All This Integration Talk Is Distracting Us From Giving Black Families Better Schools

Last week the Journey for Justice Alliance released a report called “Failing Brown v. Board.” The report is a direct attack on public charter schools…

Are Magnet Schools a Failed Integration Strategy? Thoughts on Nikole Hannah-Jones’ Speech to Magnet Schools of America

Are magnet schools a failed integration strategy? New York Times education writer Nikole Hannah-Jones thinks so and challenged magnet school teachers and administrators to return…

Schools May Be a Battleground in Philadelphia, But These Parents and Activists Aren’t Scared of the Fight

When the transformation of 13th Street was proposed by a New York developer named Tony Goldman, many balked at his vision of a new Philadelphia.…

You Can’t Just Trust Your Instincts, You Actually Have to Go Ask the Parents What They Think

“In God we trust. All other bring data.” —W. Edward Demming   Right now, our school, Nashville Classical Charter School, is planning to open a…

Desegregation Taught Me About Cultural Differences, But Have My Daughters Learned Those Lessons, Too?

I remember the summer of 1978 leading up to the first day of school when desegregation and busing were starting. The Wilmington neighborhood where I…

Coffee Break: Richard Kahlenberg on Knocking Down School District Walls That Separate Kids by Race and Class

Richard Kahlenberg is perhaps the nation’s leading proponent of the idea that for kids to succeed, schools must be places where families of all economic…

There’s No Excuse for Schools Not to Tackle Teacher Racial Bias

This is the third part of a four-part series on the writer’s experience and research on the achievement gap in her hometown of Evanston, Illinois, a…

I Was the Smart Black Girl Schooled in a White World But Zip Code Shouldn’t Matter Anymore

So much has already been said about the current election. People are disappointed. People are in shock. People are in fear. As a school leader,…

Latino Parents Are Fighting to Keep This Charter School Open But Their Voices Aren’t Being Heard

Leaders of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) often profess disdain for public charter schools. But how far will they go to stop expansion of…

Do You Think of Dallas as a Leader on Integrating Schools? Maybe You Should.

Dallas has been in the news lately for its ongoing conversations about race and class in the wake of tragic shootings. Like other American cities,…