“I haven’t been on a field trip since fifth-grade!” I overheard a high school student make this statement and my heart sank. Could that really be true? My mind went back to my own childhood days. I vividly recalled school trips to planetariums, zoos, museums, wildlife reserves, plays, and sporting events. More recently, I remember… Continue reading Bring Authenticity Back to Education
In New York City, a child is required to begin public school kindergarten the calendar year when he or she turns five years old. Whether the child’s birthday is January 1 or December 31, all born in a single calendar year are required to start elementary school that September. While that may work perfectly fine… Continue reading NYC Should Give Parents More Flexibility on Kindergarten Start-Dates
This is Part 4 of my series “Letters from John.” In Part I, I wrote, “I’m in a beautifully loving marriage to John Dukes, a man who is truly one of the greatest human beings I’ve ever had the pleasure to know. My husband is also incarcerated. During our friendship, courtship, and marriage, John and I… Continue reading Letters from John: Hiding in Plain Sight
Last week, I wrote to you about teachers being America’s overlooked co-parents. I want you to know that this is not a theory that I’ve merely postulated. It is a reality that my children and I have lived. You see, I raised my kids, Christian and Cereta, as a single mother for the majority of… Continue reading Teaching as “a Work of Heart”: I Raised My Kids as a Single Mom And Couldn’t Have Managed Without Their Teachers
