We’re 42 Years Apart But Our Mission Is the Same: Change Education for the Black Community

We are two Black men separated by 42 years in age. But we are bound by our collective rage about what is happening to our…

These Two Sisters Aren’t Afraid to Get Messy If It Means Better Schools for Philadelphia’s Kids

“Don’t mess it up.” Those words rode the bus with Quibila Divine in the late 1960s and early ’70s from North Philadelphia to the predominantly…

I Always Hated Charter Schools. Until I Put My Kids on the Waitlist.

I have never been much of a proponent of charter schools. I am the proud product of traditional public education from kindergarten through 12th grade…

When Parents Don’t Trust School Vouchers, Community Advocates Can Lead Them to Tax-Credit Scholarships

On Lawrence Avenue in Chicago, sandwiched between a quesadilla restaurant and Helen’s Hair Design, sits a tiny, nondescript storefront. Inside, at Asian Youth Services (AYS), quiet…

Ms. Rhames Goes to Washington: My Visit at the U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos mentioned me by name in her keynote speech (starting at 29 min.) at the Brookings Institute last week. It…

Is Trump Defunding the American Dream?

Education has always been one of the five core pillars of the American Dream, along with a decent job that can support a family, home…

The Second Great Migration for Black Families Is Embracing School Choice

Like hundreds of thousands of Black families, my paternal grandmother and several of her relatives participated in the Great Migration, one of the most dramatic…

This Mom Went to Jail Making Sure Her Son Received a High-Quality Education and She Would Do It All Over Again

It’s been five years since Tanya McDowell made national headlines after she was charged with larceny for “stealing an education” for her son. Even with some…

Before You Oppose Vouchers, You Should Know that D.C.’s Opportunity Scholarships Are Changing My Kids’ Lives

It’s about having options, having choices of where to send our children to school regardless of our socioeconomic levels. My children’s lives will forever be changed because of the Opportunity Scholarship Program.…

Here Are Some ‘Choice’ Highlights From Eva’s Interview With Chalkbeat

This whole district public school vs. charter public school—I don’t think parents think of it that way. I think they think of, ‘I want a…