Rigorous Curriculum Matters More Than Ever. Here Are 3 Steps We Should Take Now.

When teachers welcomed their students on the first day of school last September, they never imagined ending the year on Zoom. Now, as the new…

7 Steps to Help You Implement Trauma-Informed Practices at Your School

The only way to implement something well is through trial and error. In 2017, I proposed to my principal that teachers should adapt to trauma-informed…

Teachers Shouldn’t Tiptoe Around Politics When It Directly Impacts Our Students

“Don’t talk politics and religion at the dinner table.”  I presume I’m not the only one who was brought up with this unspoken rule. With…

Pandemic or Not, Students Need Great Content Paired With Strong Teaching

When teachers welcomed their students on the first day of school last September, they never imagined ending the year on Zoom. Now, as the new…

Here’s How COVID-19 Is Hurting Aspiring Teachers of Color and Three Ways We Can Fix It

A growing body of evidence demonstrates the valuable role that teachers of color play in our schools, but COVID-19 could shrink their ranks—and may have…

Our Collective Blackness No Longer Has Value to You Once We Cross Your Party Line

After a month of not writing, I took to Twitter to share some thoughts about the nasty fallout from the protest of a large group of Black…

How to Throw a Big Ass House Party and Change the Game for Our Kids

Got you with the title, didn’t I? LOL! But since I have you here, let me tell you how to throw a big ass house…

Thank God for Parents Who Refuse to Be Gaslighted by the Failing Education System

Last week I attended a community town hall in Nashville organized by my friend Vesia Hawkins, a relentless and faithful community servant who brought together…

I #LoveTeaching Because I Never Stop Learning

#LoveTeaching Week is a grassroots campaign started by teachers in 2015 as an opportunity to celebrate teaching, leading, and learning in a way that unites…

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…