Achievement Gap
This County Made History and Elected Its First School Board Member of Color
On a cold December evening in Gwinnett County, Georgia, my mother and I rushed to find good seats in the auditorium of the J. Alvin Wilbanks Instructional Support Center. I’d been here many times for...
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...
Special Education
I Took a Year Off Work to Learn About Dyslexia Because My Son's Teachers Couldn't Teach Him How to Read
Why, for so many, is access to an education that recognizes the science of reading limited to private programs? My son experienced this as a reader struggling with dyslexia, and my sister experienced...
IEP
Here's What Happens When You Incorporate Equity Into Every Part of a School
In 2015, I co-founded Kingsman Academy Public Charter School. We welcome all high school students and center those who are overage and under-credited, who have attendance problems or have behavioral...
Special Education
Being a School Principal and a Parent of a Special Needs Child Took Me Under, But I’m Coming Back
For five years, I was principal of one of the most difficult schools in my urban district. In those five years, I had eight supervisors. They varied from supportive, attentive and understanding of...
IEP
Twas the Night Before the IEP Meeting
November is IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meeting time for most parents. This is dedicated to all of the parents preparing for their yearly IEP meetings. Twas the night before the IEP meeting...