Surrounded by COVID, Civil Unrest and Chaos, Our Students Need Hope

Anyone who has ever been in a strategic planning meeting has been told  that “hope is not a strategy.” We’re told instead to be clear-eyed…

Dual-Enrollment Helped Me Prepare for My Future

My decision to participate in Minnesota’s Post-Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program has been the most defining aspect of my high school experience. A full-time PSEO…

Dual-Credit Classes Opened Up a Whole New World for Me

As I went through high school, I became increasingly aware that I needed to take advantage of the time, as it was the beginning of…

There Are Teachers Out There Right Now Causing Real Harm to Black and Brown Students

This is an incredible thread. Joe Truss took the Amy Cooper viral video and described all the ways that that behavior shows up in classrooms…

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…

This Student’s Story Shows Why Distance Learning Can’t Always Come First

Before we get started, I want you to really take a moment and imagine how it feels to walk in my shoes for a day:…

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…

Native Families Have Used School Choice to Save Their Children for More Than 50 Years

When their sons were told they’d have to cut their hair to continue attending the local public school, Jerry and Pat Roy began homeschooling their…

I Hate to Inform You, but Not Everyone Is Above Average in Wobegon

Wherever you live, there is a high probability that Minnesota is low-key superior to your state.  We are the safest state in America, we have…

The Biggest Threat to Public Education Is Still Its Insidious ‘Belief Gap’

For a long time school reform seemed to be winning the public argument about the failure of schools to prepare students academically. During that run,…