Why do so many of you hate children? Maybe hate is a strong word. Shall I say really dislike? I ask myself this question daily when perusing education sites on socials and chatting it up with coworkers in common areas. As a...
Category - Belief Gap
“This ink pen is my weapon.” -Anonymous Teacher Many studies note that there is an over identification of Black boys to special education. While serving as the Teach For America Vice President with Teacher...
Earlier this week, our Councilwoman, Jannie Blackwell, called for a public hearing on the low enrollment and graduation rates at colleges and universities for Black males in Philadelphia. David Hardy, founder of the Boys’...
“The cause of freedom is not the cause of a race or a sect, a party or a class-it is the cause of human kind, the very birthright of humanity.” A multitude of hidden figures silently loom in our shadows, yet those...
Recently, John Eichelberger, a Pennsylvania lawmaker made remarks that were insensitive, devoid of intellectual curiosity and logic, and projected a biased and racist posture towards “urban kids.” Eichelberger is the chairman...
I’m concerned about the growing backlash against what are referred to as “no-excuses” schools. Too often, critics depict overly-rigid approaches to discipline that pave the road from school to prison. I agree that too much...
“An educator in a system of oppression is either a revolutionary or an oppressor.” –Lerone Bennett, Jr. There is a war going on. When war is mentioned, most folks will immediately think about what is happening overseas or...
I wanted to weigh in on two recent articles about testing. As a current charter school principal, former Philadelphia School District teacher and principal, recent Principal Ambassador in the US Department of Education, and CEO...
Many of our greatest community activists, freedom fighters, and nation builders spoke to us about the sanctity of a rigorous education and how it must be used to uplift, embolden, and liberate. Douglass, Malcolm, Martin, Newton...
Had you asked me 25 years ago—and some people did—if I’d become an educator, I would have said, “No way! Why would I work in a school?” I knew I wanted to work in some realm of social justice and, at the time, I...