If You’re Black and Low-Income in Oakland, You Have to Fight for the Right to a Good School

Every family should have the right to a good school for their kids. But it turns out that if you’re Black and low-income in Oakland,…

I Was Lucky to Attend a ‘Good’ School, But What About the Kids Who Don’t

Let me tell you a tale of two schools. As the Georgia Teacher of the Year, I visit countless schools all across Georgia—observing instruction and…

Coffee Break: Oakland’s Lakisha Young Is Done Waiting for Superman and Ready for Parents to Take the Lead

Lakisha Young is executive director of The Oakland REACH. She has dedicated her career to promoting access to quality schools because she knows firsthand that…

Let’s Cancel Roseanne and Then Cancel These Haters Who Want to Block Our Way to Better Schools

Hope: #ByeRoseanne in the Classroom Roseanne is the second person in TV history to get fired on her day off (people who have seen the…

These Parents Aren’t School Choice Zealots, They Just Want Better Schools for Their Kids

When it comes to the education of low-income children, classroom results often take a back seat to topics like money, jobs or race. And now…

I Found the Right School for My Son With Autism and It’s Only Because I’m White and Have Money

It’s March, and all over the country, students and their families are waiting anxiously to receive emails and letters about the status of school applications;…

We Should Support Schools That Work. It’s Really That Simple.

Politics makes strange bedfellows. As a liberal who is theoretically supportive of unions, public education, governmental social programs, and wary of the private marketplace as…

Your Neighborhood School May Not Make the Rankings But That Doesn’t Mean It Isn’t Right for Your Kid

When moving into my neighborhood, my husband and I never considered our neighborhood school a viable option for our children. It wasn’t “good” based on…

I’m a Fierce Advocate for Educational Equity. And Then I Had My Own Kid.

For years, I have experienced the world of education through the role of a teacher. I’ve engaged in discussions about fair funding formulas and school…

In Chicago, Charter Schools Are Helping the ‘Underdog’ Kids Get to College

If you’re an underdog kind of kid in Chicago, and you want to go to college and graduate, your chances of success are better now…