The Stories Blog

Crossposts

What If Your Entire School System Was the Racist Monument That Should Come Down?

The angry protestors are coming for public statues of historic Americans as diverse as Confederate traitors like Robert E. Lee and slave-owning American founders like George Washington. But...

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proficiency

Reject the Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations

(Trigger warning: This essay contains a bleeped, profanity-laced rant that may cause you to question your most deeply held beliefs.) It's not often I cite vulgar, inappropriate humor to draw...

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Laura Waters

The Key to Charter School Success Is Collaboration With District Schools

The dominant theme of Richard Whitmire’s book The Founders is that the top quintile of public charter school operators are remarkably open to collaboration with traditional and alternative school...

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Achievement Gap

Richard Whitmire's 'The Founders' Is Turning Myths on Their Heads

Richard Whitmire’s new book, “The Founders,” offers a virtual tour through the moves, machinations and mindsets that led to the growth of a particular flavor of public charter schooling. Rather than...

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Chicago

Student Praise for a Chicago High School Where Everybody Knows Your Name

When you go to school, you should never feel like just another seat in the class. Everyone in the school should know you by name—not just the teachers, but the engineer and the lunch ladies, too....

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