“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.” Dr. King As I reflected on the past year since we celebrated Martin Luther King Day 2020, these words stood out to me more than any other. A lot has happened since January 2020, so much that I do not…
What is wrong with the teaching profession? Some would say even with innovation, the achievement gap between students of color and their white counterparts is growing. Also, the teacher force does not reflect the student population in many schools. These are just some of the potential answers to this often-asked question. The fact that we…
It was Friday, March 13, 2020, and I was sitting in my office after the building had clear, in disbelief at how everything had changed so quickly. School was closing a week early for spring break, and unknowingly at the time for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. It would be another 157 days…
When the election results were clear that Joe Biden would be the next President of the United States, he promised to nominate a cabinet that would reflect America. President-elect Biden has continued with each of his nominations to hold to that promise. When it came to education, Biden made it clear he wanted a Secretary…
As we leave 2020 in the rear-view mirror and speed into 2021, we should not forget some lessons of the year. 2020 has allowed many of us to refocus, and as we move into 2021, those areas we focused on remain. Please make no mistake about it; improving education must be a top priority. We…
In March of 2020, the honorable John Lewis made a statement to commemorate the tragic events of Bloody Sunday. Bloody Sunday happened on March 7, 1965, as the police officers beat the peaceful protesters for crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. The statement was a calling for all. It was a simple but…
When the school opened back up this school year, many people’s minds were on whether or not we would have standardized testing this school year. Standardized testing was canceled for the 2019-2020 school year as school buildings around the country closed in March and never reopened. While the debate is divided across the country, recently,…
I believe most of us got into this work to do right by children. For most in work, we have the heart and passion for ensuring the children who sit in the classrooms where we teach, walk the hallways we lead, or learn in the schools we support have the opportunity to receive a fair…
Recently I caused a bit of an uproar on social media with a post. Did I know it would cause a disruption? No, but I was not surprised by the reactions. There is a section of passionate teachers who take their job seriously, and they do not take well to what they feel is criticism….
As we enter the winter months, many schools around the country are still navigating through virtual learning. Some schools are in a hybrid model where kids attend school in-person for part of the week and attend remotely for the remainder of the time. Like many schools in my city, some schools have been moved back…