So here’s the last word from Teachers Speak Up for the crazy year of 2013.

I know most of you, or your educator colleagues, have been shy about telling your own story to the public. But how about sharing some info about the real story on the US PISA test rankings. OK, you’ve been so busy teaching that maybe you don’t recall what these are, so just to remind you: Every 3 years the Program of International Student Assessment administers tests on reading and math to students in 65 countries. The 2013 report puts the U.S.  in 24th place. Sounds bad, right? Public education detractors point to this as evidence that you, as teachers, are failing.

But the details tell a different story. For example, if you look just at the scores for schools where incomes are in the top 10%, the U.S. comes in FIRST. And schools with the lowest income families, well you guessed it. Here’s a great 5-minute video that summarizes the real, troubling statistics — which are not just about schools, but about the influence of poverty in America.

So if you aren’t ready to tell your own great classroom story, how about sharing the video with your friends and colleagues. By the way, it was shared on a new social media news site, www.upworthy.com that’s getting lots of attention — and that’s good.

So happy new year to all. Let’s see if our work can prosper in this next cycle of our lives.

–Steve Z