I recently wrote about The Rise of Black Educators in Indianapolis. The rise continues thanks to a considerable amount of funding given to education organizations that support Black children, Black teachers, and Black families. Thanks to a $100 million grant from the Lilly Endowment, The Indianapolis Urban League has partnered with the African American Coalition of…
While walking through his corn field, a whisper from the heavens stopped Ray Kinsella dead in his tracks. The voice whispered, “If you build it, they will come.” The “it” referred to a baseball field, and the “they” was Shoeless Joe Jackson and seven other 1919 Chicago White Sox members. So, Ray built the field,…
If you have not seen the documentary Attucks: The School That Opened A City, I encourage you to watch it. PBS produced the documentary that tells the story of Crispus Attucks High School. The documentary tells the earliest history of the school and details how a school initially designed to isolate Black students produced the next…
The first time I stepped into the classroom as a teacher, I fell in love with teaching. I remember when I was excited about my opportunity to step outside the classroom and step into administration. My first leadership position outside the classroom was as a dean of students. I was a middle school dean. I…
I read somewhere that the purpose of education was never to generate people who trained for new jobs. The purpose of education was to yield more people who will have the potential to think for themselves and seek the truth. This purpose of education will ultimately lead people to a better life, which is not…
I never was much to believe in the notion that the education system was broken. The education system in our country has worked for some, even many; however, there is still a population the education system has failed. I have seen this firsthand as an educator. Some students who could not catch a break when…
It seems like a simple solution to a complex problem: raise standards and raise pay; that is how you combat the shortage of teachers. Even though the statement is simple, it is still more challenging to do. The education system in the country is lagging many other countries, which do not have nearly the resources…
Disclosure: I am a principal of a public charter school. The thoughts in this piece are mine and do not represent the thoughts of my charter school or its network. Recently, I had an opportunity to visit New Orleans as part of my Circle City Leaders fellowship with RISE Indy. While visiting, we had a…
There is a new hit show, and in two episodes, many Black educators love how the real lives of many of us are on full display for the world in an honest but funny way. The new ABC sitcom “Abbott Elementary,” centers around fictional Abbott Elementary located in Philadelphia. The show stars comedian Quinta Brunson…
When we thought school was getting back to normal (a new normal), a new COVID-19 variant arrived and is more contagious. Earlier in December, the Biden administration rolled out a new plan to keep students in school. As the calendar reads 2022, many school districts around the country are grappling with the possibility of going…