Opinion
Opinion

Atlanta Forward: Education

ajc.com
By Maureen Downey
May 10, 2015

With social media’s endless appetite for fresh outrage, an alleged misstep by a teacher in Oregon or New York is captured on student cell phones and served up almost instantly on Facebook. I discuss the ramifications of viral classroom videos and whether we should be making any judgments based on a few seconds of images. Georgia students are deep into testing, which is more stressful than usual because the state rolled out new exams that many districts are administering online. In a guest column, a teacher says the test maker ought to be held accountable for technical glitches that added to the stress. Readers share their views on testing.

Explore» Join the conversation

About the Author

Maureen Downey has written editorials and opinion pieces about local, state and federal education policy since the 1990s.

Follow Maureen Downey on facebookFollow Maureen Downey on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez testifies before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing to examine reviewing recent events at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and implications for children's health on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

Credit: AP

OPINION

Trust is listed as a core value in workplaces, but it can often be weaponized

Trust and loyalty are valued by employers, but these values can be used as weapons of control, as shown in the cases of the CDC's Susan Monarez and the FBI's James Comey.

Step back for college football: SEC hasn’t hired a Black head coach for years

The NCAA's Southeastern Conference (SEC) has not hired a Black head coach since 2014, during the Obama administration, a setback to racial equality progress over many decades.

Readers write

Readers question why Charlie Kirk's supporters are so keen to cancel his detractors when he supported free speech and whether Johns Creek needs a new performing arts center.

The Latest

(Phil Skinner/AJC)

Credit: pskinner@ajc.com

Readers write

Step back for college football: SEC hasn’t hired a Black head coach for years

OPINION

Readers write

Featured

Housing affordability is the top concern for metro Atlanta residents, according to a new survey. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Hendren

Metro Atlantans sour on housing affordability, pessimism is growing, poll says

The economy ranked as the top issue facing metro Atlanta last year, supplanting crime for the number one spot. This is the first year housing affordability has been an option.

DeKalb schools superintendent pleads not guilty to federal charges

Devon Horton has resigned from his role as DeKalb County superintendent, He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges stemming from his previous job in Illinois.

See video police say shows ex-PSC candidate Durand take Georgia Power secrets

Patty Durand has long criticized Georgia Power for concealing information under the cloak of trade secret about various initiatives and requests of state regulators.