For some reason, comic books are seen by some as not real reading material. Graphic novels get lumped into this category too. As a current elementary librarian and a former literacy coach and English teacher, I am here to make this clear: Reading comic books is real reading. We tell children we want them to…
If you are a teacher then you know that contrary to popular belief, we don’t have a “bunch of time off.” True, we technically get more time off compared to other jobs, but in order to really be effective, we have to put in a lot of required work outside of actual working hours. Chief…
Most schools have a month or less left of the school year. As parents, it is easy to join in with our children and count the days until the end of the school year. We want it to be over because the end of the year can be intense. At this time, there tend to…
“The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.” – An African Proverb If you have ever seen Black Panther, then you understand the above quote. Killmonger had no love for his homeland because he remembered how his homeland neglected him. He desired to have love and…
For this school year, students had to turn five on or before August 1 to be eligible for kindergarten enrollment. For the 2019-20 school year, the law has changed. Parents will now be able to send their child to school if his or her birthday falls on or before September 1. Since the law was…
I want first to say that by no means is this intended to support Betsy DeVos who currently serves as US Secretary of Education. Her appointment to this position is a slap in the face to educators and clearly shows the priority the current administration and those that confirmed her nomination. Betsy DeVos is as…
A recent Chalkbeat Indiana article brought attention to Indiana lawmakers who are taking steps to get rid of the CASA exam. The exam is a basic reading, writing, and math exam that evaluates the skills of freshman and sophomore education students. Why would we lower the bar for teachers of color while raising the bar…
Betsy DeVos has been arguably the most maligned member of the Trump administration outside of Trump himself. And given how polarizing the administration has been, that is saying a lot. Even before she took office, she was a lightning rod for controversy, and it showed in her confirmation hearings. Even so, DeVos appears to have…
If you have been following my writing, you should know that I do not support many school dress codes when it comes to the hair section. Every month, there is an incident involving a dress code violation over hair. The offender many times is a black student. “We are a culturally responsive school.” Sure you…
After spring break is the mad countdown to summer break. Summer is getting closer every single day. My twin sons have less than one month left of second grade. As much as they are ready for some relaxation this summer, I know I must keep their minds engaged too. Some parents scoff at the suggestion…