Because parents know it takes a village.
Kerry-Ann Royes is a mom, businesswoman and an everyday advocate who lives in Broward County, Florida and is particularly passionate about education and social issues affecting women and girls.
The ice bucket challenge had a life of its own, going viral and raising more money for ALS than the organization knew how to handle. This is not that kind of challenge. The Florida Citizen’s Alliance got a win by allowing any resident (parent or not) to challenge books used in classrooms, if they find […]
Broward County Public Schools was recently named one of 5 schools to receive a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The dollars will allow BCPS to attract and retain more high school teachers in career and technical education. This aligns with Superintendent Runcie’s BESTT (Broward Education Superior Technology Teachers) program, intended to grow […]
Keri Rodrigues is Mom-In-Chief of Massachusetts Parents United, a parent advocacy group fighting for high-quality education, safer neighborhoods and stable homes. When we think about parent engagement, Keri isn’t just talking about it, she’s doing it. This mother of 3 boys is fed up with being left out of decisions made about her kids, and […]
Just as parents should be involved in classrooms, so should we be involved when those doors have to close. In a recent panel discussion on school choice in D.C., Robin Lake describes leaving parents out of the conversation of school choice as an “huge unnecessary liability.” I completely agree, but her comment still left me […]
Los Angeles schools have over 500 parent centers inside schools, staffed by paid parents! All the usual stuff we know about parent engagement is happening, but there are a few unexpected uses also. Parents sampling new standardized tests and rolling out the new online school dashboard are among the cool ways the district is sharing […]
John Legend says half his freshman class made it 4 years to graduation. He not only graduated second in that class, but went on to college on a scholarship. Now as a successful songwriter, he attributes his success to teachers who believed in him. Now, he’s cofounded LRNG Innovators to fund great teachers leading exciting […]
EdTalk 2017 took place on Saturday morning. This is where Broward Schools reports out to the community about its performance in the past year, where the district is headed and why. And we, the education consumers, are asked for feedback. This year’s event was at Hollywood Hills High School, rather than the Convention Center. The […]
When smart people bring their vision to life to illuminate the voices of students, parents and teachers. Ikhlas Saleem and Lane Wright launch Voices4Ed to talk about what’s really happening in our public education. This episode features Sharif El-Mekki, co-founder of The Fellowship: Black Male Educators for Social Justice Vincent Cob II at the Inaugural […]
Great story in the Tennessean from my friend Vesia Hawkins. She puts a very real face to the crisis of literacy in her home town of Tennessee, where only a THIRD of kids in 3rd-8th grade are reading proficient. I had to share this story for so many reasons: Broward has been addressing this very […]
by Talitha V. Anyabwelé, founder of the Black Girl Speaks movement, and the creator of the Raising Imhotep Consulting firm and curriculum. She advises clients in educational remedies, cultural diversity training, and conflict resolution. Apala Kapoor* was standing in the foyer. She’s a regal, statuesque woman with piercing eyes, and thick, ebony hair interlocked into […]