Every Book You Teach Is a Political Choice. Make It a Step Towards Social Justice.

At NNSTOY’s (National Network of State Teachers of the Year) conference last July, civil rights educator Sharif El-Mekki delivered a moving presentation that ended with…

The Teacher Leadership Movement Just Gained a New Champion

“The teacher leadership movement needs to be front and center in closing opportunity and achievement gaps,” says Roberto Rodriguez, President Obama’s top education advisor for…

Without the Office for Civil Rights, My High School Would Have Continued to Discriminate Against Students Like Me

You may have seen the news. On July 11, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos responded to a letter written by Senator Patty Murray, which questioned the…

‘Just Teach Your Boys Not to Rape People’ Can’t Be the Right Answer to Campus Sexual Assault

Sexual assault. It’s always a bad thing. It’s a crime. And it’s something that far too many women, men and boys carry with them as…

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…

I Never Thought I’d Be Legally Allowed to Stay in This Country. Now I’m a Teacher.

I never thought I’d get here. I never thought I’d be legally allowed to stay in this country, be a college graduate or be a…

Critics of the Obama administration's Department of Education repeatedly targeted what they saw as federal "overreach" into local districts. Now the Trump education budget guts funding for programs that are popular and effective at the local level, while only adding significant new funding to one area—trying to influence local decisions about school choice. This proposed budget is a greater assault on local control. It needs to be called…

How Teaching a Liberal Education Will Help Our Students Move Past Prejudice and Embrace Our Common Humanity

In 1952, as the world continued to take stock of the devastation wrought by authoritarian regimes, a coalition of prominent universities and preparatory schools called…

Public Dollars Should Pay for Public Schools: That’s Why I Support High-Quality Charter Schools and Not Vouchers

We live in a free country and a parent should have the right to opt out of the public school system. But that parent does not have a right to take with them a proportional share of public education dollars any more than a pacifist can extract his share of defense spending. …

One of the Best Ways to Protect LGBTQ Students Might Be Fighting for School Choice

The Obama administration’s guidance allowing transgender students to use their preferred bathrooms and locker rooms was in effect for just nine months. But for LGBTQ…