equity
Why Are Black Families Leaving Chicago? Maybe They Can't Afford to Wait for Better Schools.
My hometown of Chicago has touted itself as a progressive city for many years. We’ve stood firm in our position as a sanctuary city and recently moved towards the legalization of marijuana—pushing a...
Achievement Gap
Lakisha Young Talks About How Oakland Is Tackling the Reading Crisis
Lakisha Young is the executive director of The Oakland REACH. Her work began through witnessing the disparities faced by Black and Brown students, including members of her own family. She sought to...
Achievement Gap
Let's Help Our Young People Unlearn What White Supremacy Taught Them
True story. The other day I was recording an episode of my podcast with 11th graders at a school on the far south-side of Chicago. During our conversation about their experiences as Black students in...
Charter Schools
If You're Really Fighting for Educational Justice, You Need to Check Your Privilege
Earlier this week I was tagged in a tweet published by Carol Burris. It looked to be an attempt to negatively blast or shame my organization because of who funds our work—like we haven’t seen that...
Achievement Gap
I'll Believe Chicago Is Progressive When We Close the Gaps for Black and Brown Kids
Shame on it all! In a new report, “The Secret Shame: How America’s Most Progressive Cities Betray Their Commitment to Educational Opportunities for All,” brightbeam (the umbrella org for Education...
Diversity
We Have to Get Education Right for Black Students and Families in 2020
I’m just going to get straight to the point. In 2020—and beyond—we have to get education right for Black students and families. Point blank and period. I don’t subscribe to the “new year, new me”...