Stop Telling Students They Need to Leave ‘The Hood’ to Be Successful

“¡Mija, ya vamonos! Es hora de ir a la escuela.” I quickly shoved my notebook into my blue Jansport backpack, careful to not widen the hole…

We Can Love and Support Our Students Without Lowering Our Expectations

I remember the day like it was yesterday. The year was 2013 and I was in the Oval Office with President Obama to receive an…

CPS Succeeds, CTU Misleads

For the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), a glass that is three quarters full is still half empty. Consider the dueling announcements from the University of…

You’ve Heard About the Achievement Gap. Here’s 10 Ways Communities Can Help Close It.

During the new millennium, the United States faces a vital challenge—the challenge of closing the academic achievement gap between Caucasian and minority students, specifically, students…

Here’s What a Win in My Classroom Looks Like and It’s Not What You Think

Malia had failed my ninth-grade English class for three consecutive quarters. She hadn’t come close to passing once. It wasn’t for lack of ability; her writing was…

Illinois Has a Rare Opportunity and Here’s One Last Chance for You to Weigh In

This is an amazing moment for educational equity in Illinois. After decades of suffering under the most inequitable method of funding schools in the country,…

Ed Post Statement on Success Academy Winning Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools

Success Academy was named this morning as the winner of the 2017 Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools. Congratulations to all of the Broad finalists and…

Restorative Justice Practices in Schools Are Good for the Body, Mind and Soul

If you ever wanted a crash course on school-based restorative justice practices, then I urge you to watch this panel. I recently attended the “Re-Thinking Discipline:…

Fix the Formula, Illinois. It’s Time.

Yesterday afternoon, my second-grader got her copy of the school yearbook. She flipped back to the kindergarten class photos. “Miss Maya’s class used to have…

Illinois’ Current School Funding Formula Is the Definition of Insanity. Here’s How This Superintendent Says We Can Fix It.

Kimako Patterson is the superintendent of Prairie-Hills Elementary District 144. Prairie-Hills is a 2,600-student district in the south suburbs of Illinois where 95 percent of…