Author Archives: Jackie O'Rourke

This blog marks the last in my series on Education Amidst a Pandemic. I am so grateful to Jackie and Outermost Education for the opportunity to be able to research and write for this blog. I have learned so much over the past five months and it has allowed me to perceive education in aContinue reading “Reflection”

Standardized testing has been around for many years and for as long as it has been around it has been considered a staple in the education system by many. It allows for an assessment of many aspects of the education system. Teachers and students alike are evaluated through these various standardized exams. They might regulateContinue reading “Relevance of Standardized Testing”

Race shouldn’t be a topic one day or one month out of the year. The racial disparities that exist in this country, and especially in the classroom, deserve to be addressed and acknowledged within the curriculum and daily life; because that is how they are experienced. They are not something to be checked off theContinue reading “Education Amidst Social Unrest”

No matter what side of the political aisle you may find yourself, the last week has been very troubling. Grim news seems to persist into the cracks of our everyday lives, whether we want it or not. It is a weight coming over an already heavy period in our country’s history. I think a lotContinue reading “Weariness and Walking”

Special education is one of the most important aspects of a school, and one frequently is overlooked. My own family has a couple of teachers in special education, and I have heard the various tales, the horrors as well as the wonders. Under normal circumstances, it can be unpredictable, and a pandemic brings many newContinue reading “Special Education and Pandemics”