Last March, when so much of our lives moved from in-person work and learning to digital spaces, one group of students and teachers experienced continuity:
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Some Kids Need a Brick and Mortar School. I Know Because I Was One of Them.
The most terrifying and dangerous experiences I had as a child were at home. I am not alone. My mother battled demons and heard voices, including those tel
Read MoreNo Justice for Kindergartners, Or Any Kids, This Year
Cheltenham School District just released a letter to the community confirming that after months of internal and external discussions, surveys of stakeholde
Read MoreWhat If We Radically Reimagined the New School Year?
Monday night I sat on my back patio staring up into a rare, starry Chicago night. I squinted and made out each point of The Big Dipper and then turned to s
Read MoreToday Should Have Been Our First Day of School
For 14 years I have taught math at the same high school. The entirety of my career—three thousand students, eighty classes, 13 preps, five rooms, four grad
Read MoreThis Is a Perfect Time to Talk With Our Students About Social Injustice
The COVID-19 pandemic offers teachers a unique opportunity to capitalize on student empathy. Before the pandemic hit, millions of U.S. students were alread
Read MoreGetting Pepper-Sprayed by School Police Shouldn’t Be a Part of My Job
I have only felt the terrible sting and discomfort of pepper spray one time, and that was when I was teaching and coaching teachers in the high school sett
Read MoreTeachers, If You Haven’t Been Giving a Damn About Your Students, We Definitely Don’t Need You Now
Before I stroll into my routine of being a habitual line stepper, let me state my usual disclaimer. Educators, I love and appreciate y’all. I think you hav
Read MoreIt Will Take More Than a Name Change to Rid Your School of White Supremacy
There is a myriad of disparities and gaps that exist in our society, placing people of color at a disadvantage. We are seeing this play out in real-time wi
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