Advocating for My Students Requires Being Political on My Own Time

With election season upon us, like clockwork, the collective efforts to stifle the political opinions of educators has begun. Navigating this climate requires a nuanced…

What Trump’s Weekend Memo Means for Students of Color

My wife and I woke up on Saturday morning to devastating news that the White House released a memo demanding for federal government agencies to…

No Justice for Kindergartners, Or Any Kids, This Year

Cheltenham School District just released a letter to the community confirming that after months of internal and external discussions, surveys of stakeholders, and feedback from the board,…

The Last Will and Testament of the American Schoolteacher

On July 7, President Trump reiterated his desire to reopen schools in the fall, as well as his lack of understanding related to how diseases…

We Deserve Better Than Betsy DeVos and Her White Privilege Plan to Reopen Schools

My family was supposed to move back South this summer. That was the plan as soon as we left back in 2017.  I will never…

We Cannot Allow Reopening Schools to Be a Political Issue

After four years of being a largely forgotten policy area, PK-12 education suddenly became a national priority last week. Under ordinary circumstances, this should be…

Black Lives Don’t Matter to Trump and DeVos. That’s Why They’re in a Hurry to Send Our Kids Back to School.

A few weeks ago, I watched my good friend’s nephew jump and tussle around on a trampoline with his friends at his eighth birthday party.…

Donald Trump Will Never Give Us the Smart, Nuanced Conversation We Need About Going Back to School

As COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the end of the 2019-2020 school year, parents and politicians nationwide sang the praises of teachers across the country—and it…

Seriously, Betsy? The Civil Rights Act

On Friday U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos released a statement celebrating the 56th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, passed in 1957 by a Republican-controlled…

I Got a Call From Betsy DeVos. Here’s What I Wish She Had Said.

Every year, I look forward to the first week of May, Teacher Appreciation Week. The week is usually filled with handwritten cards and drawings, a…