I Know What My Parents and Students Need Because I Asked Them

When Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced that schools and non-emergency childcare programs in the state would remain closed through May 4, I held on to…

Love in a Time of Distance Learning

As an inexperienced special education teacher, I vividly recall hearing the shouting nearby. I raced down the hall, fearful of an incident brewing. Standing there was…

Parents, Stop Freaking Out, Teachers Aren’t Perfect Either

This year, there will be no more school bells. There will be no more pencils to sharpen or papers to pass out. There will be…

Every Class Has a ‘Unicorn’ Child, And We Have to Teach Them Creatively

I encountered my first “unicorn” three years ago. She burst into my classroom announcing, Hello! Nice classroom you got there. Oh … thank you. Are…

Teachers, Why Are We Quicker to Call Parents About Kids’ Behavior Than About Their Academic Performance?

Recently, I came across a tweet that resonated with my beliefs: This is problematic. As an educator, I know behavior and academics are linked. Sometimes…

A Teacher Asked About My Child’s Hopes and Dreams and It Changed Everything

As a child in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, I did not have a good experience in school. My teachers did not understand my ADHD, and I…

This School Hired the ‘Best Person’ for the Job and Ended Up With a 75% Black Male Teaching Staff

As he moves around his seventh grade math classroom, Aurum Preparatory Academy (“Aurum Prep”) teacher, Salif Doubare, is crackling with energy. He’s tall, thin, wearing…

Here’s How Cutting-Edge Charter School Leaders of Color Engage Families for Student Success

For decades, parents and charter school administrators have cultivated best practices to build inclusive, welcoming and student-centered school communities across the country. From single-site schools…

Parent-Teacher Conferences Might Suck, But We Still Have to Show Up

David McGuire, a school leader in Indianapolis, asked the Twitterati this week what does it take to get parents to attend conferences with their children’s’ teachers? I…

Every Parent-Teacher Conference Should Look Like This

I have a confession to make. I am an educator who doesn’t enjoy participating in parent-teacher conferences as a parent. Our son is a junior…