Special Education
Here's What Students Stand to Gain From the Chicago Teachers Strike
On Wednesday, the Chicago Teachers Union’s (CTU) House of Delegates approved a tentative agreement in a tight vote. The CTU deal includes good pay and holds the line on health insurance premiums, but...
student support
We Need to Learn About Trauma to Help Kids Who Need Us Most
Everywhere you look, our schools are filled with traumatized children; children struggling not just to learn and succeed, but to survive. Too often, we think that trauma happens elsewhere. Not in our...
California
The Biggest Problem for Kids Today Isn’t Stress, It’s Lack of Purpose
Over 20 years ago, like many college students in the throes of existential questions, I half-knowingly embarked on a quest for meaning. For much of the time, I felt like a castaway in uncertain seas...
opportunity gap
I Got Rid of Course Requirements for My AP English Class and I Don't Regret It
“So you’re just going to let anyone into your AP English class?” she quipped with sarcasm and snark. “Uhm … yeah,” I responded with cool decisiveness. The scene of this conversation? A conference...
Teaching
What You Think You Know About Restorative Justice Is Probably Wrong
On Monday, we ran a piece written by a mother whose experience with restorative justice was a horror story. Readers responded in large numbers to the piece, largely because it resonated personally...
Parents
Every Parent-Teacher Conference Should Look Like This
I have a confession to make. I am an educator who doesn’t enjoy participating in parent-teacher conferences as a parent. Our son is a junior and our daughter is a senior in high school, and aside...