How Low Will Standards Go for Underserved Parents? Oakland Families Are About to Find Out.

How Low Will Standards Go for Underserved Parents? Oakland Families Are About to Find Out.

“My baby wants to go to Stanford,” an irate grandmother told me, “and this is what they give me.” She sent me a series of texts with her grandson’s teacher

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Without Data, We Can't Fight for Our Students' Futures

Without Data, We Can’t Fight for Our Students’ Futures

Sometimes, data can seem pesky. Just ask the folks who continue to suggest that coronavirus spikes are merely the result of increased testing. “You know wh

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Suburban Families Haven't Always Been Allies of School Choice, But That's Changing

Suburban Families Haven’t Always Been Allies of School Choice, But That’s Changing

Middle class, suburban families, once likely opponents of education choice, are now rallying behind the right to choose where to send their children to sch

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Here's Why Independent Reading Matters in a Pandemic

Here’s Why Independent Reading Matters in a Pandemic

We’re in the midst of a back-to-school season like no other. The COVID-19 pandemic has raised lots of questions about how to safely and effectively keep ki

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I Found Out One of My Students Tested Positive for COVID and My Heart Sank

I Found Out One of My Students Tested Positive for COVID and My Heart Sank

I was so excited last week. Exhausted, like so many of us are, but just plain happy. As my students romped into my room, and I heard the laughter each day

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The Pandemic Has Only Underscored the Unfair Burden That Schools Shoulder

The Pandemic Has Only Underscored the Unfair Burden That Schools Shoulder

Joe Biden’s election and this week’s good news about several coronavirus vaccine candidates are massive developments in a months-long debate over how our s

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There Are Actually a Few Things I'll Bring Into My Real Classroom Once This Is Over

There Are Actually a Few Things I’ll Bring Into My Real Classroom Once This Is Over

For families, students and staff, the start of this year was markedly different from past years. In place of student schedules and bus routes, our students

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In a Virtual Setting, Let Your Students Make the Rules on Cameras

In a Virtual Setting, Let Your Students Make the Rules on Cameras

Mention cameras during distance learning and you’ll instantly evoke passion, stress, and even fear, in teachers and students alike. Last month, I listened

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It’s Time to Put Early Math on Everyone’s Radar, Especially for Dual Language Learners

It’s Time to Put Early Math on Everyone’s Radar, Especially for Dual Language Learners

Most parents understand early literacy is important. Data show they are already doing the basics to support literacy, like reading to children regularly. Y

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