Stories

Special Education

If I Hadn't Been in Class the Day We Talked About 'Rules,' My Classmates Would Have Some Strange Ideas about Autism

In class a few days ago, we started reading the book “Rules.” The book is about a girl about my age who has a brother with autism. This book is supposed to shed light on the “issue” of autism. But I...

student support

I Hope I Never Lose Another Student to Suicide

“I’m going to end it!” Unsure of what I heard, I questioned back, “End what?” Her response was, “My life!” This brief encounter led to a walk where Reagan and I talked, and she explained her detailed...

School Funding

Advocating for My Students Requires Being Political on My Own Time

With election season upon us, like clockwork, the collective efforts to stifle the political opinions of educators has begun. Navigating this climate requires a nuanced dance, as we strive to...

Here’s How the Presidential Candidates Stack Up on Community Schools

When the families of Chicago’s Spry Elementary and I launched Spry Community Links High School, the city’s first community school serving students from pre-K through high school, we shared a vision...

Achievement Gap

Black Excellence Does Exist and It Lives in Our Kids

I’m guilty of saying Black boys and girls are failing in school—a good chunk of us are. Going forward, I’m committing to correcting that language and mindset because I’ve realized how dangerous and...

student support

Surrounded by COVID, Civil Unrest and Chaos, Our Students Need Hope

Anyone who has ever been in a strategic planning meeting has been told that “hope is not a strategy.” We’re told instead to be clear-eyed about turning opportunity into revenue by having explicit,...