public schools

When someone speaks poorly of public institutions there is probably a story there.  To that point, if you read the millions of words I’ve written about edu

The back to school season is now in full swing. This time of year often causes a jumble of excitement and nerves for both students and their parents. Stude

We complain about what’s wrong with the public education system all the time. Admittedly, I’m probably on the long list of tough critics.  Some of our comp

Last year, rookie English teacher Asia-Ana Williams became the poster child for Opportunity Schools, a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) effort to match teacher

It’s no surprise that I work in education. It’s in my blood. My grandmother Alberta, a proud Chicana, lived in the projects in downtown Denver and was in a

When I taught first grade on the Navajo Nation, I’ll never forget when one of my fellow teachers—now my wife—wanted to host an event that welcomed our fami

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 f

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

I was recently the subject of a hit piece in the Huffington Post, which tried to connect me to the Koch brothers because, as a volunteer in my local NAACP