Faces of Education welcomes our newest contributor–Talitha Anyabwelé! We are excited to share her unique perspective on how education and culture are inseparably connected. Talitha V. Anyabwelé is the founder of the Black Girl Speaks movement, and the creator of the Raising Imhotep curriculum and Consulting firm where she advises clients in educational remedies, cultural diversity […]
Our Sons Rarely See Faces Like Theirs Leading The Classroom
Men have always been rare in the classroom. Let’s face it, teaching is a female dominated field. But that’s changing because of educators like Shamar Knight. Only 2 percent of educators in the United States are Black men. That means that millions of Americans have never had a Black male teacher. That includes teachers, counselors, […]
Florida Pledges To Track All Kids In Bottom 25%; Not Everyone Agrees.
I kinda love the idea that Florida says “Yea, we are going to track the progress of students of color, students with disabilities and those from low income households. But that’s not all… We wanted to track ANY kid in the bottom 25%.” Thanks for bringing that to light in your latest piece in the […]
She Was A Racist Teacher And She Didn’t Even Know It
This teacher, and educational leader, bravely shares her journey toward humanity. She’s calling out her own fears, the hard road of learning to be an anti-racist and recognizing her white privilege. I see with new eyes the huge advantage I’ve been given by being born White, how it has opened doors for me, but I […]
“Let’s Be Clear: ‘Brown v. Board’ Was About School Choice As A Civil Rights Issue”
Not being born in this country makes me even more curious about why things came to be the way they are. Lack of teachers of color in the classroom, higher suspension rates for brown students (even in preschool), and…why the NAACP’s call for a moratorium on charter schools smells reeeal fishy. Matt Halvorson and I are both […]
Equal Opportunity Accountability At Bonita Springs Elementary
I found a Unicorn. It lives and breathes in a little-known city on the west coast of Florida called Bonita Springs. Actually it’s a school that’s done a literal 180 in terms of the academic performance of its kids. It turned from a school that had fallen to a “D” rating until suddenly, it didn’t. In 2015 […]
Broward Schools SmartPhone App: Most Of What We Want, Some Of We Need
Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) launched a new app last year. I downloaded it immediately. School information in the palm of my hand? Yes please! Knowing how my kids did and how schools are doing is important to me… and to all parents. And though no one source can really paint the full educational picture, this app […]
Thank God High Achievement Is Free; The Kids At Hilltop Can Afford A Double Dose.
“Mom went to work the 3am shift and thought her boys had gone to school,” Principal Sheryl Mosley tells me. “One of the brothers showed, the other didn’t. I always check up on them because of her work schedule. The third-grade brother said he thought his brother was behind him on his way to school, […]
Yeah, I’m Calling Out One-Sided Reactions on Top 10 High School Rankings Today!
I’m so mad I could spit nails. Today US News and World Report released the 2017 Ranking on Top Public High Schools. And all of a sudden every one is all aglow about charters dominating the list. Listen, I’m all for charter schools. I’m all for ANY quality school that meets my child’s needs and believes they can […]
Florida’s Vanishing Students and the Graduation Rate Scam
Last Wednesday, the Florida commissioner of education announced a statewide investigation. Some schools are allegedly manipulating their graduation rates by pushing struggling students, many in their senior year, to switch to alternative schools so they don’t drag down the school’s graduation statistics. If you don’t know, alternative schools exist to help students with behavioral issues, […]