Teaching
White People Get Big Mad When You Force Them to Think About White People
White people get big mad when you force them to think about White people. I knew this. I know this. Also, they will almost never say, “I’m mad because you made me think about White people!” No. They...
Charter Schools
Detroit Charter Leader Chanavia Patterson Knew Her School Had Improved When She Was Ready to Enroll Her Own Kids
Chanavia Patterson always knew she would become a teacher, but she didn’t know she would become an outstanding mentor, coach and principal. In 2013, she arrived at a struggling charter school, the...
IEP
Even as a Disability Advocate I Still Did Everything Wrong When My Daughter Was Diagnosed With Autism
November 6, 2018, is the day my daughter was officially diagnosed with autism. That’s the day my world collapsed. For the first hour of her three-hour IEP meeting, I was doing OK. We were reviewing...
whole child
Free Breakfast for Every Student Just Makes a Lot of Sense
Every day, I strive to create a positive, welcoming and equitable learning environment where my students can be themselves, access instruction in meaningful ways and engage in social emotional and...
anti-racism
Too Many Black Students Aren't Learning Their History in Schools
When I was in school, I was starved for information about who I really am. I ached to hear stories about people who look like me, or see the names of Black scholars in math or science, or even to...
Teaching
For White Teachers Teaching White Boys in the Suburbs
If you haven’t read "For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood," a great book by Christopher Emdin for every teacher everywhere, please do. We talk too much about White boys. Witness the Esquire article...