student support
It Was the Worst Moment of My Teaching Career, And I Was the Problem
One of the best teachers I have ever known has a tattoo on the inside of her wrist of the snake from “The Little Prince.” She told me it was her reminder not to crush students’ dreams. Between the...
Achievement Gap
Our Kids Can No Longer Wait for Educational Justice, And They Shouldn’t Have To
I wanna talk about three things: movements, public education and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s words foreshadowing what would be an ongoing and urgent fight. Follow along as I connect all of these...
student achievement
As a Black Male Educator, I Get to Be a Superhero for Students Too Often Left Behind
Teaching is one of my greatest gifts. Seeing my mother’s life’s work as a teacher in Dekalb County created my blueprint for what the life of a "game-changer" looks like, and the many influential...
Politics
Here's What I Told My Students After 'Karen From Mike Bloomberg's Campaign' Texted Me
Last week, I received a text from “Karen from Mike Bloomberg’s campaign.” She wrote that “with so much at stake, Americans deserve a Democratic candidate who can beat Donald Trump” and asked if I...
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...
Diversity
Black History Is American History and Should Be Celebrated All Year Long
As a Minnesotan, February is a signal that the warmth of spring is so close yet so far away (seriously, last Thursday the high was two degrees!). And as someone deeply committed to fighting for...
