Principals Are Great But Sometimes a Really Good Mentor Can Mean Everything for a Teacher

I’m often reflective at the start of any school year. And lately, when I think about the six years I’ve been teaching and leading, I…

A Leaky Pipeline Loses Teachers of Color

Despite the benefits of a diverse teaching force, prospective teachers of color fall out of our leaky preparation pipeline at every stage: preparation, hiring, induction…

Inside the Decade-Long Plan to Recruit, Hire and Retain 9,000 Black Educators Across the Country

Across the entire United States, there aren’t nearly enough Black teachers inside classrooms.  According to the National Center for Education Statistics, less than 7% of…

How Do We ‘IGNITE’ Social Change in the Next Generation of Leaders?

The impact of COVID-19 on the education community was astonishing. Educators pivoted all of their curricula to a virtual landscape for the first time. Guardians…

We’re Not Just Doing Distance Learning, We’re Teaching Through a Crisis

When I last wrote about mentoring in January 2020, I discussed how it built stronger connections between myself and my students. That remains true, but…

My School Let Me Work a Four-Day Week. It Changed Everything.

Last spring, as a teacher at Alma del Mar Charter Public School in New Bedford, Massachusetts, I got to participate in the pilot of something…

There’s Ineffective Teaching in Every School. It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way.

I recently heard a familiar, stinging remark from a policymaker: Allison, if we’re going to increase education funding significantly, we must address the issue of…

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…

Here’s Why Every Teacher Needs a Mentor

Regardless of your profession, mentorship can be powerful. We need long term teacher mentoring in education. This is one way to improve the quality of…

Our Students Don’t Need to Be ‘Fixed,’ But We Can Heal Together

I’m sitting in my classroom, hunched low in my comfortable teacher chair. The lights are off. I’m rubbing my eyes and my temples in an…