Jessica Smock, Scary Mommy

Jessica Smock

Scary Mommy

Buffalo, NY, United States

Contact Jessica

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Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • Scary Mommy
  • Washington Post
  • HuffPost

Past articles by Jessica:

It’s Okay If You Don't Send Your 5-Year-Old To Kindergarten

It’s not the end of the world if you decide that today’s kindergarten is not a good fit for your kid right now. This is a decision that only you can make. → Read More

Why Classroom Behavior Charts Need To Stop

We shouldn’t be doing anything to make it harder for kids to learn and thrive. → Read More

Relax, Parents: It’s Okay If Your 5-Year-Old Doesn’t Read, And Here’s Why

We aren’t doing our kids any favors by forcing them to read before many of them are developmentally ready. → Read More

Why kids deserve a preschool that lets them play

My son plays and does hands-on activities all day, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t engaged in serious learning. → Read More

Trump Asks Why Civil War ‘Couldn’t Have Been Worked Out’, Historians Die Inside

With his remarks about the Civil War, Trump has really outdone himself in demonstrating alarming levels of historical illiteracy. → Read More

It’s Okay If Your 5-Year-Old Isn’t Ready For Kindergarten

Do what’s right for your child, even if that means redshirting them. → Read More

What The Hell Is Trump Talking About? Literally, Nobody Knows

Trump is the first president who is incoherent enough for it to be nearly impossible to transcribe his actual words. → Read More

New Head Of Office Of Civil Rights, Candice Jackson, Believes Civil Rights Act Is 'Discriminatory'

Candice Jackson does not have the track record of a woman who should be leading the Office of Civil Rights. → Read More

In Case You Missed It, Here’s What Betsy DeVos Has Been Up To Lately

We’re beginning to get an understanding of Betsy DeVos's actual education policies. → Read More

Mike Pence’s Refusal To Meet With Women Alone Is Problematic, And Here's Why

VP Mike Pence’s recent comments harm women, and further perpetuate discrimination in the workplace. → Read More

You’re Wrong Betsy DeVos. Schools Are Not Businesses.

Parents must resist these efforts to experiment with our kids’ future. Kids shouldn’t have to “shop” for a good education. → Read More

Jessica Smock

Jessica Smock, Ed.D., is a former English teacher. A graduate of the Emma Willard School and Wesleyan University, she received her doctorate in educational policy from Boston University this spring. Her research interests relate to educational inequality, and her dissertation was about a Boston nonprofit that prepares urban kids for New England private schools. A mom to a toddler boy in Buffalo,… → Read More

I Don't Want My Son To Read In Kindergarten

I remember few details from kindergarten: a giant slide in the middle of our classroom, a mid-year visit by Smokey the Bear, the gentle voice and red hai... → Read More

8 Tips for Dazzling an Editor With Your Personal Essay

Here's what I think -- as a teacher, writer, editor, and reader -- about the ingredients of a great personal essay, one that is carefully crafted to draw in a reader, make her care about a topic, and keep reading.... → Read More

The Do's and Don'ts of Online Mom Friendships

If you share the fact that your toddler pooped repeatedly during nap time, wait for a reply. If you're met with awkward silence and a swift subject change, retreat! If, however, she responds with, "OMG! Mine smeared poop all over the crib today!", then you're golden. → Read More