America Has Always Used Schools as a Weapon Against Native Americans

When Michelle Obama and her husband visited students of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation in North Dakota in the summer of 2014, she met students…

My Ancestor Was in the Confederate Army. That Matters When I’m in Front of Students.

In my current role as an assistant professor of practice at a graduate school of education, one of the things I try to impart to…

Families of Color Have a Lot to Worry About, Teachers Doing Stupid, Racist Things Shouldn’t Be One of Them

If you’re anything like me, you’ve found yourself looking at your social media timeline recently and muttering “what in the world is happening?” In late…

How My School Blocked Me From Teaching ‘The Hate U Give’

While “The Hate U Give” is a best-selling book and top-rated film, I’m getting some real pushback from my administration about having my students read the…

It Wasn’t Enough to Just Be Latina, My Students Needed Me to Be Culturally Competent

I am a Latina educator and I have spent most of my career working with Black and Brown students. Initially, I believed that it was…

Want to Fix the Achievement Gap? Reconsider How You Teach.

There seems to be a sentiment amongst some educators that culturally responsive education is merely an optional “best practice.” Well, of course, any trainings or…

Black Literature Still Matters After February

I remember how it felt to read “Macbeth” for my high school English class. I yawned as my head went down on my desk. When…

These Students Don’t Want ‘Saviors,’ They Want Effective Teachers

Until I had my first international experience, I didn’t have a race. Or at least, I didn’t know I did. It was when I returned…

When the Only Real Choice Is Private: My Unlikely Attraction to School Vouchers

I felt that the free education my daughter was getting was just too expensive. I needed to find a school that would start filling her academic gaps while also providing culturally responsive pedagogy.…

Forget Your Nostalgia for White Picket Fences, Suburban Schools Need to Accept the New Reality

There’s a myth that persists in education for both parents and teachers: That heading to suburban schools somehow insulates you from hardship, instability and academic failure.…