I didn’t always think about writing about my experiences. I wasn’t reluctant to share them either. But, I was mostly content to share what I saw, heard, learned, and thought about our schools in one-on-one and small group...
Archive - December 2017
“He knows when you’ve been sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good. So be good for what? Goodness sake. Think about that. Being good. For goodness sake. Who’s sake? Goodness...
Former U.S. Secretary of Education, Dr. John King, recently wrote a piece for the Baltimore Sun that particularly resonated with me. When I used to work as a bail interviewer in “The Roundhouse,” Philadelphia Police...
A few summers back, I was at a wedding reception, exchanging the customary pleasantries one does when seated next to people one has only just met. We discussed our relation to the bride and groom, and then shared what we did for...
For years, I have experienced the world of education through the role of a teacher. I’ve engaged in discussions about fair funding formulas and school segregation. I’ve advocated for access to effective charter schools...
In October, I had the pleasure of visiting the Black Power exhibit at the Schomburg Center with my fellow Black Panther Cubs and relatives. One of the displays was the Ten Point Program and Platform of the Black Student Union...
In November, I wrote an article called Black Educators Share Their Thoughts on What Happens When White Women Cry in Schools. Since then, I’ve received a number of responses to the content and was notified recently that the...
How can all students learn to read by 4th grade if so many teachers struggle with teaching reading? This piece first appeared in The Philadelphia Citizen, where Hilderbrand Pelzer III contributes regular columns during the school...
In a recent article, J. Martin Rochester, a professor of political science at the University of St. Louis-Missouri, raised concerns about teaching social justice in schools. Rochester’s problem with teaching social justice in...
News flash: Separation, in itself, does not lead to inequity. Schools with only Black and Brown students can be academically rigorous and culturally-affirming. Many people look at low-achieving schools with predominantly Black...