My Kids Are Online All the Time Now And I Don’t Always Know What They’re Looking At

OK, I have a confession to make. I have not been as good at monitoring my children’s internet access as I should have been. If…

Now Is the Perfect Time for White Teachers to Do ‘The Work’ of Anti-Racism

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted, well, everything, but at times I find that I have more time to communicate, virtually if necessary, with family and…

Once We Beat the Coronavirus, Let’s End the Pandemic in Our Public Schools

Here’s something to take our minds off occasional thoughts of the world ending—thoughts probably caused by hallucinations from inhaling the Lysol we’re spraying hourly to…

We Need to Stop Pitting Cash-Strapped Schools Against One Another

Imagine a dinner table laden with food and drink, covered end to end with the finest china, porcelain and crystal. Wine glasses filled with the…

Black History Is American History and Should Be Celebrated All Year Long

As a Minnesotan, February is a signal that the warmth of spring is so close yet so far away (seriously, last Thursday the high was two…

Let’s Help Our Young People Unlearn What White Supremacy Taught Them

True story. The other day I was recording an episode of my podcast with 11th graders at a school on the far south-side of Chicago.…

The Republican Party Doesn’t Own the School Reform Movement. People of Color Do.

On Tuesday, President Donald J. Trump delivered his fourth State of the Union Address (SOTU) to the 116th Congress and the nation. The annual address…

Here’s What It Really Means to Move to a ‘Good School’ in a ‘Good Neighborhood’

Many White folks, especially Northern White liberals who voted for Obama, would argue they are not racist, even while they actively cause harm to Black…

Everyone Progresses With a Progressive Platform, Except for Black and Brown Children.

I’ve had the chance to travel a lot in my work as an educator and activist, and frequently I find myself in what I call…

We Have to Get Education Right for Black Students and Families in 2020

I’m just going to get straight to the point. In 2020—and beyond—we have to get education right for Black students and families. Point blank and…