Our guest today is Whitney Q. Hollins. She is a special educator in the NYC DOE, a Research Assistant at We Got Us Now and a doctoral student at C.U.N.Y. Graduate Center. Whitney and I do advocacy work together and what struck me most about her when we first met was her sharp mind. She’s… Continue reading What Should Teachers Know About How Mass Incarceration Intersects With The Classroom?
This is a guest blog from my husband, John Dukes. You’ve read his writing before in an ongoing series here at NYST entitled “Letters from John.” Throughout the series, John speaks poignantly, passionately, and truthfully about his journey along the school-to-prison pipeline. John is currently incarcerated and is enrolled in Mercy College. He had an assignment… Continue reading Letters from John: My Educational Autobiography
“I’m having a hard time getting through this because of the language. The constant referral to incarcerated individuals as inmates speaks to the inhumane vantage point from which they are viewed by society. Imagine if we all were forever referred to by the result of our worst decision in life?” This was my response to… Continue reading How Deeply Do You Think About Language?
On March 22, 2018, I met and interviewed Makaila King, the young lady who encouraged our school to get involved in the National Walkout that took place last week, which I also participated in. I wanted to get to know Makaila better and to find out what drove her to take charge and organize the… Continue reading An Interview With Queens School Community Walkout Organizer Mikaila King
Last week, the nation watched as students from across the United States walked out of their school buildings and took their voices to loudspeakers and microphones as they spoke their truth about the negative ways gun violence in our schools affects them. My building principal recognized early on that students were going to participate in… Continue reading African-American Pedagogical Experts Are What This Surge Of Student Social Activists Needs!
Six years ago my mentor, Mercedes Muller, informed me about a local NYC book drive that gives away books to teachers who work in Title One schools that serve many low-income students. Every year since then, I have greatly benefited from the books I receive. Working in schools in communities that struggle economically has made… Continue reading In 2018, Books With Diverse Characters Still Few And Far Between At Local New York City Book Drive
I must say, I’m very grateful for the pre-service training that I received as a student preparing to be a teacher and in the early years of my career when I was a substitute and leave replacement teacher. My professors, cooperating teachers, and the department chairs that supervised me all embedded and modeled for me… Continue reading Educators and Professional Development: Quality Versus Quantity
On the heels of the end of Black History Month in February, we begin Women’s History Month in March. I guess as a Black woman this is my prime time of year, huh? Not. The best time of year to learn about the contributions that Black people and women have made to American History is… Continue reading It’s Time That The White Men NYC Students Have Been Forever Learning About Move to the Rear of the Curriculum
I’m so scared for my Black students. I can’t speak about any other demographic. I work with Black students every day and I am so scared about what I see. More and more they seem less and less interested in academic endeavors. We talk so much about having more technology in the classroom but today… Continue reading I’m So Scared For My Black Students
Last week there was a horrible shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. There are many important and hard conversations happening in our country about how to keep our children safe. Trump’s idea is to give guns to teachers. All the teachers I’ve spoken to and read about aren’t having it. America’s… Continue reading Thanks But No Thanks, I’m Not Carrying a Gun!
