The ELL Population Is Growing, But Where Are the Teachers to Help Them Excel?

Your first year of teaching isn’t usually filled with victories, but I’ll never forget the brightest moment of mine. It was a Friday in early…

Before We Discuss ‘Equity in Schools,’ Tell Me What You Really Mean

To know me is to know my aversion to all things “buzzwordy.” My rule of thumb for education is that if it can fit on…

Afi Tagnedji’s Making Sure Students’ Voices Are Heard in the Equity Conversation

Everyone is talking about how schools should care about equity for their students, but that can’t be the whole conversation. Equity has to mean more…

In the Wake of Christchurch, Sanaa Kahloon Refuses to Let Hatred Win

After the recent mass shooting at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, new attention has been called to the fears that Muslims experience every day.…

After a Year Like 2018, Teachers Can No Longer Stay Silent About Injustice

After a year like this one, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting and questioning how so many injustices can still exist in our nation…

Trying to Promote Equity in Your School? Here Are 5 Things Anyone Can Do.

I just got back from an amazing professional learning session delivered by Kentucky State University’s Dr. Roger Cleveland. In the session, he had us do…

How We Can Help Rural Students Overcome the Opportunity Gap

One of the best baseball movies I’ve seen is “Moneyball” with Brad Pitt. There’s this scene where Pitt’s character had just brought in an economics…

Hope and Outrage: Put Some ‘Respek’ on ALL of Dr. King’s Dreams

Outrage: Martin Had a Dream Today, we commemorate the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination by memorializing his work and his life. But is this…

We’re Kidding Ourselves If We Think 90 Percent of Teachers Are Effective

A while back I sat through a professional learning community (PLC) meeting where the other science teachers and I listened to a YouTube lecturer discussing…

Trying to Talk About the Achievement Gap? Try This.

Politics and education are two of my favorite subjects. It’s neat when I have an opportunity to combine them. I recently listened to a speech…