I Hope I Never Lose Another Student to Suicide

“I’m going to end it!” Unsure of what I heard, I questioned back, “End what?”  Her response was, “My life!” This brief encounter led to…

Surrounded by COVID, Civil Unrest and Chaos, Our Students Need Hope

Anyone who has ever been in a strategic planning meeting has been told  that “hope is not a strategy.” We’re told instead to be clear-eyed…

Here’s How We Helped Hundreds of Low-Income Students Achieve This Summer, Despite the Pandemic

This spring, as schools limped across the virtual learning finish line, the consensus on virtual learning amongst educators was that this form of schooling could…

Schools Need Resources to Help Us Get Through This Tough Time

In 1967, Elvis Presley released “Run On,” his version of the old folk song, “God’s Gonna Cut You Down.” Recorded years earlier by Civil Rights…

What if We Actually Embraced Technology in the Classroom?

The academic spring semester took an extraordinary turn as the coronavirus pandemic swept the world. State shutdowns and stay-at-home orders shuttered schools and colleges, with 98% of…

Mental Health Should Be a Top Priority at Schools This Fall

As COVID-19 disrupted school for children statewide, many educators were focused on maintaining academic progress. That’s certainly important. But in my experience, as a public…

Supt. Susan Enfield on Her Commitment to Feed, Connect and Educate Every Student

The reality is if our students are hungry, they’re not going to learn. If they can’t access the internet, they’re not going to learn. And…

In the Face of the COVID Crisis, Michigan Districts and Charters Came Together to Innovate

Eighteen years ago, right before Michigan’s charter school boom began, I accepted my first teaching job at a Detroit based Big Picture Learning school. Built…

Creating Equitable Learning Environments Doesn’t Mean Reinventing the Wheel

The dueling crises of COVID-19 and systemic racial injustice have created a pivotal moment that not only demands a transformation of our school system, but…

How I’m Helping My Child With Special Needs Navigate Remote Learning

My children always start school two weeks before everyone else. So after two weeks of e-learning—or what I am calling two-weeks “in the trenches”—I feel…