Author name: Ian

by Christina Horner“We only hire the best and the brightest. And when it comes to people of color, they’ve been neither.” – My former bossA decade has passed since the superintendent of schools (at the time, my direct superior) spoke these vile words at a meeting about our bussing program’s budget. Time won’t let me forget […]

By Ben Chase Ben Chase is a guest blogger and educator from Noble High School.Without any clear vision for what the next year may hold, it’s time to look beyond the classroom walls and computer screens for innovative solutions to educating during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially for our most vulnerable students. Intentionally facilitated employment offers promise

by Kate Gardoqui & Jean Haeger Outdoor spaces are safer than indoor spaces when it comes to the transmission of COVID-19. This fact may inspire schools to explore outdoor learning options for the fall as a way to allow some in-person contact among students and teachers while keeping everyone as safe as possible. This approach, which

by Arielle Sprotzer I spent the first seven years of my career in education working on the Upper East Side, in New York City, at a small thematic public high school. The teaching staff was almost entirely white and the student body was almost entirely non-white. Though we had a strong sense of community, we never

Guest post by Angelina Gillispie “There is never time in the future in which we will work out our salvation. The challenge is in the moment; the time is always now.” – James BaldwinIn 1972, the first woman—the first Black woman—ran for presidency of the United States. Her name was Shirley Chisholm. This was something that was

by Christina Horner  Are you really committed to educational equity? Have you, your team, your department, or your district talked about educational equity with each other or with your community? I mean really talked about it. Well, if the majority of your equity conversations haven’t included race and racism, then the subsequent actions taken to

by Don Weafer The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown persistent educational problems into sharp relief. What many of these problems share is that they were always there, hiding in plain sight in our systems, mindsets, and practices. Remote learning favors privileged students with secure homes and reliable internet access? It already did. Grading rewards compliance and playing

by Christina Horner Admittedly, I watched the infamous Amy Cooper video—now gone viral—numerous times. Like millions of others, I was outraged as I watched Amy Cooper take on the award-winning role of the “damsel in distress.” In her final hysterical plea for help, she knew her role was to convey the all-too-familiar stereotype that Christian Cooper,

by David Ruff Amidst the courageous efforts of students, families, and educators to continue learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, structural racism continues to thrive in the U.S. It surfaces as inequity in student attainment, as disparity in health and economic outcomes resulting from the pandemic, and as continued police violence—all perpetuated on the basis of race.

by Dawn M. Stone, Appleton Village SchoolWorking with other school districts, I became familiar with conducting professional learning community (PLC) meetings via Google Meets. It was an alternative format to traveling 25 miles twice a month to meet with colleagues from the district. This also made meeting convenient during the winter months, or when other