With a Little Radical Imagination, We Can Prepare Our Students to Become Leaders

Early in the school year, after our daily Pledge of Allegiance, my fifth grader, Cassandra, asked, “Why are people mad when Colin Kaepernick kneels during…

Schools Must Prepare Now to Address Student and Teacher Trauma

My students and I are entering our tenth week of remote learning, all of us isolated from one another and from our shared classroom space.…

I Got a Call From Betsy DeVos. Here’s What I Wish She Had Said.

Every year, I look forward to the first week of May, Teacher Appreciation Week. The week is usually filled with handwritten cards and drawings, a…

ZIP Code May Not Be Destiny, But It’s as Hard to Fight as Gravity

One Saturday I was picking my daughter up from a birthday party at one of those modern-day upscale arcades, and I was surprised to run…

Let’s Show Teachers We Appreciate Them by Valuing Their Expertise

This year, Teacher Appreciation Week has taken on a whole new dimension. With many states, including Illinois, now shuttered for the remainder of the school…

In Brownsville, Texas, a Pandemic Won’t Stop Students from Learning

The national media rarely focuses on communities like Brownsville, Texas. When they do, border communities are often painted in black-and-white, used as a backdrop to…

I Know What Can Happen When a Teacher Never Gives Up on a Student

This Teacher Appreciation Week, I am reminiscing about Ms. Holmes, my fifth grade teacher. I never could understand why this woman made so many sacrifices…

Mrs. O’Brien Wasn’t Always My Favorite Teacher, But She Is Now

I have a long list of students who think I am a pretty good teacher. However, the list of teachers who thought I was a…

This Teacher Appreciation Week Comes With a Bittersweet Gift for Educators

I teach and I write. These are my passions.   So you can imagine my bewilderment when I experienced paralyzing writer’s block, all while penning a…

The Most Important Resource I Can Offer My Students Right Now Is Access to Me

When Texas Governor Greg Abbott shuttered schools for the rest of the academic year, the first person I thought of was one of my first-grade…