School Funding
Fancy Education Luncheons Aren’t Going to Fix the Schools in My Neighborhood
The other day I had the honor of attending a luncheon and panel discussion about our failure to provide equitable schooling here in Illinois. It was an impressive presentation. R. Jovita Baber,...
equity
When 'Good Enough' Isn’t Good Enough at All for Our Students of Color
But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost... —Luke 14:28 The first time I tried to buy an extra value meal at...
Achievement Gap
4 Ways We Can Fund Personalized Learning to Create More Equitable Schools
Budget shortfalls in states are framing a new angle on educational equity conversations. It is no longer simply about what is right, but what is fiscally necessary for a state to grow and thrive....
Special Education
No, They're Not Vouchers. Here's What Illinois’ New Tax-Credit Scholarships Actually Are.
The final compromise that allowed Illinois to implement a new, more equitable education funding formula included a surprise—a 5-year pilot of tax-credit scholarships, which allow individuals and...
equity
First-Generation Immigrants Like Mari Are Called DREAMers for a Reason
Marisol, Mari for short, is a true dreamer. One of my best friends, Mari, is a first-generation immigrant to the United States from Mexico. Her parents brought her as a baby, undocumented, but they...
Poverty
To All of the Educators, Love Not Money Will Close the Gap
I grew up in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Toledo, Ohio. During my time in middle school, we did not have books or resources that made me believe that there were pathways out of the...