Oakland’s School Board Cares More About Politics Than It Does About Kids and Families

Reyna Morales lives in Oakland, California, and is the parent of two students at a high-performing charter school located in an area with a dearth…

Families Need Student-Centered Learning Environments That Work

Ask just about any parent, and they have stories about the rude awakening they received last year when schools shut down due to the coronavirus…

Families Have School Options, We Just Don’t Spell Them Out in Plain English

Over my 15 years of working in education, I have grown to appreciate that parents are far more savvy, knowledgeable, and resourceful than policy wonks…

Was DeVos Really the ‘Worst Secretary of Education Ever’?

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos resigned last night, citing Wednesday’s putsch at the Capitol, Trump’s incitement of violence, and her concern that “impressionable children are watching…

Our Schools Need to Do More. They Should Look to Charters and Early Childhood for Answers.

Confronted with a pandemic unprecedented in modern life, schools began delivering meals at home, providing free internet and devices, offering mental health supports and developing…

Will Biden’s Pick for Education Secretary Work for All Kids?

“We want to support you so that you can get to the great work of helping kids. You have to commit to that partnership if…

Review: Schneider and Berkshire’s ‘A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door’ Is a Missed Opportunity

“A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door,” the new book from education professor Jack Schneider and writer Jennifer Berkshire, purports to tell the story of the…

One Memphis Mom (and Grandma) Has a Thanksgiving Message for Joe Biden

Sarah Carpenter, executive director of Memphis Lift, spent much of the 2020 primary season bringing her message—her plea—for liberation from failing schools to all who were…

Mr. Biden, Will You Stand Up for Every Child, or Just Be Another Politician?

Dear Mr. President-elect Biden,  You have given us all a welcomed message: I pledge to be a president who does not see red or blue states,…

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…