Schools all over the country are opening their doors for the 2018-2019 school year. Unfortunately, some of them are going to open without enough teachers. Many school districts are in the midst of an extreme teacher shortage. Some districts are getting creative to try and fix the problem, trying everything from reducing the barriers to…
Listen as Shawnta S. Barnes explains her difficulties with one of her sons’ teachers when the teacher started avoiding her and wouldn’t meet with her unless administration was present.
A little over a week ago, I was in Detroit. I attended part of the National Association for Black Journalists (NABJ) Convention. I was part of the panel The Importance of Educating our Black Children along with Wayfinder CEO Chris Stewart, InspireNOLA Public Charter School CEO Jamar McNeely, and NewSchools Venture Fund Managing Partner Dr….
Recently, I read part of “Your Back-To-School Messages Are Hurting Teachers” written by 2015 National Teacher of the Year Shanna Peeples. I stopped reading once I came across these words, “and difficulties with behaviors of children who come from trauma and poverty.” The author was attempting to explain why some teachers are burned out. …
LeBron James has been trending in education circles lately due to the founding of his school. The I Promise School, has won so much praise from outside observers that many seem to want LeBron James to play an even bigger role in education. An online petition has been started with the goal of firing…
Listen as Shawnta S. Barnes shares her experiences with her name being mispronounced not only as a child in school but also as a teacher by other colleagues and the importance of pronouncing names correctly.
Whenever you see a middle or high School depicted on TV, it is always this impossibly huge place with lots of different people, options, and opportunities. Yeah, TV high school is sometimes depicted as difficult, but somehow almost every character finds some group, club or extracurricular where they fit in. The jocks have sports. The…
As school starts back, one of the largest tasks for teachers is to stock up on all of the things they will need for the school year. Whether it be notebooks, pencils, stickers, or anything else, school supply shopping can really put a dent in the already limited budgets of teachers. Schools may or may…
If you have been on the internet in the last few weeks, then you have likely heard about the Papa John controversy. Papa John founder, John Schnatter, used the n-word on a conference call back in May. According to him, the context was actually referencing past use by someone else. Whatever the reason, the fallout…
Teachers should groom students to become top scholars, not groom them to satisfy their perverse sexual desires. I am deeply disturbed each time I read about another teacher who is caught in a sex scandal with a student. What pisses me off is female teachers, who are predators, tend to receive lighter consequences. Take…