Before a Child Can Learn They Need to Feel Safe and Cared For

The life of a high-powered literary agent in New York City seems about the farthest thing from my life as a teacher serving largely low-income…

Episode 19: Football and Literacy (feat. Vesia Wilson-Hawkins)

In this episode, we sit down with our colleague Vesia Wilson-Hawkins to discuss what it would be like if parents got as fired up about…

How to Save Charter Schools From the Beatdown

There seems to be an organized assault on charter schools. Legal challenges, bureaucratic barriers and smear campaigns all work to destroy their reputation, deplete their…

If You’re Not Going to Teach Our Kids to Read, Then We’re Taking Your Ass to Court

Outrage: Kids Can’t Read, America It took the kid about 5 minutes to read one sentence. He struggled to pronounce the easiest words. I was…

How You Can Advocate for Your Grandchild at School

I was a product of the early civil rights era. My entire first 12 years of formal education were spent in the segregated public school…

Teaching Is Not Like Those Cute Teacher Movies, It Takes Wisdom and Grit

Can I really do this for 30 years? Why isn’t loving them enough? It always worked at camp. My lessons are awesome, so why don’t…

Here Are the Real MVPs of National School Choice Week

It’s National School Choice Week (NSCW)! All week, we’re celebrating those who work to provide available and accessible, high-quality options for students and families. Though the…

I’m a Black Woman and I Don’t Want Your ‘Thank You’

It seemed like all of America voted in Alabama’s Senate election this week. Everyone had something to say about the decades-old Republican seat up for…

We’re Real Parents With Real Issues and We Need Solutions to Fix Our Schools

When my daughter is on the playground, I see her playing with kids from district, charter and private schools, and even some others who are…

I Drove 243 Miles to Find a Better School for My Kid and All I Found Was More of the Same

In 2005, I had my son and I was terrified. I already knew that, because he was a Black male born to a single mother,…