Stories

Achievement Gap

I’ve Done More to Help Students and Parents Than I Ever Did During My 15 Years in the Classroom

The day that I ended my career as a teacher, I woke up as a parent. I had taught for 15 years and I'd reached a career high, but still, I quit. The money was good, but it was no longer worth being a...

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Achievement Gap

My Dyslexia and Self-Doubt Were No Match for the Supportive Teachers Who Got Me to Read

I remember walking through the doors of Blackstone Valley Prep Middle School seven years ago like it was yesterday. I didn’t know anyone. The “gymnasium” was a cafeteria with a 7-foot ceiling. It...

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Parents

I Fought Like Hell to Find the Right School for My Blind Daughter and Now I Want to Help Others Do the Same

“Twalet, mama.” This was my daughter’s way of telling me she needed to use the potty. She was 4 1/2 years old, couldn't speak English, newly adopted and blind. The technical term for her condition is...

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Parents

If You’re an Educator Who Thinks We Need to Hold Parents Accountable, You Need to Do Some Soul Searching

Time and time again, I’ve heard educators say that the lack of parental engagement in their schools is what is holding them back. But, when I listen to families, in Philly or Chicago or any other...

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Poverty

Our Cities Can Help Lift Young People Out of Poverty When They Invest in Their Skills and Education

In recent years, our nation’s cities have attracted young people who are poised to thrive. High achievers—whether they are super-lawyers, political powerhouses or star chefs—flock to urban centers to...

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Achievement Gap

Dr. King's Legacy of Equal Education Echoes in the Voices of Today's Black Teachers

Fifty years ago today, one of the strongest advocates for equality in education and society at large was silenced. With the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, African-Americans across...

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