Black Lawmakers Must Prioritize Educational Opportunity for Black Families

For millions of K-12 students, the pandemic has led to unprecedented interruptions of critical education and services. Many students will continue to fall behind and…

Education Advocates Need to Look in the Mirror When It Comes to Equity and Racial Justice

As protests give way to policy debates in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, while a true and full reckoning with our country’s original sin…

White Parents Should Be Ready for Anti-Racism to Get Personal

In a moment of global and national crisis, even the most skeptical observers have been moved by the scale, sweep and duration of protests in…

Our Kids Can No Longer Wait for Educational Justice, And They Shouldn’t Have To

I wanna talk about three things: movements, public education and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words foreshadowing what would be an ongoing and urgent fight.…

Real Reformers Keep Pushing for Better Outcomes Even When There Are No Easy Answers

A few nights ago the CEO for Baltimore Public Schools joined my colleagues on the 8 Black Hands podcast to discuss her efforts to improve…

Lakisha Young Talks About How Oakland Is Tackling the Reading Crisis

Lakisha Young is the executive director of The Oakland REACH. Her work began through witnessing the disparities faced by Black and Brown students, including members…

Minnesota’s Bill Wilson Walked His Talk About Improving Schools for Families. Now It’s Our Turn.

Nothing stopped Bill Wilson. From the time he was bused past three schools because he was African American, to the day he was told it was…

Black and Latino Students Are Locked Out of Advanced Classes While White Students Reap the Benefits

In schools across America, Black and Latino students are being pushed into less advanced courses, while their White peers reap the benefits of taking advanced…

Homeschooling Isn’t the Right Choice for Every Child, But My Mom Knew It Was Right for Me

Back around 350 BC, Aristotle described education as “an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity.” Clearly, education has been valued and prioritized for…

We Shined a Light on What Many Refuse to See: World-Class Cities With Third-World Educational Results

You mad, bro? That seems like the most appropriate question to ask after my team released “The Secret Shame of Progressive Cities” last week, a…