Teachers, Why Are We Quicker to Call Parents About Kids’ Behavior Than About Their Academic Performance?

Recently, I came across a tweet that resonated with my beliefs: This is problematic. As an educator, I know behavior and academics are linked. Sometimes…

We All Carry Implicit Biases. Christopher House Is Learning to See and Change Them.

Research shows that, as early as preschool,  racial bias affects student learning. From a young age, we adults are treating children differently based on their…

Here’s Why My Heart Grew Three Sizes While Doing Cafeteria Duty

You know that iconic scene in How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original, not that abominable remake) when the narrator says, “Well, in Whoville they…

5 Education Reports That Defined the Decade

WHAT WE GOT WRONG: The decade is coming to a close, but don’t expect the conversations and issues that were raised in the 2010s to be swept under the rug. …

You Can Call It a ‘Lost Decade,’ But I See a Lot of Good Things Happening

WHAT WE GOT RIGHT: The spin never stops when it comes to education and it goes into overdrive with the close of a decade. Amidst all the hype of a lost decade and the need for humility from education reformers, I see a glass way more than half full.…

Here’s How ‘Threat Assessments’ May Be Targeting Vulnerable Students

Last month, the U.S. Secret Service released Protecting America’s Schools, which sends education leaders a clear message: we can prevent school shootings and other targeted…

We Were Making Progress on School Discipline Until Betsy DeVos Came Along

WHAT WE GOT WRONG: At the turn of the century, in 1999, I was graduating from high school, motivated to enter the teaching profession with a passion to reform school discipline practices and eliminate the school-to-prison pipeline. …

Don’t Take Us Back to the Days When Our Children With Disabilities Could Be Denied an Education

We barely survived my son Jonah’s adolescence. One evening in Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station he pushed me so hard I fell to the ground and…

What You Think You Know About Restorative Justice Is Probably Wrong

On Monday, we ran a piece written by a mother whose experience with restorative justice was a horror story. Readers responded in large numbers to the piece,…

Effective School Discipline Starts With Your Classroom Culture

School discipline will always be a hotly debated topic. As an advocate, I have argued for more proactive, inclusionary practices that address prevention rather than…