I’m Sick of Seeing Politicians Behave at Their Worst. This Is Why We Need to Teach Character Education in Schools.

Should we continue teaching character education? Stupid question, right? What well-meaning parent doesn’t want their child to learn “respect, justice, civic virtue, citizenship, and responsibility…

Arne Duncan’s New Book Made Me Feel Awful But You Should Totally Read It

I just finished hate-reading Arne Duncan’s book, “How Schools Work.” I didn’t hate the book, but for so many reasons, I really hated reading it.…

It’s the Biggest Opportunity Since Brown v. Board

This back-to-school season, more than 700 million students across the globe will attend primary schools (representing 90 percent of school-age children worldwide), with another half…

Florida’s Poorest Students Are Among the Nation’s Highest Achieving, So Why Won’t DeVos Approve Their State Plan?

It looks like the feds are having a hard time figuring out what to do with Florida. After California and Utah’s education plans were approved…

DeVos Is Stripping Away Civil Rights Protections for Students With Special Needs

I’m detecting a trend. Recently, The Atlantic ran a piece that catalogues the Trump administration’s disregard of civil rights protections for Americans (and aspiring Americans)…

The One Thing Every Teacher Should Do This Summer Is Vote

As the school year winds down, I have been watching with interest a debate on social media among educators about the best answer to the…

Here’s the One Thing We Just Can’t Agree on When It Comes to Schools

Ask any parent and they’ll tell you they want their child to go to a good school. But ask them what makes a good school,…

School Districts Just Like Mine Are Balancing Budgets on the Backs of Kids

At 10:00 a.m. last Wednesday, students and educators across the country—including those at the school in which I teach—walked out of their buildings and observed…

Don’t Stop the Office for Civil Rights From Providing Strong and Fair Oversight on School Discipline

We know that students of color and those with disabilities are disproportionately suspended and expelled from public schools, whether in district or charter. The Civil Rights…

Dropping Special Education Guidance Requires a Little Explanation

The Trump administration recently rescinded 72 pieces of guidance related to special education and vocational rehabilitation services for children and adults with disabilities. Their explanation:…