I Took a Year Off Work to Learn About Dyslexia Because My Son’s Teachers Couldn’t Teach Him How to Read

Why, for so many, is access to an education that recognizes the science of reading limited to private programs? My son experienced this as a…

Here’s What Happens When You Incorporate Equity Into Every Part of a School

In 2015, I co-founded Kingsman Academy Public Charter School. We welcome all high school students and center those who are overage and under-credited, who have…

‘Twas the Night Before the IEP Meeting

November is IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meeting time for most parents. This is dedicated to all of the parents preparing for their yearly IEP meetings.…

Students Don’t Learn From Suspensions But Restorative Justice Offers Opportunity

For the last few years, Chicago Public Schools has been working hard to change its discipline policies and practices to reduce suspensions and expulsions. Instead,…

A Back-to-School Love Letter to Parents of Kids With Special Needs and Disabilities

Dear Fellow Parent Warriors, While every parent has strong feelings as a new school year approaches—excitement, nerves, even a little worry—our special tribe of parents…

If You’re Black and Celebrating ‘Independence Day’ on the Fourth of July, I’m Looking at You Sideways

Outrage: Not Our Independence Day What does July 4 mean to me? A day off work and hopefully a powerful plate of barbecue. But, it’s…

When I Realized No One Cared About My Students With Special Needs, I Chose to Raise My Voice

As a first-year teacher of students with disabilities in a large urban district, I faced huge inequities that even other teachers and principals overlooked. I…

Students With Autism Are ‘Different, Not Less,’ and Other Lessons From Temple Grandin

Steven was my oversized and freckled first-grade classmate. That basement classroom was bulging with students, with rows of tiny desks brimming with books and a…

Thank You to All the Teachers Who Know That We Can’t Have Equity Without Love

I come from nothing. I was reminded of this at a tense board meeting in which a member from the community, upset with my opinion…

I Fought Like Hell to Find the Right School for My Blind Daughter and Now I Want to Help Others Do the Same

“Twalet, mama.” This was my daughter’s way of telling me she needed to use the potty. She was 4 1/2 years old, couldn’t speak English,…