Published inHuman Restoration Project·Pinned“Current Events Do Not Belong in History Class”On Feb 25th, 2022, I resigned from my position as a social studies teacher at Ankeny High School, a position I have held since 2012, effective at the end of this year. I will not be returning to the classroom this fall. …Education12 min readEducation12 min read
Jan 10Whose Priorities for Iowa?On Jan 9th, Priorities for Iowa, a Super PAC claiming to be “an Iowa-based organization” announced a six-figure ad buy in support of Gov. Kim Reynolds’ school voucher program. The group claims to have the interests of Iowa parents at heart, but a brief look at their donor disclosures tells…Education Reform3 min readEducation Reform3 min read
May 16, 2022“I am part of that 55%”This is the unabridged version of comments I made at the Ankeny School Board meeting on Monday, May 16th, 2022. Public comment is limited to 3 minutes. My name is Nick Covington and I’ve taught social studies at Ankeny High School since 2012. Forgive me, I understand more teachers will…Education3 min readEducation3 min read
Nov 1, 2021On Schools, White-Collar Vigilantism, & the Grievance-Industrial ComplexThis is the unabridged version of comments I made at the Ankeny School Board meeting on Monday, November 1st, 2021. Owing to the three minute time limit, I had to seriously tighten up my word count, but I wanted to present the full piece with citations here. I am also…Schools4 min readSchools4 min read
Published inHuman Restoration Project·Mar 31, 2021Review: Flow — The Psychology of Optimal ExperienceThe self-help craze was at its peak in 1990 when Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow was released, and in 1991 the fad even gave rise to a classic recurring SNL character, whose cloying sincerity and open self-exploration contrasted Gen X’s characteristic cynicism and self-sufficiency, in Stuart Smalley’s “Daily Affirmations”, recognizable to anyone…Education6 min readEducation6 min read
Published inHuman Restoration Project·Dec 4, 2020Review: A Wolf At the Schoolhouse Door & the Unmaking of Public EducationSavvy readers likely understand the shape of the current political battle waged against public schools in the context of 1983’s “A Nation At Risk”, which launched a generation of school reform rooted in the language of accountability, standards, and school performance. …Education11 min readEducation11 min read
Published inHuman Restoration Project·Oct 14, 2020A Teacher’s Case for Critical Race Theory“In embracing biological racial equality, assimilationists point to environment — hot climates, discrimination, culture, and poverty — as the creators of inferior Black behaviors. For solutions, they maintain that the ugly Black stamp can be erased — that inferior Black behaviors can be developed, given the proper environment. …Critical Race Theory12 min readCritical Race Theory12 min read
Published inHuman Restoration Project·Jul 15, 2020Universal Design for FishingGetting to spend any amount of time with extended family is a joy and a privilege in the COVID-era, and we decided a low-risk way for cousins to visit over the 4th of July weekend was to spend that time outside fishing. …Education12 min readEducation12 min read
Published inHuman Restoration Project·Jun 8, 2020Review: Radical HopeLike many American educators, I said goodbye to my students and left my classroom in March unaware that I would not see the Class of 2020 again. In the days that followed, my district joined a nationwide wave of school closures over COVID-19 concerns; and as colleges and universities emptied…Education8 min readEducation8 min read
Published inHuman Restoration Project·Mar 31, 2020Review: Range“Flirting With Your Possible Selves”, the seventh chapter in David Epstein’s 2019 book “Range”, begins with a description of the remarkable life of Frances Hesselbein: “She never did graduate from college, but her office is festooned with twenty-three honorary doctorates, plus a glistening saber given to her by the U.S…Education15 min readEducation15 min read
