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…

Without Family Support, I Wouldn’t Be on Track to Become the First in My Family to Graduate College

Unfortunately, school districts that primarily serve non-White students receive less funding than school districts that primarily serve White students. A report by EdBuild found that…

Most of My Students Didn’t Know Any College Graduates But That’s Not Stopping Them From Going to College

“I can’t believe they picked me.” That’s what Keaton Hall, a senior at Uncommon Schools Rochester Prep High School, said to me on FaceTime when…

IDEA Public Schools Is Bringing 20 New Schools to Texas and Ana Martinez Is Leading the Charge

For the last decade, IDEA Public Schools has been steadily improving student outcomes in the Rio Grande Valley, one of the most educationally underserved areas…