How to Help Beginning Readers During the Pandemic

Before the pandemic, many American children struggled to read well. Now, the pandemic has thrown early elementary teachers a curve ball in teaching reading; they…

Making the Equitable Choice the Easiest Choice

In the aftermath of this most recent election, I want to remind us that politics are not solely presidential. That, in fact, much of the…

Q&A: Chris Cerf on Fighting COVID Learning Loss With Great Teaching

Last March schools across the country closed and typical live instruction morphed into erratic meetings on Zoom. Many of us assumed this was a short-term…

Khaliah Fitchett on Going From Handcuffs to Running for Congress

One afternoon in March 2010, Khaliah Fitchette, a 16-year-old student at Newark’s University High School, was riding home on a NJ Transit bus with her…

Karega Rausch Says Charter Schools Get Better Outcomes for Kids When They Listen to Communities

With all the ruckus around charter schools, it’s easy to forget they can’t be painted with a broad brush. Each state has its own charter…

We Must Vote for the Candidates Who Will Implement the Right Policies for Our Kids

I first met Shennell McCloud when she was Director of Recruitment, and then as Director of Advocacy for KIPP New Jersey, a charter school network…

Supt. Susan Enfield on Her Commitment to Feed, Connect and Educate Every Student

The reality is if our students are hungry, they’re not going to learn. If they can’t access the internet, they’re not going to learn. And…

‘Our Story Didn’t Start in 1619’: Dr. Chike Akua on How Our Education System Is Failing Black Students

On Monday, August 31st at 5:30 ET on Facebook Live, Citizen Ed, a brightbeam platform, will host the next virtual Town Hall in our #SeekingChildJustice…

Q&A: 12-Year-Old Amir Lumumba on Why Schools Need More Counselors and Fewer Cops

On Thursday, July 9 from 12:00-2:00 p.m. ET, brightbeam’s Director of Activism, Zakiya Sankara-Jabar will moderate a virtual town hall called #ReimagingingSchoolSafety. Special guests include:…

Q&A: Zakiya Sankara-Jabar on Why Now Is the Perfect Time for #SeekingChildJustice

“I want to protect my children from the system that destroyed my parents.” That’s Zakiya Sankara-Jabar, National Director of Activism at brightbeam, my new colleague…