School Leadership After COVID Starts With Grace, Patience, Empathy and Flexibility

It was Friday, March 13, 2020, and I was sitting in my office, after the building had cleared, in disbelief at how everything had changed…

3 Tips for Schools Hiring New Teachers to Teach Remotely

When schools across the nation shuttered their facilities to safeguard against the spread of COVID-19, all teachers were forced to make an immediate pivot to…

It’s Not a Discipline Problem, You’re Just Not Engaging Your Students

Here’s a dirty little secret about teachers that few people care to admit: Many teachers with poor classroom management aren’t strong instructional. I would never assume…

Former Sec. of Ed John King Calls on School Boards to Govern With Equity

While partisan politics has once again dominated the headlines this election season, the real stories lie with the thousands of newly-elected local officials across the…

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 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…

‘Black Boys’ Can Help You Reach African American Males in Your Classroom

The week that it was Black History Month, I grabbed two assignments. One from a district that was serving mostly white kids, and they were…

Schools Need Resources to Help Us Get Through This Tough Time

In 1967, Elvis Presley released “Run On,” his version of the old folk song, “God’s Gonna Cut You Down.” Recorded years earlier by Civil Rights…

This School Really Called the Police on a Black Child for Playing With a Toy Gun on Camera

Recently, I saw a mother post on Facebook about how her son’s school called the cops on her child. In the post, the mother details…

In the Face of the COVID Crisis, Michigan Districts and Charters Came Together to Innovate

Eighteen years ago, right before Michigan’s charter school boom began, I accepted my first teaching job at a Detroit based Big Picture Learning school. Built…