‘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…

Here’s How the Presidential Candidates Stack Up on Community Schools

When the families of Chicago’s Spry Elementary and I launched Spry Community Links High School, the city’s first community school serving students from pre-K through…

Black Excellence Does Exist and It Lives in Our Kids

I’m guilty of saying Black boys and girls are failing in school—a good chunk of us are. Going forward, I’m committing to correcting that language…

Here’s How We Helped Hundreds of Low-Income Students Achieve This Summer, Despite the Pandemic

This spring, as schools limped across the virtual learning finish line, the consensus on virtual learning amongst educators was that this form of schooling could…

4 Tips to Prioritize Students’ Dignity During Remote Learning

Have you ever revisited your philosophy of teaching? I don’t mean the progressive policies you ardently advocate for at faculty meetings or on Facebook; I…

Let’s Tap Afterschool to Create Pandemic Pods for All Kids

These are scary times. I’m navigating an elderly mom afraid to leave her house, two socially isolated kids struggling to learn on their own, and…

Here’s How You Can Prepare Your Children for Remote Instruction

This week, some Indianapolis students will begin the 2020-21 school year. This includes my twin sons. Their district, Washington Township, has decided to reopen remotely.…

Faced With a Global Pandemic, My Students Have Grown in New Ways

As school wrapped up this last year, several of my students joined my online “office hours” not seeking out help with the content, but instead…

Black Lawmakers Must Prioritize Educational Opportunity for Black Families

For millions of K-12 students, the pandemic has led to unprecedented interruptions of critical education and services. Many students will continue to fall behind and…

The Hidden Cost of Injustice Is What Our Children Could Have Been

“You can be anything you want to be when you grow up!” That’s what we tell our kids, and we encourage them to do well…