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…

I’m Over Staying Silent About the Inequities in Our Schools That Impact Poor and Students of Color

In many ways, the election seems like a lifetime ago. I recall that the weather on the weekend before election day was gorgeous. I was…

Coffee Break: Minneapolis’ Erin Clotfelter on Special Education, The Belief Gap and Coffee in Bed

Erin Ecklund Clotfelter is the mother of four: 7-year-old twins who were diagnosed with autism at age 2, a 6-year-old recently diagnosed with ADHD, and…

Why the School Funding Judgment in Connecticut Could Jeopardize Education for America’s 6.5 Million Children With Disabilities

A couple of years ago I got a call from an occupational therapist who introduced herself as a member of my son Corey’s special education…

How We Can Say to Students of Color: ‘You’re Welcome Here. I Believe in You.’

Minnesota’s state teachers union recently produced a report that calls for action on an issue that hits home for me as a teacher of color:…

How These Middle-School Students Took First Place at a Startup Accelerator

When Fidel Jonapa heard his team declared the winner of a design competition late last month, he was momentarily baffled. It had to be a…