Pennsylvania’s teacher roster is the least diverse in the nation; less than 5 percent of Pennsylvania’s teachers are people of color, according to the state Department of Education. Yet evidence regularly points to the...
Author - Sharif El-Mekki
I will never forget the time I attended a teaching job expo in Valley Forge, PA. Districts from around the state had laid out the welcome mat, eager to attract the newest and brightest teachers into their ranks. I stood...
I’ve had the chance to travel a lot in my work as an educator and activist, and frequently I find myself in what I call the “too-expensive-for-Black folks” cities. You know, those cities that present themselves as...
From presidential candidates to affluent parents to public school principals, I am weary and wary of anyone trying to convince Black and Brown folks that fewer school options better serve their children’s advancement and...
Mayor Buttigieg, a presidential candidate who was gaining in some polls and in Iowa, wows some folks with his talk about equity, also, like most politicians (and educators for that matter) appears to operate with a deficit...
Upper Dublin, a district outside of Philadelphia, recently settled a discrimination case that was filed with the U.S. Department of Education by Black families and the Public Interest Law Center four years ago. One more...
There is no secret that Black students are subjected to some of the worst school funding formulas, least experienced teachers, and least rigorous courses. Black students are over-policed, subjected to the harshest discipline, and...
In the current, at times, toxic educational debates, cancel culture is rampant. But, there is room, space, and precedence for cordial debates, fierce and persistent differences in outlooks and strategies, yet solidarity in the...
One of the main pillars of the Center for Black Educator Development is professional learning, coaching, and mentoring teachers, with an emphasis on early career Black teachers. Teachers are the most important in school factor...
We have just recorded our 30th episode of the 8 Black Hands podcast. Time really flies and it has been an exciting ride. The 30th episode was particularly special because we were at the 49th annual Congressional Black Caucus...