If We Really Want to Make Schools Safe, We Need to Build Community

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos recently assembled a school safety commission that will explore the need to repeal guidance that helps schools discipline students without discriminating.…

Harsher School Discipline Isn’t the Answer to School Shootings

In the 19 years since the shooting at Columbine High School took the lives of 12 students and one teacher, more than 187,000 students in…

Educators Take Center Stage at Betsy DeVos’ Summit on School Discipline

Betsy DeVos, the secretary of education, hosted a summit yesterday on school safety and climate so that she could hear from people—including educators—who have been…

Obama Reveals His Trump-Based Strategy Behind GOP Spending Success

(This is satire, not to be confused with fake news) In a statement released by the Obama Foundation Tuesday, Barack Obama revealed his behind-the-scenes work…

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…