Here’s Why Teachers Pay Teachers Is Fueling Culture Wars in the Classroom

Anytime K-12 curriculum is the subject of breaking news, it’s generally a bad sign for things to come. When things like textbooks, lesson plans, and…

We Can’t Protect Our Students From Racism, But We Can Prepare Them to Combat and Reject It

On January 6, when an angry mob stormed the Capitol, I was in the middle of teaching my 7th grade English language arts students about…

To the People Pushing Back on Culturally Responsive Teaching During Black History Month

A war has been waging in my home state of Illinois, and the battle lines have been drawn. In one corner of the ring—the “uber…

An Inclusive Curriculum Matters All Year Round

Although the United States has always had a diverse population, public school curricula are overwhelmingly built around a white, male perspective. Students are learning a…

Students Don’t Just Study Black History, They Are Black History

*Mic check* (Ahem). Educators: Are you aware that this month is Black History Month? Have you asked your students, specifically your Black students, what they’d like…

I Can’t Expect Some Magical Black Character to Declare Me ‘Good White People.’ I Have to Do the Work.

It was a year ago that I tried sweet potato pie for the first time. Now, I am white and, though I have lived in…

You Aren’t a ‘Woke’ Teacher if Your Students Aren’t Learning

The recent “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” reunion show had me in my feelings. It was great to see the cast again and it was cool…

Cultural Competence Only Goes So Far. Kids Need Teacher Diversity.

I am a middle school science teacher. When covering the laws of physics, I teach that “every action has an equal and opposite reaction.” This…

White Teachers, Our Whiteness Is Getting in Our Way

Since the murder of George Floyd, teacher leaders across America have sought to prove the necessity of antiracism in public education. And rightly so: from…

A Student Who Is Ineffectively Taught by an Anti-Racist Teacher Is Not Receiving Justice

Last Sunday educators, students, and families marched in Philadelphia demanding a long overdue anti-racist action in the city’s schools, insisting that anti-racism “be the overarching…