Parents
Back to School, Back to Basics With Parent-Teacher Partnerships
The smell of education is in the air. Parents have bought uniforms and school supplies are packed up and ready to go. Teachers have completed their beginning of the year requirements, decorated their...
Teaching
If We Care for Kids, We Can’t Shut Down Teachers Who Truly Want to Do Better by Them
This teacher said a thing and I thought all hell would break loose. It happened last week when my 8 Black Hands crew recorded a live podcast at a gathering of educators who came together for the...
Charter Schools
Don't Forget, Not Every Student Had Opportunities for Enrichment This Summer
This summer, my students and I learned that blue crabs are really feisty, but mosquitos are even feistier. For two weeks in June, I chaperoned a student fellowship program called Earthwatch Ignite,...
Teaching
We Can Teach Black History and LGBTQ History at the Same Time. In Fact, We Should.
My social media feeds were drenched with homophobia this week. People were saying how they really felt about my state, Illinois, joining other states mandating the teaching of LGBTQ history in...
Teaching
A Teacher's First Year: The Good, The Bad and the Beautiful
Joining a new school community comes with a unique set of challenges. In addition to the difficulties inherent in any new school year, new teachers must also learn and navigate new systems, develop...
Teaching
Chicago Teachers Union: Focus On Students and Teachers, Not Venezuela
In a few short weeks, my classroom will be squirming with anxious excitement from a group of new first graders. But they aren’t the only anxious ones—after more than 20 years in Chicago schools, I...
