The fear in the town of Morristown, Tennessee, was palpable. A day after immigration agents raided a meatpacking plant there a few weeks ago, more than 500 young people stayed home from school. For many, they thought they would be safer at home than in school.
Veteran principal Rodney Moore had an important decision to make. After hearing that English language learners were feeling marginalized and unwelcome, he wondered if he should dedicate a staff meeting to discussing their experiences; provide cultural proficiency training to the entire staff; or reach out to parents for help.
Read full articleBecoming the superintendent of Saint Paul Public Schools several years ago put me on a racial equity journey that forever changed who I am as an educational leader.
Read full articleIt’s Black History Month. 28 short days. We also need to celebrate Groundhog’s Day, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day and Ash Wednesday. It’s a set-up. It’s not possible for anyone to learn the long, painful, complicated, beautiful, resilient and magical history of being Black in the United States in 28 days.
Read full articleIntentionality. Without it, you’ll never make sure every child has access to the resources they need to learn and grow. It is what drives my position as Executive Director of Equity and Access for the Newburgh Enlarged City School District in New York State.
Read full articleIt doesn’t matter where your school is in this country, we can guarantee you that inequities exist. Take a look at your data and classroom practices – are there an equitable number of children of color in your honors and AP classes, do they have access to your best teachers? Who has been identified for special education?
Read full articleAt the The Leadership Academy, we continuously seek to improve our work by learning from the experiences and insights of others. #EquityReads 2017 offers a list of some of the books, articles, speeches, and films about racial equity that our staff members found compelling and useful in our work in 2017.
Read full articleOn September 3, 1985, all that I believed about myself as a learner was shattered. It was my first day as a student at Bernard M. Baruch College. ...
Read full articleWe recently shared the work that Principal Doris Lee of Village Academy in Queens has been doing with her staff to improve their relationships with ...
Read full articleMy first year as a principal in Cambridge, MA, I kept a pair of running shoes under my desk. While I was known for the ...
Read full articleIt’s the million-dollar question: What can principals do in their schools to make sure all students, regardless of race, culture, background, are given opportunities to ...
Read full articleI recently had the pleasure to spend a morning at the Bronx Little School, an elementary school in my hometown of the Bronx, where I ...
Read full articleI didn’t know I was supposed to be a failure until I was in college, and at that point it was too late for them ...
Read full articleYou need to find in your heart that small spark of accountability. What is there that I can do to make the world a better ...
Read full article“We live in an age in which silence is not only criminal but suicidal… for if they take you in the morning, they will be ...
Read full articleOver the last few weeks in Lexington, South Carolina, NYC Leadership Academy facilitators have been working with district staff and aspiring principals to talk about ...
Read full articleAnyone who works in education knows that great principals can have a significant impact on their students. Yet, in Washington right now, school leadership preparation ...
Read full articleThe end of the school year is quickly approaching, and for those who support school leaders, it's time to figure out what kind of professional ...
Read full articleTough questions come up every day in education: What do I need to do as a principal to compel my teachers to stick around for ...
Read full article"It’s okay to be uncomfortable, it’s okay to take risks. You have the power to do something about the injustice you see." I recently heard ...
Read full articleA fellow principal once called me “brave” for accepting the call to lead a school in East San Jose, California. Not because of the academic ...
Read full articleNo child deserves to be seen as a statistic, to be known simply for the color of her skin or her country of origin. At ...
Read full articleFrom the presidential debate podiums to city streets across America, 2016 was a year of heated discussion and protest about race and culture and the ...
Read full articleMy work in school leadership is personal. When I moved to the U.S. from Ghana at age 10, I came with messaging from my family ...
Read full articleDistrict leaders, how are you ensuring that low expectations for student outcomes are not plaguing the school system and the stakeholders you are charged with ...
Read full articleI was presenting at a conference on NYCLA’s recent work around equity when, part way through my presentation, a woman raised her hand and said, ...
Read full articleYour school leaders need to hear your voice. The results of our presidential election have created tension in communities across the country. There are likely ...
Read full articleThe events this year in Baltimore, New York City and Ferguson have strengthened my firm belief that schools are one of the most important places ...
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