As Grown-Ups Argue Over Reopening Schools, Chicago’s Kids Lose

Chicago Public Schools students are back in school.  Well, some of them are. It’s complicated, and getting messier by the minute.  WBEZ Chicago has more…

Without Data, We Can’t Fight for Our Students’ Futures

Sometimes, data can seem pesky. Just ask the folks who continue to suggest that coronavirus spikes are merely the result of increased testing. “You know…

With Remote Learning, the Issues Go Deeper Than Lack of Internet

Right now—literally, as I’m sitting here typing—I’m watching my friend toggle between distance learning with her son and responding to work emails. It’s the most…

Why Can We Have Halloween But Not Homeroom?

Upset parents are demanding answers about reopening schools as they watch COVID-19 case counts ramp back up while unmasked groups convene for sport and fun.…

If the NBA Can Do It, Why Can’t Our Schools?

Few physical institutions are stronger symbols of childhood than Walt Disney World’s theme parks. At its peak, nearly 250,000 children and their families visited the…

If We Don’t Do Something Radical Now We Will Fail Our Kids

This has not been the “back to school” we look forward to each year. In these early days of the new school year, it has…

Kids Need Remote Learning to Be Culturally Relevant, Too

Last spring, amidst the uprisings following the immediate failure to bring any sort of justice for George Floyd’s murder, I received a Google Hangout video…

Surrounded by COVID, Civil Unrest and Chaos, Our Students Need Hope

Anyone who has ever been in a strategic planning meeting has been told  that “hope is not a strategy.” We’re told instead to be clear-eyed…

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…

Creating Equitable Learning Environments Doesn’t Mean Reinventing the Wheel

The dueling crises of COVID-19 and systemic racial injustice have created a pivotal moment that not only demands a transformation of our school system, but…