Holding Teachers Accountable Without Adequate Teacher Prep Programs Is a Set-Up

One of my resolutions for this new year is to think outside of silos and to start connecting the dots between the wide, disparate, and…

How We Build a Pipeline of Teachers That Know How to Talk About Race and Social Justice

Nearly 60 years ago, our nation’s students watched as leaders of the civil rights movement pushed back against entrenched Jim Crow laws and re-defined American…

No Teacher Should Be an Island

I didn’t quite understand what it meant to be an “island” until I started teaching eight years ago. For years, I was the only United…

Molly Cole on Opening Brooke East Boston Charter School and Becoming One of the Top Schools in the State

Molly Cole, founding principal of Brooke East Boston Charter School, was honored this school year with the Ryan Award for exceptional school leadership, a national…

Bill Gates’ Education Priorities Reflect His Respect for the Field

In the last 17 years, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has spent $3.4 billion dollars to improve public education. Among other things, Gates helped…

How to Manage a Classroom of Students of Color When You’re Not a Black Woman

Classroom management is every teacher’s sword and shield as they embark upon the journey of preparing new students for a year in their class. We…

I Never Thought Gifted and Talented Kids Could Be At-Risk Too, Until My Son Said He Wanted to Drop Out of School

It’s almost the end of the summer and I realize that the professional development I have been in has been pretty fantastic, and pretty awful.…

Lessons I’ve Learned on What Makes Or Breaks a Principal

So many say that the principalship is the hardest job in education…and I couldn’t agree more. Being the inspiration, visionary, coach, sounding board, disciplinarian, advocate,…

We’ve Known for Years What Makes Teachers Better: It Isn’t Sexy or Controversial But It Works

As school reforms go, it’s not sexy, it’s not new, and it’s not at all controversial. So it probably won’t get as much attention as…

Restorative Justice Practices in Schools Are Good for the Body, Mind and Soul

If you ever wanted a crash course on school-based restorative justice practices, then I urge you to watch this panel. I recently attended the “Re-Thinking Discipline:…