An interesting phrase, with an equally interesting hashtag, has started to go around: #StayWoke. This phrase was especially present during the Women’s Marc
Read Moreequity
It’s a Principal’s Job to Make Equity a Reality
On the first day of school each year, more than 3,300 teenagers fill the campus here at Rancho Cucamonga High School. They’re a diverse group—more than a t
Read MoreFancy Education Luncheons Aren’t Going to Fix the Schools in My Neighborhood
The other day I had the honor of attending a luncheon and panel discussion about our failure to provide equitable schooling here in Illinois. It was an imp
Read MoreWhen ‘Good Enough’ Isn’t Good Enough at All for Our Students of Color
But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost… —Luke 14:28 The first time I
Read More4 Ways We Can Fund Personalized Learning to Create More Equitable Schools
Budget shortfalls in states are framing a new angle on educational equity conversations. It is no longer simply about what is right, but what is fiscally n
Read MoreNo, They’re Not Vouchers. Here’s What Illinois’ New Tax-Credit Scholarships Actually Are.
The final compromise that allowed Illinois to implement a new, more equitable education funding formula included a surprise—a 5-year pilot of tax-credit sc
Read MoreFirst-Generation Immigrants Like Mari Are Called DREAMers for a Reason
Marisol, Mari for short, is a true dreamer. One of my best friends, Mari, is a first-generation immigrant to the United States from Mexico. Her parents bro
Read MoreTo All of the Educators, Love Not Money Will Close the Gap
I grew up in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Toledo, Ohio. During my time in middle school, we did not have books or resources that made me believe th
Read MoreFix the Formula, Illinois. It’s Time.
Yesterday afternoon, my second-grader got her copy of the school yearbook. She flipped back to the kindergarten class photos. “Miss Maya’s class used to ha
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