When Love Is Grounded in the Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations, It’s the Wrong Kind of Love

Teachers love their students. We see the joy they show every year as students return back to school, despite constant beat downs on their profession…

10 Issues We Could Solve in Education If We Really Wanted To

With another school year upon us, here are 10 issues facing public education in no particular order. They range from the structural to the cultural…

It’s Time for a Discipline Revolution in Our Schools

It’s back-to-school season and, this year more than ever, it is time to rethink how we approach student discipline. Dramatic current events, a steady drumbeat…

Teachers, Can You Explain This Survey to Me? Because I’m Really Confused.

Dear Teachers, I just read some of the results of a survey and I’m confused. The good people over at Educators for Excellence asked a…

How to Save Charter Schools From the Beatdown

There seems to be an organized assault on charter schools. Legal challenges, bureaucratic barriers and smear campaigns all work to destroy their reputation, deplete their…

It’s Not Real School Accountability If No One Is Held Accountable

What do voters consider most important when it comes to public education? According to a recent poll commissioned by the largest teachers union in my…

I’m Concerned But Not Convinced by the NPR-Illinois Story on the Noble Charter Schools

I’m a fan of the Noble Charter School Network in Chicago because parents like the schools, they get good results for low-income kids and they…

It Would Be So Easy for Me to Stop Caring About Race. But Then That Would Be Stupid.

It would be so easy to stop caring about race. Yes, I can only say this because I’m White. Yes, I can only say this…

Beware of NAEP Theories and Look for Courage in American Education

Amidst all the theories around the recent release of National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) test scores showing little progress and persistent achievement gaps, is…

My Kids Are Obsessed With ‘Fortnite’ and It’s Not Such a Bad Thing

“Fortnite” has taken over my house and there’s a good chance it has taken over yours, too. It is the newest and coolest video game,…