Stories

student achievement

Relationships Don't Come Before Rigor, They Go Hand in Hand

I’m a sixth grade teacher grappling with the reality of teaching kids who may not have darkened a school door in over a year. Many students haven’t been in an actual classroom since their elementary...

We're About to Learn the Extent of Civil Rights Violations During the Pandemic

The federal government is finally collecting better data on what schools did to protect the civil rights of students during the COVID-19 pandemic—or if they didn't. By updating the use of Civil...

COVID-19

Can We All Agree That Our Kids’ Health Must Come First?

Teachers across the country are anxiously awaiting the start of the school year and, although they are not technically “back on contract,” many have been spending days in their classrooms — cleaning,...

California

Urban White Families Show New Energy for Racial Justice, but Do They Want It in Their Schools?

The day after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22 ½ years in prison for killing George Floyd, writer Melinda D. Anderson tweeted that it “must’ve been a huge relief...

California

Many Teens Missed Out on Challenging Academics Before the Pandemic. Here's How We Can Change That.

For America’s teenagers, the void of the 2019-2021 school years runs deep. High schoolers missed out on time with friends, prom, graduation, athletics, and — perhaps most painfully — a clear path to...

COVID-19

Students at My School Aren’t Complaining About Wearing Masks

As the rhetoric around coronavirus grows more partisan, it is easy to assume the worst about everything. That is just what I typically do. I haven’t come in contact with many people over the last...