Teacher Diversity Explained: Why It Matters, and How We Got Here

While America’s student body has grown more diverse over time, the teachers working with them have remained overwhelmingly white. While more than half of public…

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…

For 2021, We Need Real Strategies to Dismantle Racism in Schools

As educators, we’re taught to begin with the end in mind. To be successful, we need to know our intended outcome so we can backward…

It Should Not Take a Pandemic to Ensure That Every Child Has Food

Kasserianingera, this is a greeting of the Masai people of Africa, simply translated as, “And how are the children?” Because the Masai place their children’s…

We Can Unify and Win Better Schools for Our Kids. Here’s How.

During my 33-year journey in public education, I’ve repeatedly experienced the power of unity in achieving desired student outcomes, especially since founding a charter public…

Black Principals Matter

As we embark on Black History Month, it is important to illuminate the salience of high-quality leaders of color in schools across the country. Nationwide,…

Here’s How We Got Educating Black Kids Wrong Again in the 2010s

WHAT WE GOT WRONG: Congratulations, America! You’ve once again managed to provide the shittiest public education for Black students and families. So as we close out this decade and enter a new year, I’ve taken the liberty of highlighting some of these moments, policies and practices that have upheld your deep-rooted oppression!…

These Are the Students Who Inspired Us This Decade

WHAT WE GOT RIGHT: With the end of the year fast approaching—and with it the closing of a decade—it is the perfect opportunity to look back and reflect on some of the stories we’ve had the privilege of sharing and amplifying over the years.…

The Biggest Threat to Public Education Is Still Its Insidious ‘Belief Gap’

For a long time school reform seemed to be winning the public argument about the failure of schools to prepare students academically. During that run,…

How This Music Program Is Helping Incarcerated Youth Tell Their Stories

More than 60,000 young people are incarcerated in secure facilities, residences and group homes, learning in alternative education settings designed to keep them in school…