On the sun-glazed African continent, the most storied warrior people, incomparably formidable and sagacious in war, is the Maasai. It is perhaps unexpected, then, to learn the traditional greeting that passed between Maasai...
Tag - education
“We haven’t been sending you any Black candidates, well, because you’re Black.” After reading an article by Helen Kim Ho, I couldn’t help but to think of this quote made by a central office staffer many years ago. It...
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...
At times, Black people, like any group battered and oppressed by the state, may celebrate any perception of forward motion. Folks scour social media pages to see who has what appointment, what political power is being amassed...
Dear Mama, I hope all is well. I wanted to send you a note of thanks. As a child, I always appreciated and benefited from your tremendous and incessant love, support, and advocacy, even though (like many youth), I didn’t always...
Gerald Dessus, a former literature/composition teacher, like many other teachers, is teaching a course that we believe all eighth-graders in Philly should engage in. Below is teacher leader Mr. Dessus’ response to our need to...
I noticed an interesting hashtag on my timeline recently: #realizedIwasblack. People were sharing their experiences growing up and when they were initially confronted with the realization that their perceptions of themselves ran...
“We want decent education for our people…” When people describe folks’ offspring, many will share, “…the apple doesn’t fall far from its tree.” I have never subscribed to that adage. I tell our youth differently...
National School Choice Week is an independent public awareness effort spotlighting effective education options for children, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, online...
My fervent desire to serve my community is what led me to a career as a teacher. But, it was anything but a straight path. I have previously alluded to one of the main reasons I ended up choosing teaching as my desired profession...