Here’s What It Really Means to Move to a ‘Good School’ in a ‘Good Neighborhood’

Many White folks, especially Northern White liberals who voted for Obama, would argue they are not racist, even while they actively cause harm to Black…

Everyone Progresses With a Progressive Platform, Except for Black and Brown Children.

I’ve had the chance to travel a lot in my work as an educator and activist, and frequently I find myself in what I call…

I’ll Believe Chicago Is Progressive When We Close the Gaps for Black and Brown Kids

Shame on it all! In a new report, “The Secret Shame: How America’s Most Progressive Cities Betray Their Commitment to Educational Opportunities for All,” brightbeam…

Progressives, If We Really Care About Education, Then Let’s Act Like It

In the hallway of my apartment growing up in Brooklyn, there was a poster of a cover from the New Yorker Magazine entitled “View of…

You Can Call It a ‘Lost Decade,’ But I See a Lot of Good Things Happening

WHAT WE GOT RIGHT: The spin never stops when it comes to education and it goes into overdrive with the close of a decade. Amidst all the hype of a lost decade and the need for humility from education reformers, I see a glass way more than half full.…

We Need a New Way of Talking About Students Who Face Barriers Erected by Adults and Sustained by Broken Systems

I bring John, David, Ana and Sally into every training, strategy session and decision-making room I occupy.  Well, actually I bring their stories, to remind…

I Got Rid of Course Requirements for My AP English Class and I Don’t Regret It

“So you’re just going to let anyone into your AP English class?” she quipped with sarcasm and snark.  “Uhm … yeah,” I responded with cool…

The Discomfort of White Adults Should Never Take Priority Over the Success of Our Black and Brown Students

“I didn’t come here to teach those kinds of kids.” It’s alarming to think that adults charged with helping students of color succeed in school…

Don’t Expect Results If You’re Selling Your Students Short With Old Strategies

I teach English Language Arts to high school students in Washington, D.C. All of my students are students of color. While bright and talented, many…

How Our Rural School Is Closing the Opportunity Gap and Preparing the Next Generation of Teachers

Teacher shortages in Wisconsin, and across the country, have a stranglehold on the profession. Enrollment in educator prep programs in Wisconsin is down 30 percent.…