I Believe in Public Schools, But They Just Weren’t Working for My Son

“The wolf took one last look at his mother and father…” My son is reading aloud in the other room. I hear his little voice…

Schools Now Have Tons of Money. What Are They Doing With It?

I live in Lawrence, New Jersey—a middle-class, diverse town, halfway between Princeton and Trenton. For years I was on the school board and was very…

Here’s How Mask Mandates Can Violate the Civil Rights of Students With Disabilities

This fall most parents celebrated the return to in-person instruction after witnessing their children struggle with remote learning. For parents of many students with disabilities,…

Here’s How My Middle School Kept Kids From Failing During Pandemic Isolation

As the horrors of World War II were drawing to a close, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill famously advised: “never let a good crisis go…

Now Is the Time to Professionalize School Boards

Should schools reopen? Should students wear masks? Should vaccines be mandated? Should online learning continue to be a robust option? Does our district teach critical…

3 Ways We Can Support the Unique Needs of English Language Learners After the Pandemic

Picture this: a Spanish-speaking student in the back of the classroom struggling to understand a lecture.  Now picture this: a Spanish-speaking student in the back…

After the Last Year and a Half, We Must Never Forget How Resilient Students Are

Kids today are too fragile. We’re raising a generation of snowflakes! It’s a universal truth: As long as there are young people, there will be older…

6 Ways We Can Help Reverse COVID Learning Loss for English Learners

Twenty-one months have passed since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a national emergency. With a new school year underway, the United States (U.S.) public school system…

Families Can’t Afford for Schools to Continue to Treat Students With Disabilities Like an Afterthought

Every single thing we do is challenging. My kids are being forgotten. That’s Keri Akkawi, a Philadelphia mom of two boys with Fragile X Syndrome,…

Q&A: Selma’s Superintendent Keeps Kids Learning, Even as COVID Rages

In 2017 Dr. Avis Williams came to Selma City Schools as its new superintendent, taking over an urban district where almost all students are economically…