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…
Like many leaders across the country, I am leading a school during a pandemic. We began the 2020-2021 school year on August 3. We started the year virtual for all scholars, and then on August 17, we opened our doors for the families and scholars who selected in-person instruction. Our first day of school was…
When deciding I wanted to pursue education, I knew that even at the peak, I would never make millions of dollars. I also knew that I may never truly make as much as I am truly worth. These are all decisions that I was comfortable with when I decided to pursue education. But now, I…
The health officials in Indianapolis have ordered all K-12 school in Marion County to return to 100% virtual learning by November 30 through at least January 15. The announcement was made in response to the rising COVID-19 cases not just across the state but specifically in Marion County. According to health officials, the seven-day positivity…
I recently had an opportunity to sit on a virtual panel with the Indiana Commission on the Social Status of Black Males. The panel was part of the 2020 Annual Black Males Conference. This year, the focus was education. The conference emphasized that too few Black males are graduating from high school and attending colleges…