Rest in peace to Mr. Earl Simmons, popularly known as DMX. I pray that his soul is at rest. What fascinates me about the life of a person, particularly artists who become celebrities, are the events and moments that fueled the...
Tag - community

The Lessons Some Parents Hope Their Children Learn During This Pandemic Have Nothing To Do With Academics
I’ve always wanted to be a mom. As a teenager, I imagined I would have three kids: one girl and two boys—who would of course be fiercely protective of their sister—and they would share an unbreakable bond. I would be a...

Coronavirus Will Impact Black and Brown People. Here Are Some Ideas on How to Protect Yourself and the Ones You Love.
The experts are conveying coronavirus warnings as though COVID-19 will impact Americans equally. More likely, this epidemic will hit the poor of all races and communities of color—and of all socioeconomic...
I reread it slower this time, an email sent to 40+ staff members with the subject line, Congrats and Great Work, from my principal. The email was a glowing account of one of my colleagues’ recent...
After spending a joyous weekend this past fall, at my 30th high school reunion, I reflected on the fact that I was a pretty disengaged high school student, and I don’t mean just a little disengaged either. I loved so many of my...
J. Martin Rochester, a professor of political science at the University of St. Louis-Missouri, once wrote an article raising concerns about teaching social justice in schools. Rochester’s problem with teaching social justice...

LeBron’s New School Helps Put Out a Fire While Jalen Rose Whines That King James Didn’t Invent Water
Imagine sharing a loaf of bread with someone who is hungry. Meanwhile, another person with bread is whispering behind you that your compassion isn’t authentic, because, after all, you didn’t actually invent bread. Sounds...
We held funeral services for one of our teachers three weeks ago. Carl Thomas Korpi was one of our most effective, engaging, and beloved educators in our school. He not only brilliantly taught our students chemistry, he taught...

I’ve Got Some Extra Teacher Appreciation for Those Teachers Who Are Uplifting Our Black and Brown Students
This week was Teacher Appreciation Week, one of my favorite weeks. After all, it honors a profession that should be considered one of the most important vanguards of our communities. They have one of the hardest and most...

If You’re an Educator Who Thinks We Need to Hold Parents Accountable, You Need to Do Some Soul Searching
Time and time again, I’ve heard educators say that the lack of parental engagement in their schools is what is holding them back. But, when I listen to families, in Philly or Chicago or any other urban city, I hear about the...