Last month, I wrote, “Why I Differentiate PD.” I shared that my experience of being forced to attend a PD where I was an expert was a waste of my time, and failed to develop other skills I wanted to improve. It is easy to implement a one-size-fits-all professional development plan. Leaders often don’t get…
The College Board is a non-for-profit organization, and one area the organization manages is the advanced placement program. Before 2022, the Board hadn’t added an Advanced Placement (AP) course since 2014. However, 60 schools are piloting African American Studies, the College Board’s 40th AP course. When I heard the news, I said, “Amen.” As an…
Kayne West once said in a song, “Oh, girl, your silhouette make me wanna light a cigarette.” Additionally, in their song “Brick House,” the Commodores once sang, “How can she lose with the stuff she use? 36-24-36, ow, what a winning hand. ‘Cause she’s a brick house.” When a man calls a woman a coke…
At the end of the school year, students go around and have their classmates sign their school yearbook. I was one of those students who also wanted teacher signatures. Howver, getting each one was like receiving a little paper cut. After an entire school year together, many teachers had not learned how to say nor…
It’s no secret that most teachers spend money from their paychecks to purchase classroom supplies. The IRS has responded by raising the deduction teachers can file on their taxes from $250 to $300. Although this is a development to be proud of, at some point, we have to ask hard questions. Why does this tax…
My twin sons have attended school in Washington Township since kindergarten and are now in sixth grade. As an educator, I do not expect the bus to be on time during the first few days of school. During the first week of school, everything is delayed. Teachers know lunch might start and end late. Electives…
As a former English teacher, school librarian, and literacy coach, it is probably obvious that I love reading. I did not wake up one day and suddenly love reading; this love was built over time. When I hear children and adults say they hate reading, part of my soul feels shattered. I wonder what went…
Tindley Schools have been known for academic excellence, strict discipline, and its “College or Die” motto. During the upcoming school year, the motto is going away. Years ago, former Tindley principal Marlon Lwellyn shared his pride in the motto and the high number of Tindley graduates accepted into college. At the time, the focus was…
On Monday, during a speech in Alberta, Canada, the Pope apologized for the harm to Indigenous children at residential schools operated by the Catholic Church. He also promised a serious investigation into the matter. The Pope said, “In the face of this deplorable evil, the Church kneels before God and implores his forgiveness for the…
I’m probably about to date myself as an educator, but I remember when cell phones weren’t an issue in school. I didn’t have to worry about social media drama, fights being planned, TikTok dances recorded in the bathroom, or looking up answers on a cellular device. As more social media platforms entered the arena and…