Stories

Parents

Listen to Parents, Even When You Don't Feel Like It

At the end of a long day, the last thing I'm looking for is a long and detailed email from a parent. Not that I don’t value good communication with parents, but usually I feel exhausted and am still...

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student achievement

I’ve Taught in a School With Zero Accountability, It’s Terrible

By last December, the fall of my ninth year of teaching high school, I had been observed by teacher coaches, visitors from educational non-profit organizations, principals and assistant principals,...

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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...

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Achievement Gap

Here's What Trump's Words Actually Mean to My Students

As a Chicago public high school English teacher and teacher-librarian for the past 14 years, I often give my students famous speeches to analyze. As I listened to President Donald Trump’s first State...

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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...

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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...

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