I am reposting Peter Cunningham’s recent blog. Peter is the Executive Director of Education Post, a Chicago-based non-profit communications organization supporting efforts to improve public education. On August 1, Celine...
Archive - July 2017
Recently I had the honor of speaking at the National Network of State Teachers of the Year conference. It was great to be in a room with so many accomplished educators who have been recognized by their states as at the top of...
“Money is a good servant, but a bad master.” Just like you flip a coin, people can flip-flop on an issue. Especially when there’s money involved. There are those, like Malcolm X, who reinvent themselves through careful...
Guest Blogger Dia L. Jones joins Phillys7thWard to respond to Reverend Al Sharpton’s latest shenanigans. “Proud of my sister, Randi Weingarten exposing the history of racism in the mis use of the charter school...
I have noticed that folks love to use quotes like Malcolm X’s famous line. He implored Black people to stop at nothing in the pursuit of freedom and justice. A lot of folks cringed when they heard him say it then. Now, though...
As I mark my first quarter century of working in schools, I can’t help but reflect back. Sure, I think about my recent wins and misses as a principal, and how our staff and students fared in 2016-17. But to be honest, what I...

Longtime Educator Offers Last Rites, Lays to Rest Tired Debate on Public School Choice. Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust…
Guest Blogger Dia L. Jones is here to slay and lay to rest the charter school vs. traditional public school argument – once and for all. Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust…. Dearly Beloved, We are all gathered here today to...
Independence. Freedom. Liberation. These synonyms are the most potent forms of human existence. And, for people of color, these concepts remain some of the most elusive. One of the main barriers to liberation is that many white...
“…and watch your back.” That is the last thing my great aunt Maryam would say to any of her children, nephews, or nieces before parting. Her birthday was last week and I have been thinking about her often. Maryam El-Mekki...