We Must Be Disciples for Our Students in 2021

This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, educators nationwide, and the world over, have had to adapt how they provide services to children and families.…

Suburban Families Haven’t Always Been Allies of School Choice, But That’s Changing

Middle class, suburban families, once likely opponents of education choice, are now rallying behind the right to choose where to send their children to school.  All it took…

The Epidemic We’re Not Talking About: Most High School Seniors Can’t Read or Do Math

The National Assessment for Education Progress (NAEP)—nicknamed “America’s Report Card”—released their 12th grade scores at the end of October.  The horrifying results: Just 37% of 12th-graders reached or…

Even Remotely, I Still Plan to Lead a Student-Centered Second Grade

As we settle into this school year virtually, I’ve been a little nervous, but I am committed to providing my second grade students with the…

KIPP Students Know What They Need to Thrive in Remote Learning

On July 30th, the Mayor of DC, Muriel Bowser, announced that D.C. schools would begin the year remotely. It was clearly time to take the…

‘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…