Jan 22Teacher Exchange Rate: When the price is too highIf you made a successful transition from the classroom, my hats off to you. For those of us still (barely) holding on, my hats off to you too. I know I am not alone in thinking about what I sacrificed, or exchanged, to become better at my craft, pre-pandemic…right? Bathroom…Pandemic Teaching3 min read
Jun 6, 2021On My Way To VeracruzOn My Way To Veracruz Leaving, again. Sitting on the tarmac, waiting to take-off to someplace new. Miles from Atlanta, with only high school level Spanish...I can't help but wonder: What the hell am I doing? Is this my delayed midlife crisis? I have a kid in college and a…Special Education1 min read
Feb 3, 2021Beyond Devices and Hotspots: We are still falling short one year into pandemic teachingMarch 13, 2020 is a day that I will always remember. Our state and school district leaders waited until the very last minute to announce school closures due to early spread of Covid-19. Districts around the country were caught with their pants down, metaphorically speaking. Many teachers grabbed what they…Equity3 min read
Nov 22, 2020The Real K-12 Blueprint: They wear us down so we are too tired to dismantle the systemToday is Sunday. I am free to sit at my computer and write. There is no pressure to complete lesson plans. Scratch that: There is less pressure to complete lesson plans today. Our district has the entire upcoming week off for Thanksgiving. The thought of lesson plans still looms in…Virtual Teaching2 min read
Sep 26, 2020The Breaking of a TeacherWe had no idea what to expect in March. Would we be out of school for a few weeks? A few months? No one (rightfully) anticipated that millions of students and teachers would end the school year virtually. I still remember the first week of ‘virtual learning’ (I still have…Special Education Teacher3 min read
Sep 3, 2018The Burden of Being a Teacher With CharacterThe Burden of Being a Teacher With Character “Character is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that’s right is to get by, and the only thing that’s wrong is to get caught.” J.C. Watts Another school year is…School Culture3 min read
Aug 19, 2018Am I Missing a ‘Mom Gene’?Am I Missing a ‘Mom Gene’? I am the mother of three children, ages 23, 17, and 14. My oldest, a boy, packed his bags and left Georgia to return to Indiana aftee he turned 18. He didn’t like living here. Lol. I have my days, too. The middle child…Parenting2 min read
Jul 9, 2018#SanctimoniousSarah and the inherent dangers of racist dog-whistles in public education#SanctimoniousSarah and the inherent dangers of racist dog-whistles in public education “Our students’ lives include single mothers, numerous siblings, incarcerated fathers, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, custody battles, and a rotating cast of stepfathers.” Sarah Mindlin in The Federalist I’d be lying if I said my initial reaction to…Education2 min read
Jun 23, 2018Black Boys and Dyslexia: The harmful effects of late or non-diagnosisA few days ago, I read the story about the Hilaire family out of Roxbury, MA. They have two sons who travel more than 100 miles a day, round-trip, to their school. Both sons have been diagnosed with Dyslexia, a disorder that involves difficulty with reading or interpreting words, letters…Education3 min read
Jun 6, 2018How the ‘opportunity gap’ creates obstacles for teachersA few years ago, @DrVEvansWinters created #BlackEDU on Twitter as a forum for Black teachers (and those who teach Black students) to discuss issues that directly impact our most vulnerable student population. One of the most important conversations held was the re-framing of the ‘achievement gap’ discussion. Many eduformers were…Opportunity Gap3 min read
