Books Saved Me as a Foster Child and Now I Hope They Will Save Others

Because of my young parents’ crass negligence, at age 6, I was pulled from their custody and placed in Philadelphia’s child protection services. For 15…

What If Students Were Walking Out for Better Schools?

Student walkouts have been a hot topic lately and the media has been quick to swoon with round-the-clock coverage. There is no doubt that an…

My Dyslexia and Self-Doubt Were No Match for the Supportive Teachers Who Got Me to Read

I remember walking through the doors of Blackstone Valley Prep Middle School seven years ago like it was yesterday. I didn’t know anyone. The “gymnasium”…

I’ve Done More to Help Students and Parents Than I Ever Did During My 15 Years in the Classroom

The day that I ended my career as a teacher, I woke up as a parent. I had taught for 15 years and I’d reached…

If We Really Want to Teach Black History in Schools, We’re Going to Need More Diverse Books

In 2018, classrooms around the country still do not have enough books that accurately depict the unsullied experiences of Black Americans. Every Black History Month,…

Black Literature Still Matters After February

I remember how it felt to read “Macbeth” for my high school English class. I yawned as my head went down on my desk. When…

Your Students Won’t Be Able to Stop Talking About Amazon’s Top Books of 2017

Every classroom deserves to have a more vibrant discussion, and Amazon’s list of best-sellers can be a good place to start. The Harry Potter Series…

Political Philosophy Isn’t Just for College Students, It’s Making My Students Stronger Readers

Alongside the whiteboard in the front of my 12th-grade English classroom in Philadelphia, there are sentence strips listing the names of the authors we have…

I Was a Misfit in School, Then I Was Homeless, Now I’m Helping Kids Avoid That Same Fate

I went to Chicago Agricultural High School. It’s known as one of the best high schools in the Chicagoland area. Everyone told me it was…

Finding the Right School for My Son Has Literally Changed His Life

In the spring of 2015, my family and I moved from the far South Side of Chicago to the South Loop so our son could…