It’s never easy to tackle highly-charged issues in the classroom. The recent furor over whether Brett Kavanaugh is fit to serve as a Supreme Court Justice is particularly complicated. The Kavanaugh hearings have sparked emotion and controversy across a range of issues: huge outpourings of stories from survivors of sexual assault, arguments about political partisanship and executive privilege, and questions…
Tag: LaQuan McDonald
Why Aren’t Education Reform Leaders in Chicago Stepping Up?
Here’s a fact: education reform (school choice, teacher accountability, high expectations and school autonomy) is the not the cause of the impending teacher strike in Chicago. Here’s another fact: it is becoming increasingly difficult for the public to perceive that the first fact is true. That’s because there is a sad juxtaposition playing out in Chicago today. On one hand,…
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…
Is There Anywhere a Black Youth Can Be Counted as a Real Person?
Last night I did something I promised myself I would not do. I watched the tragic dashcam video in which a Chicago Police Officer fires 16 bullets into a 17-year-old kid with a switchblade in his hand. It was a hard experience. Much more difficult than I thought it would be. But, when it was over I was certain of…
Chicago Breaks My Heart…Again. #LaQuanMcDonald
“Shoot to kill.” -Mayor Richard J. Daley The first time I watched the video of Eric Garner being choked to death by NYC police, while desperately exclaiming “I can’t breathe,” I burst into tears. I cried so hard, I shocked myself. I have no relation to Eric Garner or his family, but I’d question the humanity of any individual who’s…