I Don’t Know How to Fix the Race Problem in America, But I’m Sure Education Won’t Hurt

If Robert Frost was correct in saying “Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence,” then America…

We’re Not Even Close To Realizing Dr. King’s Dream

Two years ago I was fortunate enough to attend a showing of “Hamilton” in my hometown of Atlanta. A huge group from Atlanta Public Schools…

After the Insurrection, It’s Time To Listen To MLK

Y’all know what, had education been done right in the first place then maybe we could’ve avoided this shit show called “Duck Dynasty: Civil War…

We’re Not Just Doing Distance Learning, We’re Teaching Through a Crisis

When I last wrote about mentoring in January 2020, I discussed how it built stronger connections between myself and my students. That remains true, but…

As Grown-Ups Argue Over Reopening Schools, Chicago’s Kids Lose

Chicago Public Schools students are back in school.  Well, some of them are. It’s complicated, and getting messier by the minute.  WBEZ Chicago has more…

There Is a Right Way to Process Current Events With Your Students

The certification of the electoral votes from the 2020 election was already going to be a contentious issue, but the events that transpired go far…

You Don’t Just ‘Raise’ A Reader, You Have to Teach Kids to Read, Too

When I give presentations about dyslexia, I often illustrate how neurodiversity works by showing a chessboard. Some people can easily see all the patterns of…

Our Students Need More Than Our Outrage, They Need Dialogue

On the afternoon of last Wednesday’s attempted insurrection at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., Twitter was a refuge. While living and working in…

Was DeVos Really the ‘Worst Secretary of Education Ever’?

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos resigned last night, citing Wednesday’s putsch at the Capitol, Trump’s incitement of violence, and her concern that “impressionable children are watching…

School Leadership After COVID Starts With Grace, Patience, Empathy and Flexibility

It was Friday, March 13, 2020, and I was sitting in my office, after the building had cleared, in disbelief at how everything had changed…