do we measure learning and hold teachers accountable". Mitra goes on to say..." But those who philosophized pre-Google were prevented from wondering just how the Internet might influence the contemporary answer to this age-old question.

Mitra experimented with children in India by giving them computers and no help. The children with no prior experience, and unable to speak or write English, taught themselves how to use the computer and then began to teach each other. This experiment is know as "The Hole in the Wall" . This experiment challenges the way we educate children today and if we could get the politicians out of the business of education I believe we would experiment more and take risk that would help our young people learn and grow. 

With Standardized Testing as the driving force behind our public education, it's unlikely teachers  will start with the notion of "how do I spark creativity, curiosity, and wonder in children". Most teachers are going to take the safe route and that's "TEACH THE TEST". 

This education blog by Mitra is a GREAT READ. I encourage you to read this article and take a hard look at what is going on in the world in other countries as compared to the USA.  

Derek Fitzhenry 

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE. 

The Global Stakes of a Saudi Aramco I.P.O.

Saudi and many other Middle East countries are linked to our economy to the point it is very difficult to make decisions for our country. I'm not sure Americans truly understand the impact of Saudi on oil prices and our economy. The following article is an example of the impact Saudi has on the world and the United States.

Derek Fitzhenry

Please read article HERE

High School Students Say Student-Led Discussions and Group Work Often Go Awry

As teachers we have been told over and over cooperative learning is the path to successfully including other students and differentiating instruction. I have witnessed at times this not being the most successful method of instruction in some classrooms. These type of teaching techniques all have there place but we should understand as a profession, not all strategies works for all students and all situations.

Derek Fitzhenry

Please read article HERE

Are We Too Preoccupied with Teaching Techniques?

This is a great question for all educators. Teaching techniques are important and we have grown as profession in our techniques but we may get consumed with the technique and forget the caring part of education.

Derek Fitzhenry 

Read full article HERE

Youth Baseball and Surgery for Overuse Injuries

Derek Fitizhenry here and I'd like to discuss youth sports injuries and youth strength training. It is so important to an athletes career and athletic programs across the nation. High School coaches have seen this for years. Daddies mean well and they want the best for their son however they push them in the sport of baseball to the point of breaking and this is more common than uncommon. Dad's don't understand the importance of training the body for strength and condition along with hitting, fielding and pitching. The body will respond to training at a young age but that training has to be multiple and safe. Using body lifts for kids under 12 is a great way to begin to strengthen the body. Sprint training and plyometrics can begin at 3 years old and go a long way in preventing injuries.  To many dads view strength training as a "football" thing but it's not about football it's about injury prevention and enhancing athletic ability. YOU CAN TRAIN FAST TWITCH MUSCLE. and fast twitch muscle is important in all sports.

Read article HERE

5 Stories You Didn’t Know About Muhammad Ali

This is really a great article about Muhammad Ali.  He was the GREATEST.  Will never be another one like him.

Please read this article about him HERE

Fellowship of Christian Athletes Sent Alabama Athletes to Costa Rica

With more than two decades of experience coaching football, Derek Fitzhenry recently received a promotion to assistant head football coach at North Shore High School in Houston, Texas. Passionate about helping children, Derek Fitzhenry belongs to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).

The idea for the FCA began in 1954 when Don McClanen sent a letter to 19 athletes, encouraging them to endorse the Lord. Its mission is to have all of its members impact the world with the help of Jesus Christ and spread this goal.

In May 2016, the FCA announced that one of its chaplains Dr. Gary “Coach” Cramer took several University of Alabama athletes to Costa Rica. Dr. Cramer is Alabama’s campus director and serves as an inspirational coach to coaches, student-athletes, and the athletic staff at the university. These athletes who went on the trip spent a week during spring break and hosted football clinics. They worked with players in Costa Rican football leagues, orphans, and at-risk boys. They also visited with Nicaraguan refugees and handed out bags of food. In addition, they shared the message of Jesus Christ through their common bond of football.

Texas Public School Enrollment Rising, Support for Teachers Urgent

Every year, the Texas Education Agency produces a report that spotlights enrollment data for students attending Texas public schools in the previous school year. It also provides updates on many 10-year trends in state enrollment.

The “Enrollment in Texas Public Schools 2014-15” report is now available on the agency website. Beyond providing a snapshot of what the student numbers looked like last school year, this report also gives an overview on the shifts we have seen in classrooms across our state. These shifts are reflective of the opportunities and challenges faced by our teachers on every public school campus.

For example, student enrollment numbers continue to grow. Just a decade ago (in the 2004-05 school year), 4.4 million students were enrolled in Texas public schools. By 2014-15, enrollment had risen to more than 5.2 million. Over that 10-year period, total enrollment increased by 18.9 percent (or 831,421 students).

According to national figures, public school enrollment in Texas increased by 19.2 percent between 2002 and 2012. This was nearly six times the increase in the United States (3.3 percent) over the same time period.

As the Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath has stated it's vital we use this information to make good decision for improving our schools and students performance. "Support for our teachers has taken on a greater urgency if we are to keep our commitment to educating every child in our state". The Commissioner is going to have to step up the support of teachers in many different ways. Salary is a primary for all professionals but along those lines is the everyday assault on the reputation of the public school teacher. There are many great teachers in our schools across Texas but the media focuses on the few that are not. 

The recent events of a teacher in Aldine ISD who was engaging  in sex with a 13 year old boy is tragic and is given National and World wide coverage. This incident is a disgrace and violates the trust parents give educators with their children. However, there are also many teachers in Aldine doing an outstanding job and go beyond the call of duty to help children learn and grow and they will never be discussed in the media. The Commissioner and the leaders of Texas Public Education would do a great service by helping to regain the respect and faith parents once had for Teachers. There is going to have to be a focus placed on teachers who are successful and teachers who go well beyond the call of duty to serve their communities and children of Texas. Paying teachers the salary of a normal professional would go a long way in showing the value of teachers but there still needs to be a campaign to promote, celebrate and publicize the many great teachers in Texas.  It has to go beyond the one teacher who gets teacher of the year. There are several teachers of the year at all the schools I have been a part of and TEA and Commissioner Morath need to celebrate the efforts of these teachers. Einstein said, for every negative, you need 100,000 positives, if the Commissioner is going to support teachers he and the leaders are going to have to launch a campaign to regain the confidence parents once had in the Public Education Teacher and one way would be to show the public the many amazing teachers we have in the State of Texas.

To view the full “Enrollment in Texas Public Schools 2014-15” report (as well as view reports from previous school years), visit the Enrollment Trends page on the TEA website athttp://tea.texas.gov/acctres/enroll_index.html.

The Problem with Public Education

The title can be completed by the statement, "determining what is success"!.  Currently the politicians and experts say that comes from a test students take and how well they do as a group and subgroups. It's so ridiculously simplified into if 90=% pass the test, the teacher is doing a decent job, unless a particular subgroup makes up the majority of that 10% that didn't pass.  It's just not that simple  to define whether or not learning and success has taken place with students over a years time. There are many factors that determine success that are completely out of a teacher or a schools control. Such as druge use. NFL players want us to believe it's healthy for them to smoke. That maybe true for a pro football player but a student smoking weed the day of a test will not benefit from the medicinal qualities of THC. Other factors are teen pregnancy, difficult enough for an adult women to manage through pregnancy. Teen jobs, yes, its common for a teen to work until 10 pm  or even as late as 12 am at night. Once again, not a conducive environment for a students learning when he/she works after school from 4 pm until 10 pm at the local burger shop. Family life for teens can be very stressful today. I come in contact with many teens who will live in several different homes throughout the year due to the fact they aren't living with their parents or get kicked out of the house of a parent. Which, this leads us to the most important factor we all know but yet the politicians and experts will not factor it in, parental involvement and parent's being held accountable. 

There are many factors that affect students academic life. It would be difficult to take in all those factors but the one thought that has begun to develop within the education community that I believe is closing in on the right track and that is throwing away the testing and comparing of groups and subgroups and start looking at the "growth" of the individual student. This is how it's done in sports.  Each player is looked at based on his growth. The player and coach are held accountable for the growth of each player. I believe the quicker we move academics toward this type of determining success, we will begin to get on the right track in determining the success of teachers and administrators and fairly holding them accountable for ther job they do. .  

http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Policies/Measuring-student-growth-At-a-glance/Measuring-student-growth-A-guide-to-informed-decision-making.html