Why I Gave My Son Permission to Drop Out of High School

We see a child in a maple treeWe’re watching him climb,You and I.You say, “Come down,You’ll hurt yourself!”I say, “Go upYou’re touching the sky!” –…

Here’s Why Dumping the Discipline Question on the Common App Really Matters

This is a year unlike any other. I am sure you have heard this over and over again as, over the past seven months, our…

Dual-Enrollment Helped Me Prepare for My Future

My decision to participate in Minnesota’s Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program has been the most defining aspect of my high school experience. A full-time PSEO…

Dual-Credit Classes Opened Up a Whole New World for Me

As I went through high school, I became increasingly aware that I needed to take advantage of the time, as it was the beginning of…

Here’s How COVID-19 Is Hurting Aspiring Teachers of Color and Three Ways We Can Fix It

A growing body of evidence demonstrates the valuable role that teachers of color play in our schools, but COVID-19 could shrink their ranks—and may have…

70 Years of Promises in Education. What Will It Take for Us to Keep Them?

The promise of public education is that it prepares young people for life—and the commitments we have made to meet this aspiration have dramatically increased…

A Charter School Helped Me Achieve My Dreams, And Now My Kids Are Achieving Theirs, Too

I was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, by my Mexican-American mother. Since my mother is American, I inherited American citizenship. But at the age…

I Never Thought College Was a Possibility, but With My Parents’ Support Everything Changed

It is the week before my high school graduation. The final days and hours are ticking away, and I am anxiously awaiting the moment I…

I Didn’t Think I’d Ever Be Able to Afford College, But Now I Have a Full Ride to Brown

Growing up in Houston, I knew I was capable enough for college. I earned straight A’s in high school and possessed an insatiable drive to…

Michelle Obama Is on a Mission to Get Students Everywhere to Dream Big

The feeling inside UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion was electrifying. There was close to 10,000 high school seniors and transfer students proudly wearing their college shirts and…