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…

My Students Deserve to Share Their Stories On Their Own Terms

I found “The Bluest Eye” on my own in my older sister’s classroom books. I was in ninth grade. I can’t remember what I thought…

What Will Happen in Your School When Black History Month Is Over?

Black History Month is quickly coming to a close. This month is a time to highlight Black excellence and remind us all that Black history…

White People, Celebrate Black History Month By Facing the Truth of White Supremacy

I came across an image on social media the other day and it made me stop and think. In it, two boys—one white and one…

The Government Is Still Preventing the Rise of the Black Messiah in Schools Today

I was gifted an advanced screening of “Judas and the Black Messiah” earlier this week and it affirmed just how much education equals power, while…

What AP Classes Can Teach Us About Building Stronger Curriculum for All Students

When millions of parents became de facto teachers during COVID-19, they saw firsthand a deep-seeded, widespread problem in American education: lackluster content and curricula that…

What Trump’s Weekend Memo Means for Students of Color

My wife and I woke up on Saturday morning to devastating news that the White House released a memo demanding for federal government agencies to…

Will We Still Fight for Racial Justice in Schools This Fall?

Parents, I can say with confidence the classrooms your children left in the spring will not be the same one they will return to this…

Every Student Should Have the Opportunity to Read Books That Affirm Their Identity

I always found school history and literature boring. Growing up Taiwanese American, I never saw myself or my community represented in my school’s history or…

What If We Radically Reimagined the New School Year?

Monday night I sat on my back patio staring up into a rare, starry Chicago night. I squinted and made out each point of The…