Mental Health
We Need School Discipline Reform But We Also Need to Protect Teachers
One of my second-graders, Tony, generally entered the classroom happy. But it took a very small thing to make him furious. Tony, who had been diagnosed with anger impulsive disorder, would get angry...
trauma
5 Ways We Teach Rape Culture in Schools
How do we teach sexual consent in schools? You’ll probably say, “Well, we don’t teach it,” which is mostly true. Most schools don’t have consent written into their curriculum. But here’s the thing:...
student achievement
When Advocating for Students With Disabilities, It’s OK to Be Wrong Sometimes But It’s Not OK to Be Quiet
I remember the first time I spoke up at a national conference in front of my colleagues. We were at a national meeting of a few hundred urban special education administrators from around the nation...
trauma
I Believe Women. Period.
I believe women. Or, to be more precise, I believe the women, men and children who say they are victims of sexual abuse. I believe that making an accusation or simply stating one’s experience is an...
School Discipline
Here's How the #MeToo Movement Is Continuing in Our Schools
In her Cecil B. DeMille Award acceptance speech at the Golden Globes, Oprah Winfrey addressed young girls around the globe by saying, "When that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of...
trauma
I Was Sexually Abused by Another Student and It Never Should Have Happened
In my creative writing class in high school, I envisioned a fantastical future where I worked as a district attorney prosecuting sex crimes and living in a high rise in Boston. My imagination hadn’t...
