To be “woke” means aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice) Everyone wants to be “woke.” This is a trend that is happening amongst educators. Don’t get me wrong… woke principals and teachers is a good thing. However, one could do too much or focus on … More Woke School
American public schools do a poor job teaching the history of American slavery to children. That is probably true of private schools too. I would also say that the majority of history teachers and administrators, the majority of whom are White, lack a comprehensive knowledge of American slavery. They may have read an article here and … More Teaching Slavery Properly
If you’re looking for a place to find an honest conversation about all things education, Steven Singer’s (not the Philly jeweler) blog gadflyonthewallblog is a good place. Mr. Singer speaks truth to power ranging from race and poverty in education to school privatization. One of Mr. Singer’s latest entries speaks of a study, authored by … More Research Brief: No-Excuses Expansion
Teachers and administrators alike desire to increase the number of engaged parents it has within its school. When I taught, teachers frequently lamented that not enough parents would show up for parent-teacher conferences; administrators did also. I also heard educators lament that parents weren’t regularly involved in the school community; that the only time parents … More Straight Talk About Parent Engagement
Many educators, particularly school leaders love to use data to inform teacher instruction. The data movement is a popular one; particularly in the age of school reform. Decisions about curriculum, instruction, and assessment tend to be shaped and determined by data. Well, what is the data? Generally, the data consist of student test scores from … More Doing Data Mindfully
Schools should teach students how to be responsible and accountable. However, some of the lessons that practitioners come up with aren’t very good. I remember during my last year teaching how the administration changed up the detention model. Originally, if a student received a detention, they had to sit for at least one hour. Depending … More Doing Responsibility Responsibly
I came into the world of education as a teacher seven years ago. I taught social studies; primarily U.S. and world history. I taught in Camden, New Jersey. The majority of my students were Black and Latino. One of the things I prided myself on was teaching students the truth about history and how that … More On Teaching Christopher Columbus
Months ago, the Education Trust released a report titled Through Our Eyes which detailed the experiences and feelings of Black teachers in American public schools. The revelations that Black teachers made in the report echoes many of the thoughts and feelings that I experienced while in the classroom. Most of my Black colleagues shared similar … More What To Know About The Black Teacher In Your Building
I’ve argued the need for school districts to hire more Black teachers; specifically Black male teachers.[1] My argument isn’t limited to only adding more Black male teachers – but Black and Latino teachers of both as well. My call isn’t limited to where Black and Latino teachers are largely absent; but also for where they … More Camden City Charter Schools Must Recruit More Black and Latino Teachers
The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone
Where Race and Sport Intersect at the Point of Commentary
A blog on race, equity, and urban education
... A Strong Rhyme to Step To
"To sting people and whip them into a fury, all in the service of truth."
Navigating Inner City Ministry in Real Time
Urban Education Mixtape 