I’ve heard it too many times. As I’ve worked to create greater access to high quality schools for the children in the most underserved communities in Chicago, it’s one of key arguments they use: “The big corporations are trying to make a profit off of our children…” “The big dollar school reformers don’t really understand what’s going on in poor…
Tag: Education
The One Thing Beyonce Failed to Address in ‘Formation’
Beyonce’s new video “Formation” is a loud celebration of Black culture, while artistically addressing racial injustices that continue to plague the Black community:
Chicago Parent Shares Why She Loves KIPP Bloom
Denise is the guardian of 3 of her grandchildren. The children have faced a lot of difficulties in their early lives and she’s working hard to bring them some much needed love, support, and stability. The number of children being raised by grandparents in Chicago has been on the rise for a long time. Denise’s story is a great reminder…
One on One: Providence Englewood Parent Shares Greatest Challenge of School Option
The public conversation around schools and education in Chicago is unfairly one-sided. The reality is that education reform in Chicago has had a positive impact on a large number of students, families and communities in Chicago. We’re on a mission to share real stories, from real people who have been positively impacted by education reform. Latoya Jones is the mom…
Is Chicago Public Schools the Scrooge?
Chicago teacher and award-winning blogger Marilyn Rhames may have it figured out: As a kid, I had a love-hate relationship with “A Christmas Carol,” the Charles Dickens tale that plays out in black and white TV every December. I loved the character of Tiny Tim, a poor sickly boy whose kindness and grit gets rewarded at the end, but I…
Four Things Parents Want From Santa
When I was in the early grades in my Chicago Public School on the west side, this was the time of year that we wrote letters to Santa. By third grade, I was pretty sure that Santa wasn’t real (or at least that my neighborhood wasn’t on his route), but there was something comforting about penning a little note to…
Student Voice Is Essential for School Improvement
I’ve written before at some of the good things happening at Namaste Charter School. But today I’ll be writing about some of the challenges my child’s school is currently facing. We’re in a leadership transition, which is always a tough time for any school. In summer 2014, Namaste’s founding principal made way for a successor. The transition was thoughtfully planned,…
A Letter to Ed. Reformers: Don’t Ignore Black Lives Matter
It’s the Monday after Thanksgiving, time to get back into the classroom. School leaders everywhere will work hard to get students and staff refocused on the labor of love that is education. But, there will be something significant competing for attention in Chicago schools this Monday. A lot has happened since the last time teachers and students in the city…