Mental Health Should Be a Top Priority at Schools This Fall

As COVID-19 disrupted school for children statewide, many educators were focused on maintaining academic progress. That’s certainly important. But in my experience, as a public…

XQ+RI Schools Rise to the Challenge of Distance Learning and Hope to Inspire a State

Before the COVID-19 pandemic came into full view, the voice of Angélica Infante-Green, the Rhode Island Education Commissioner, bounced off the marble walls of the…

I’ll Believe Y’all Are Serious About Black Lives Mattering When You Send More of Our Kids to College Instead of Prison

I’m hearing a lot of people now all “rah-rah” for Black lives mattering. Meanwhile, I’m over here rolling my eyes at it all because to…

Seeking Justice for Black and Brown Children? Focus on the Social Determinants of Health

The fight for educational equity has never been just about schools. The real North Star for this work is providing opportunities for each child to…

Home Was My Refuge, But Many LGBTQ+ Students Need More Support During This Pandemic

I was one of the lucky ones—gay kids, that is. My parents accepted me at an early age. On my 13th birthday, just as I…

For My Family, Seeing Their First-Gen Latina Daughter Walk Across the Stage Would Have Been Everything

If I were a magician for a day, I would strike my wand and eliminate the memory of the coronavirus as well as its impact.…

Schools Must Prepare Now to Address Student and Teacher Trauma

My students and I are entering our tenth week of remote learning, all of us isolated from one another and from our shared classroom space.…

Students With Disabilities Deserve More During Distance Learning

At Alliance College-Ready Public Schools (Alliance) in Los Angeles, when we say that all scholars can learn and achieve, we mean all. That’s why, in…

Here’s How We Can Keep This Crisis From Digging Even Wider Educational Divides

I am a former school leader and a current educational strategist who works with charter leaders from all across New Orleans. Together, we have been…

52 School Board Leaders Demand That We Invest in Students Just Like We Invest in the Economy

We are a collective of diverse school board members who represent over 2 million students. In order to meet the needs of our children throughout…