EXPLAINED: The American Rescue Plan Gives a Huge Boost to School Funding

What is the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021? You may have heard it as the “second big COVID stimulus,” but the actual name is…

We Learned a Lot About What Our Students Actually Need This Year. Now We Must Do Better.

We have all been steeped in the vivid, traumatic consequences of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with regard to a year of disrupted learning for…

To the People Pushing Back on Culturally Responsive Teaching During Black History Month

A war has been waging in my home state of Illinois, and the battle lines have been drawn. In one corner of the ring—the “uber…

Here’s Why Putting the Brakes on Charter Schools Is So 2020

Prior to COVID-19 upending American education, some state legislatures around the country considered moratoriums or “pauses” on public charter schools; while others, like in California,…

5 Ways to Make Black Lives Matter at School

The societal turmoil, protests, and unrest—all a cry for justice. The focus is on Black lives; however, this goes beyond Black lives being protected from…

Education for Black Kids Cannot Look the Same as It Did in 2020

We lost so many lives this year—lives that could’ve been saved if people just gave a damn for once. And I’m not referring to the…

Without Data, We Can’t Fight for Our Students’ Futures

Sometimes, data can seem pesky. Just ask the folks who continue to suggest that coronavirus spikes are merely the result of increased testing. “You know…

Civil Rights Groups Insist on Testing: ‘You Cannot Improve What You Do Not Measure.’

Even a broken clock is right twice a day. In this case, the clock is soon-to-be-Ex-Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who has told states that…

Suburban Families Haven’t Always Been Allies of School Choice, But That’s Changing

Middle class, suburban families, once likely opponents of education choice, are now rallying behind the right to choose where to send their children to school.  All it took…

Former Sec. of Ed John King Calls on School Boards to Govern With Equity

While partisan politics has once again dominated the headlines this election season, the real stories lie with the thousands of newly-elected local officials across the…