Meet Newark’s Own Amanda Gorman, Seventh Grade Poet Makayla Brown

A month ago, as Amanda Gorman shared her beautiful prose during President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ inauguration, students at KIPP Rise Academy in Newark had…

Khaliah Fitchett on Going From Handcuffs to Running for Congress

One afternoon in March 2010, Khaliah Fitchette, a 16-year-old student at Newark’s University High School, was riding home on a NJ Transit bus with her…

We Must Vote for the Candidates Who Will Implement the Right Policies for Our Kids

I first met Shennell McCloud when she was Director of Recruitment, and then as Director of Advocacy for KIPP New Jersey, a charter school network…

What Happens When a Good Public Charter School Can’t Get a Building

Imagine that your 15-year-old daughter is enrolled in a public high school that you both chose for its affirmative culture and impressive academics. Your daughter—let’s…

Top Democratic Candidates’ Disrespect for Parents of Color Has Me Wondering If I Fit Into This Party Anymore.

Politico reports today that Elizabeth Warren’s support among Democratic and left-leaning Independent primary voters “plunged 50% over the past month, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.” …

Newark Students Deserve Education Champions Who Keep Their Promises

It’s no secret that education in the city of Newark has had a tumultuous history. It’s a history with a complex narrative—going from a distinguished…

3 Things You May Not Know About Charter Schools

Recently, when I announced the release of my newest book on charter schools, a woman I know from the gym wrote me: “So sorry, Sarah—but…

Mashea Ashton Talks Newark, Cory Booker and the Challenges of Launching Her Own School

Mashea Ashton tells the truth, even when it’s hard. Almost three years ago, when she moved to Washington, D.C., to be closer to family, she…

What I’ve Learned in 10 Years of Teaching

I am currently in my 12th year of teaching. I spent my first two years in The Bronx at P.S. 211 and have spent these…

When Educators Act Like Gateways Rather Than Gatekeepers, Students Are More Likely to Get Through College

When I was in middle school, it was pretty clear what my teachers thought of me. I was placed in the slow track, literally named…