Achievement Gap
Sometimes Giving a Failing Grade Is the Compassionate Thing to Do
I am not a teacher. I am not a principal. I am not a school board member. I am not a district administrator (anymore). What I am is a mother of two, a high schooler and middle schooler. I expect them...
Achievement Gap
What Do We Actually Know About Discipline Reform?
Question: Which does more harm? Over-suspending disruptive kids, which denies them learning time and contributes to the dropout rate. Under-suspending disruptive kids, which undermines the education...
Charter Schools
Teaching Is Not Like Those Cute Teacher Movies, It Takes Wisdom and Grit
Can I really do this for 30 years? Why isn’t loving them enough? It always worked at camp. My lessons are awesome, so why don’t they care? Don’t cry. Never let them see you cry. They said it was a...
student achievement
Students and Teachers Sound the Alarm on the End of DACA
Time is running out for Congress to do something about DACA protections for undocumented immigrants. If they fail to act on a long-term fix for a program begun by former President Barack Obama, the...
Achievement Gap
Some Tips for a White Teacher Trying to Stop Being Racist
I’ve been working hard at anti-racist teaching for over a decade. I’ve learned some things. I see things I didn’t see before. I hear things differently. I’m not finished, not an expert, not perfect....
Poverty
If 12,000 Families Didn't Want School Choice, We Wouldn't Be Here
Every morning, I come to work thinking about our students. Not politics, or rhetoric, or the news. Just our students—all 12,000 of them. They come from every one of Chicago’s neighborhoods, as far...
