By Maxine J. Wood, Ed.D “HomeWork: Lessons Learned in the Home for Success in School and Life,” released in May 2023, marked the publication of the second edition of a book fifteen years in the making. It reflects a composite view of my observations, recommendations and motivations for encouraging parents and parenting adults to give […]
Author Archives: Maxine Johnson Wood, Ed.D
Posted inCommentary
On Martin Luther King Jr.’s national holiday, the time is always right to do what is right
By Maxine Johnson Wood, Ed.D., Special to the AFRO Martin Luther King Jr.’s national holiday was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1983. It was first observed in 1985, and has remained significant in that only one other American–George Washington– has been honored in this way. The annual observance provides opportunities for diverse […]
Posted inNational News
Building on John H. Murphy Sr.’s legacy of truth in our Black history
By Maxine Johnson Wood, Ed.D., Special to the AFRO The founding of the AFRO-American Newspaper 130 years ago on August 13, 1892 is being widely celebrated, lauded and applauded. Of particular significance to many interested in its origin is the life, activity and motivations of its founding publisher, John Henry Murphy, Sr. A perusal of […]
Posted inCommentary
Commentary: Juneteenth – A time for learning and creating a legacy – ‘Perfect timing’
By Maxine J. Wood “On June 19, 1865, about two months after the Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House, Va., Gordon Granger, a Union general, arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform enslaved African Americans of their freedom and that the Civil War had ended. General Granger’s announcement put into effect the […]
Posted inCommentary
Commentary: Teacher appreciation May 2022: Honoring all teachers all of the time
By Maxine Johnson Wood, Ed.D The first week in May 2022 was formally acknowledged as National Teacher Appreciation Week by PTAs and PTOs, and other education groups. In President Biden’s proclamation, he stated, “I will never forget the educators who encouraged me as a child. Many of us remember our favorite teachers — the ones who […]
Posted inCommentary
The Pandemic: an impetus for reviving and valuing the role of parents as their children’s first teachers in the home
By Maxine Johnson Wood, Ed.D. Before and during the pandemic there have been limited formal proposals that support a direct, renewed focus on the significant role that parents play as their children’s initial teachers in the home. Enhancing this could positively improve student learning. Interest and investment in promoting, encouraging and identifying children’s learning, beginning […]