College Readiness

Believe It or Not, Trump and DeVos Have Done Some Good for American Education
I’ve been leading Getting NYC Kindergarten and Getting Into NYC High School workshops for New York City parents for approximately 15 years. But only since…

This School Hired the ‘Best Person’ for the Job and Ended Up With a 75% Black Male Teaching Staff
As he moves around his seventh grade math classroom, Aurum Preparatory Academy (“Aurum Prep”) teacher, Salif Doubare, is crackling with energy. He’s tall, thin, wearing…

These Are the Students Who Inspired Us This Decade
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…

Welcome Back to Charter School Advocacy, Cory Booker!
One evening last summer, I arrived home later than usual, after a happy-hour chat with a good friend about the speech that had just been…

Our Children Need Better Politicians
Can we all agree that the basic care and development of America’s children—yes, every single one of them—is a cardinal virtue that should live unbothered…

One HBCU and One Black-Led Charter School Team Up to Ensure Success for Rural Students of Color
Crossroad Academy Charter School in Quincy, Florida, defies expectations. More than 90% of the school’s 530 students are Black or Hispanic, more than two-thirds qualify…

A Charter School Gave My Son Opportunity. Isn’t That What Democrats Should Stand For?
Tonight, the Democratic candidates for president will hold yet another debate, and likely, say very little about education. That’s why I rallied last night with…

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…

Yes, They Can Go to College, Even With Learning Differences
According to a recent report, one in five American students have learning or attention differences, with challenges ranging from dyslexia to ADHD and more. As…

A California Charter School Gave Me a Lifeline. Don’t Take That Away From Other Students.
If charter schools had been an option when I was young, I believe my mom would have been wise to choose them for me, given…