School Choice
Yet Another White Family Leaves the City for the Suburbs
Well, we did it. Like millions of White, relatively affluent Americans before us, my wife and I moved with our two boys out of the city and into the suburbs. It’s a loaded moment, one that has forced...
School Discipline
It Won't Always Be the Right Call But Sometimes Suspension Isn't the Answer
Her name is Alexandra. She was a student in a school where I used to work and she was one of those kids who challenges you, causes her share of trouble, and comes to appreciate and love you deeply...
Teaching
We Can Make the First Year of Teaching Better. Here’s How.
When Barack Obama was elected president in November 2008, I was living in Chicago and working as a computer security engineer. After hearing Obama’s passionate call to service from Grant Park that...
Mental Health
What James Baldwin's Activism Can Teach Schools About Social Justice
Every August 2, I spend nearly the entire day observing the birthday of the late James Baldwin, one of the 20th century’s most esteemed and prolific writers, cultural commentators and social critics....
California
When Students Aren't Proficient in Reading or Math, It Isn't a Shame, It's Violence
I’ve written about teacher accountability before, but I recently read a few things that got me thinking. The first was a report out of Los Angeles that showed that nearly half the teachers in Los...
Politics
It's Not Real School Accountability If No One Is Held Accountable
What do voters consider most important when it comes to public education? According to a recent poll commissioned by the largest teachers union in my home state of Oklahoma, it’s not money. It’s...