It’s the end of a year, decade, era. While Education Post hasn’t existed for the entirety of the 2010s, we’ve seen a lot of phenomenal conversations happen on our digital pages. There have been harsh truths, extraordinary wins, some goofiness along the way—and a solid focus on achievement for kids!
These are the five most popular pieces Education Post published this decade.
1. DeVos Will Recommend the Removal of Civil Rights Protections for Students of Color
Sometimes these disparities are intentional—a school official uses a racial slur or a district bars a specific item of clothing that only children of one race wear. These are straightforward civil rights violations.
But it gets trickier when the disparities are unintentional—the letter offers multiple helpful examples like a school imposing different disciplinary sanctions on two students, one Hispanic and one non-Hispanic, who committed similar infractions—and it is those instances that the letter addresses.”
Laura Waters
2. My Name Is Tom. I’ve Been a Teacher for 10 Years and I Still Get My Ass Kicked Nearly Every Day.
The struggle isn’t just inevitable, it’s important. It shows us where to get better, where to adapt, where to throw out the old answers and come up with some new ones. There’s no better sign that things are going poorly in a room than a teacher who always thinks everything is going just fine.
Tom Rademacher
3. Betsy DeVos Wants Larger Class Sizes and Fewer Teachers
Teachers are used to being asked to do more with less, but this is a step beyond. In an environment where states are struggling to find enough teachers to simply fill vacancies, you would think this statement would be too outlandish to require a rebuttal. However, because of the presence of some research showing that smaller class sizes may have “at best a small effect” on student achievement, the argument that “class size doesn’t matter” has more than a few adherents in policy conversations.
Patrick Kelly
4. Black Boys Don’t Need More Discipline, They Need Mentors
Trauma doesn’t stop manifesting once people hit adulthood. It is crucial for adults to explore their own trauma so that when they interact with students, they can focus on the child’s pain rather than projecting their own. Ideally, teachers and faculty could receive therapeutic support as part of their job.
Marc Anthony Robinson
5. I Was a Racist Teacher and I Didn’t Even Know It
I am learning to think of my views of race as moving along a spectrum toward greater understanding of myself and my part in racial inequity. I started as someone who theoretically objected to racism. Over time, I have moved toward humanity. I have learned that it is not enough to not be a racist. It’s not enough to hate the Klan or denounce white supremacists. I am learning to become anti-racist.
Laurie Calvert
What do you think of these pieces? What do the students in your life think about them? Share them around and let us know. And, as always, let us know what else you think should be included.
What were your favorite Education Post pieces this decade? Head to the blog to find your next favorite piece.