Demand #InternetForAll for 15 Million Students Who Are #LoggedOut

On Wednesday, August 26, education activists and organizations around the country are staging a national day of action, demanding that every student have access to…

White Progressives Have a Lot of Work to Do, and I’m Not Here to Help

When I ran for school board it was the former Minneapolis mayor who was the first elected official to endorse me. She asked me a…

Teachers Must Hold Themselves Accountable for Dismantling Racial Oppression

This week began with a hike in the woods for my family and me in the Shenandoah Valley State Park. Pre COVID-19, our outings consisted…

George Floyd’s Death Was Murder, Plain and Simple

As part of my job as an educator, I have, at times, had to restrain teenagers. I was trained to do so. It is my…

Nowhere Is the Hypocrisy of Progressives More Apparent Than in Education

Two years ago, when I ran for mayor of Minneapolis I was somewhat naïve, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed about the possibility of mobilizing the White, progressive…

Kassie Benjamin’s the Kind of Math Teacher Who Sticks With You Long After You Leave Her Classroom

Here in Minneapolis, the word around town is that South High was designed by a guy who had spent his whole career designing prisons. There…

True Confession: I Care About My Students’ Test Score. You Should Too.

I care about my students’ test scores. That sentiment is a bit taboo nowadays, especially in “progressive” and “liberal” circles, where I run. But it’s…

Every Teacher Tried to Get Him on Track But Only This Student Knew Exactly What He Needed

During the first seven months of this school year, I struggled to find a way to motivate a ninth-grade student whom I’ll call Ameer. Ameer…

I’m Trying to Be an Ally to My Black and Brown Students

When I interviewed for my current job teaching ninth- and 10th-grade English in the Minneapolis Public Schools, I was asked this question: How would I…

My Students Have Already Fought Endless Battles to Survive Before They Even Set Foot in School

Earlier this year, my first year of teaching ninth- and 10th-grade English, I taught a graphic novel called “Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside…