It Should Not Take a Pandemic to Ensure That Every Child Has Food

Kasserianingera, this is a greeting of the Masai people of Africa, simply translated as, “And how are the children?” Because the Masai place their children’s…

COVID-19 Shows Why We Need Public Schools Now More Than Ever

“Mr. Kelly, what happens next?” As a teacher, I have heard some version of that question countless times in different circumstances over the years. However,…

Once We Beat the Coronavirus, Let’s End the Pandemic in Our Public Schools

Here’s something to take our minds off occasional thoughts of the world ending—thoughts probably caused by hallucinations from inhaling the Lysol we’re spraying hourly to…

Schools Like This One Might Have an Easier Time Going Virtual

As COVID-19 continues to spread across New Jersey, “long term school closures are inevitable,” said Governor Phil Murphy on Friday. All across the country school districts…

School Closures Will Never Achieve Equity and Liberation for Black Kids

Oh, this board meeting will be interesting. The auditorium is filled with folks who are geared up for a showdown. All have matching blue shirts…

Kids Who Aren’t Well-Served in Traditional Settings Aren’t Troublemakers, They’re the Key to Real Change

Too often, education leaders think of schools and programs serving students who have gaps in their education, who are early parents, who are incarcerated or…

Here’s One Way to Talk With Teachers About Race in Schools

I’m five hours into facilitating a professional development on race for a group of teachers.  Overall, the morning was positive: everyone has remained engaged 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.…

Black History Is American History and Should Be Celebrated All Year Long

As a Minnesotan, February is a signal that the warmth of spring is so close yet so far away (seriously, last Thursday the high was two…

Half of NYC Public School Students Will Fail Their AP Exams, So Why Are We Spending Millions to Expand Access?

AP (advanced placement) classes are designed for students to fail.  In 2018, just over 50% of New York City public school students who took one…