Most White Teachers Are Not Ready to Teach Black and Brown Students

Most White Teachers Are Not Ready to Teach Black and Brown Students

Effective teachers can change and save lives, but being a great teacher is hard. The challenge is especially acute in our high-poverty, under-resourced pub

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We Can't Protect Our Students From Racism, But We Can Prepare Them to Combat and Reject It

We Can’t Protect Our Students From Racism, But We Can Prepare Them to Combat and Reject It

On January 6, when an angry mob stormed the Capitol, I was in the middle of teaching my 7th grade English language arts students about the Free African Soc

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Meet Two Teachers Learning to Center Their Students' Identities Without Losing Sight of Their Own

Meet Two Teachers Learning to Center Their Students’ Identities Without Losing Sight of Their Own

Lindsay Singer and Ashley McCall are both third grade teachers at Cesar Chavez Multicultural Academic Center in Chicago. Lindsay teaches mathematics and in

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It's Time To Break the Discipline Cycle and Invest in Student Supports

It’s Time To Break the Discipline Cycle and Invest in Student Supports

While we continue to struggle to figure out how to educate students 12 months into the global pandemic, we cannot afford to lose sight of the pressing need

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I Know What the Challenges Are for Black Teachers and How to Start Fixing Them

I Know What the Challenges Are for Black Teachers and How to Start Fixing Them

I will never forget the moment last year when a seventh-grade African American student came to my door and said, “Mr. Taylor, I just wanted to stop by and

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We Have No Idea What This Year Has Been Like for Our Kids

We Have No Idea What This Year Has Been Like for Our Kids

One year ago, my now-kindergartener left his bustling and diverse transitional kindergarten classroom with sensory learning areas designed for academic and

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Following the Chauvin Trial Is Traumatic. Don't Turn Away.

Following the Chauvin Trial Is Traumatic. Don’t Turn Away.

When we bear witness, when we become the situation—homelessness, poverty, illness, violence, death—the right action arises by itself. We don’t have to worr

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Here's How Culturally Sustaining Curriculum Roots Students in a Legacy of Strength

Here’s How Culturally Sustaining Curriculum Roots Students in a Legacy of Strength

I started my teaching career teaching music. I’d been a professional musician for a decade—performing, touring and recording jazz and Latin music. With som

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Y'all Know These Schools Got Derek Chauvins and Bystander Cops Too Right?

Y’all Know These Schools Got Derek Chauvins and Bystander Cops Too Right?

Can we get into this conversation about how school districts, teachers unions and police unions are triplets? Because they all have the exact same DNA when

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