Originally published on Teachers’ Voice, August 18, 2017
When events like those in Charlottesville, Virginia happen, we watch the news in disbelief and despair. We scroll endlessly through our Twitter feeds — tweeting, retweeting, sharing resources, and keeping abreast of the latest developments. Maybe what you saw invoked anger, maybe sadness, maybe fear.
The question that remains is, what are you going to do about it?
Teachers need to talk with their students about race, but before you begin to explore race, bias, and identity in your classroom, you’ll need to do a bit of work to be sure you’re prepared. …
Originally published on Teachers’ Voice, August 18, 2017
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Edmund Burke
This Won’t Be Easy
Important conversations never are. But our students — and colleagues — learn as much from what we do (or don’t do) as what we say (or don’t say). The events that transpired in Charlottesville, Virginia are likely weighing heavy on your students’ hearts and minds, just as they are on yours. …
I am lost.
I guess I could sugar coat it and pretend that it’s a lesson, or that I’ll be better, stronger for it in the end. I suppose I could wax poetic about the thrill of the journey or say there is no destination at all — that I’m simply on my way to something bigger. But that wouldn’t be honest.
Although I imagine that each of these things holds within it a seed of truth, today I am just lost. …
Honoring the Anniversary of the Women’s March on Washington
My goddaughter, Dylenah, turned 11 this January. She is bright, creative, kind, energetic, sassy, and beautiful… and she has already conquered more obstacles than many people face in an entire lifetime… and it is extraordinary to watch.
She loves purple, peacocks, and pirouettes…
She sings Bob Marley in the car…
We don’t see each other enough — life gets in the way — so for Christmas and her birthday, I like to find out what she wants most and make sure she gets it.
But this year I did something different.
Instead of ordering the new, hip gadget or toy, a life-like doll, or any other glittering must-have from her expertly curated Amazon shopping list this Christmas, I thought a little more about what, exactly, an 11 year old girl needs after a year that has truly shaken us to our core. …
Why You’re Wrong On American Law… Again
Yesterday, during your morning constitutional and roughly two hours before you arrived at Trump National Golf Club for your 65th visit to a golf club (54th confirmed golfing activity)since the inauguration at a cost of approximately $72,392,178 to American taxpayers so far…
PA Lawmakers Move to Recreate a System of Inequities, Paralyze PA Public Schools, and Possibly Even Increase Your Taxes in the Process
This is long, but bear with me. . .
How do we fund Pennsylvania’s schools in a way that is fair and equitable to taxpayers, school districts, and the students they serve, and also provide all students in our Commonwealth with a 21st century, high-quality, competitive education?
Excellent question.
But PA lawmakers like Dave Argall and Mike Folmer still don’t have the answer.
Before we get into the thick of it, you should know a little bit about me for context…
A majority of states in the U.S. depend on property taxes to fund public schools. …
It’s been an extraordinarily long two weeks.
As Executive Orders, and #AlternativeFacts wiz by at a breakneck pace, I’m a bit overwhelmed. I know many of you are, too. The environment is noxious with a tense and divisive political dynamic and there is no end in sight. The anxiety is palpable.
After experiencing the Women’s March on Washington D.C., I feel more hopeful. I’m seeing people coming together to support one another and find solutions through shared values, belongingness, and community. I’m making amazing, inspiring new friends and I’m reconnecting with like-minded people who have been absent from my life for far too long. …
January 27: Mother of Exiles Mourns
January 27, 2016
To begin our second week, I add the song Brave by Sara Bareilles. (Genius Lyrics)As I scrolled through my Facebook feed this morning, there, in the middle of the outcry and outrage about Trump’s Executive Order indefinitely suspending admission of Syrian refugees into the U.S. …
January 20: The Nightmare Begins
January 20, 2017
This Friday was different than the others. When I woke I realized it would be just a few hours until Donald would take the Oath of Office and become the 45th President of the United States. The thought alone rattled me and, later, brought on a migraine of epic proportions. I needed an outlet so I turned to music to find a song to help me express the emotions I was feeling. Barry McGuire’s Eve of Destruction is where I landed. Arguably the most pivotal protest song of the 1960’s, it was “a love song and written as a prayer because, to cure an ill you need to know what is sick.” “The song takes on racism, hypocrisy and injustice at a volatile time in American history,” not unlike the time we are experiencing now. This day, for me, represented this nation teetering on the edge of destruction, and as the parallels continued to build between this song and our current reality, I wondered why so many people can’t see history repeating in the most maddening way. It’s a prayer, a plea for answers, and a most ominous warning.(Genius …
A Monday Story, Told With A Little Help From Amy Poehler.
Context:
It’s Monday. I overslept. Not by the standards of a normal human whose “must do” work schedule is largely governed by Pacific Time, but for mine.
Monday is my busy day. Monday is the day that I have to be on my game, cannot get behind, cannot lose focus. Monday I rise unnaturally early to get a jump on the week, hoping this week will be the week I figure it all out.
Monday is the day that sets the tone for my week.
Scenario:
Monday I wake to find that I have ignored the alarm again. I am groggy, but manage to shuffle through my social media feed, take a quick glance at my email, and shuffle down the hall to begin the daily ritual with my pugs, Thor and Loki. …
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