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If We’re Under-Reporting School Suspensions, That May Be the Perfect Antidote.

School suspensions are a part of the childhood experience for some students. That’s nothing new. Much has been written about the overabundance of Black and Brown students — especially male students — who are funneled through this early entry point of the school-to-prison-pipeline. However, it appears that the tides are changing and, according to the… Continue reading If We’re Under-Reporting School Suspensions, That May Be the Perfect Antidote.

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“I’ve Been Hard to Manage But You’ve Taught Me So Much.” A Teacher Considers Her Impact.

Teachers, our students need us. Let me make that statement more personal: My students need and appreciate me. How do I know? They told me so in birthday cards that they wrote for me last Friday. For the first time in my career, I had a student with the same birthday as me (June 7th)… Continue reading “I’ve Been Hard to Manage But You’ve Taught Me So Much.” A Teacher Considers Her Impact.

Blog · Educational Equity

How Does This Harlem Teacher Help His Black and Brown Students Navigate Life “Outside the Bubble?”

One of the most difficult challenges we face as educators is preparing our students for life after they leave “the bubble”. What I mean by “the bubble” is the exclusive Black and Brown world my students currently inhabit and navigate. They are almost exclusively Black, Latino, or Muslim. In school, most, but not all, of… Continue reading How Does This Harlem Teacher Help His Black and Brown Students Navigate Life “Outside the Bubble?”

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This NYC Student Takes Offense at A Teacher’s Cavalier Abandonment of “Disruptive” Children.

This is a guest post by Gregory Wickham, a student at Stuyvesant High School. Gregory is a 2013 2nd place winner of the Michael Perelstein Memorial Scholarship Discover Your Passion Competition, and a quarter-finalist in the 2014 Young Rewired State Festival of Code. You can find his website at  gregorywickham.com.   A certain woman wrote an article detailing some of… Continue reading This NYC Student Takes Offense at A Teacher’s Cavalier Abandonment of “Disruptive” Children.

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Will Eliminating School Discipline Policies Be a “Disaster” For Kids?

I know it may not always seem that way, but I try very hard not to offer opinions on subjects I know little about. My posts about Gifted & Talented, Accelerated High Schools, age cut-offs, the SHSAT, and diverse schools come from a combination of research, personal experience, and the varied experiences of the families… Continue reading Will Eliminating School Discipline Policies Be a “Disaster” For Kids?

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I Witnessed My Mother Endure Blatant Disrespect At The Hands Of Her Students Today

I have been reflecting about the ways students treat their teachers and their school facilities. As a teacher, I’ve always had excellent classroom management. That comes from being a no-nonsense mom long before I became a teacher. Kids are like dogs — they smell fear. They know who to mess with and with whom to… Continue reading I Witnessed My Mother Endure Blatant Disrespect At The Hands Of Her Students Today

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When My Kids Cry out, “Yo, Mister! Connect the dots!” I Know I’m Doing My Job

(Glenn Mason is a former CPA who spent over 25 years in a variety of roles in corporate America. He is presently a New York City public high school teacher. This is in his twelfth academic year in his newfound career and his second guest post with New York School Talk. Glenn’s first post is… Continue reading When My Kids Cry out, “Yo, Mister! Connect the dots!” I Know I’m Doing My Job

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Black Children Are Not Allowed To Be Children

Black children are not allowed to be children. They are perceived by mainstream America, from out of the womb, as being armed, dangerous, and suspicious. They are constantly scrutinized, chastised, and over-managed. How many Black parents have had to sit their young Black child down and explain to them how to conduct themselves in public,… Continue reading Black Children Are Not Allowed To Be Children

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Why Do Our Schools Look Like Prisons? What Is This Doing To Our Students?

I was walking into work today and a colleague of mine began exchanging small talk. She knows that my husband John is incarcerated and was kind enough to ask me how he was doing. I told her that, all things considered, he’s doing really well and that I was excited to see and spend time… Continue reading Why Do Our Schools Look Like Prisons? What Is This Doing To Our Students?

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My Students Told Me That My Classroom “Lacked Soul.” Here’s What I Did

How a teacher who arrived a week before school began started making genuine connections with her kids. The office supply store Staples was my virtual shopping buddy during my first year of teaching. I had arrived in New York City in 2004,  a week before the school year began, to teach 8th grade English Language… Continue reading My Students Told Me That My Classroom “Lacked Soul.” Here’s What I Did