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…

Will We Finally Tap The Learning Expertise That Is Present in Oft-Overlooked Communities?

Talk of an education “recovery” to address student “learning loss” is here, often with a focus on expanded summer learning programs, high-dose tutoring and expanded…

EXPLAINED: The Truth About Critical Race Theory and How It Shows Up in Your Child’s Classroom

What is critical race theory? Critical race theory (sometimes abbreviated to CRT) is an intellectual approach to looking at U.S. society with a belief that racism…

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…

Meet Two Teachers Learning to Center Their Students’ Identities Without Losing Sight of Their Own

Lindsay Singer and Ashley McCall are both third grade teachers at Cesar Chavez Multicultural Academic Center in Chicago. Lindsay teaches mathematics and inquiry. And Ashley…

Here’s How Culturally Sustaining Curriculum Roots Students in a Legacy of Strength

I started my teaching career teaching music. I’d been a professional musician for a decade—performing, touring and recording jazz and Latin music. With some experience…

Schools Need to Teach the Hard History of Asian Americans

Like so many Asian Americans, I was not surprised when I heard the news that the mass shooting in Atlanta targeted six Asian American women.…

It’s Time to Add Multicultural Literature to the Academic Equation

The teaching population in the United States is 87% white female, the typical educator a blonde or brunette under the age of 35. Dominating the…

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…

Black Students Are Waiting for a ‘Jingle Jangle’ Moment

“Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” is a new Christmas movie on Netflix that premiered earlier this month. The movie begins with two children sitting in…