My Middle School Students Can’t Vote, But They Think You Should

Government is not a static entity to be studied. It is a living, breathing being, which young people can learn to understand and influence. Never…

I’m a Teacher in Florida and I’m Afraid of Going Back to School This Fall

I am a seventh-grade civics teacher at a public school in Dade County, Florida, and I am afraid to go back to teaching in the…

Meet the Student Activists Fighting Against Gun Violence

They’ve been all over the news since February, walking out of class, marching for their lives in the streets and dunking on the president of…

What Childish Gambino’s ‘This is America’ Has to Do With School Shootings

I know there are a lot of interpretations of Childish Gambino’s new single “This is America” and what it all means, but here’s how I think…

How We Can Transform Schools Into Sites of Racial Healing

Students across the nation have joined in solidarity to ignite a long overdue national conversation on gun reform and school safety. So far, they’ve successfully…

If You Give White Teachers Guns, I’m Pulling My Black Son out of School

On December 14, 2012, a shooter walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and killed 20 children and six adults. My firstborn son was…

Our Country’s Addiction to Guns Is Endangering the Lives of Our Students

On March 14, students across the country will walk out of school to demand action on gun violence. They are telling elected officials, “Enough!” They…

My Students Are Asking for a Lot More Than Just Lockdown Drills

Seventeen years ago, I was a first-year teacher working alone in my classroom when a police officer came to my door. He told me to…

If You Can Find a Budget for Arming Teachers, Then You Can Find Money for Teacher Training

This is not an article about how to stop gun violence in schools. Like most of America, my perspective has been forever changed by the…

My Hands Will Ache and My Voice Will Shake, But I’ll Be the Change That Helps Protect My Students

This week I came back to work after a five-day break. My 116 high school students should have been returning from a long weekend filled…