Student Discipline

Educational Bias and Bigotry Are Flourishing Under the Leadership of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos
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Educational Bias and Bigotry Are Flourishing Under the Leadership of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos

Vivett DukesLeave a comment

Writing is helping me make deeper connections among various topics. Follow me right now, if you will.   I’m beginning to see how the school-to-prison pipeline continues to flourish because of a lack of culturally relevant pedagogy. Culturally-relevant pedagogy is lacking because of a void of Black teachers, especially Black, male teachers. One reason there… Continue reading Educational Bias and Bigotry Are Flourishing Under the Leadership of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos

Parents: Hold Up Your End of the Bargain!
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Parents: Hold Up Your End of the Bargain!

Vivett DukesLeave a comment

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat at parent-teacher conferences over the years and heard parents of children who are not working up to their potential in my class say, “I don’t understand…I ask him if he has homework and he tells me no or that he did it already.” Really, mom? Really,… Continue reading Parents: Hold Up Your End of the Bargain!

Is it MY fault that I Hold My Students to High Standards?
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Is it MY fault that I Hold My Students to High Standards?

Vivett Dukes1 Comment

Today I was asked why so many of my students, previously “rock stars” in English class with grades of 90% and above, now have much lower averages.  Correction:  the question wasn’t even posed to me. It was asked of one of my colleagues after some of my students and their parents complained about the lower… Continue reading Is it MY fault that I Hold My Students to High Standards?

The Second Best Charter School in NYC and the Perils of “Accountability”
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The Second Best Charter School in NYC and the Perils of “Accountability”

Dirk TillotsonLeave a comment

I worked with one of the top scoring charter schools in New York City.  It was also one of the worst schools in the City.  This school is a cautionary tale for the unceasing push towards simplistic accountability formulas and how schools can manipulate the numbers while not really delivering the goods. The school had… Continue reading The Second Best Charter School in NYC and the Perils of “Accountability”

This Is What Mrs. D Taught Me About Building Relationships With Students
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This Is What Mrs. D Taught Me About Building Relationships With Students

Ingrid Lafalaise1 Comment

Thinking back on my first few years as a teacher, I don’t think I was as good as I thought as I was.  Sure, I was prepared and didn’t have issues with my administrators but, given what I know now, I made a mistake by not prioritizing relationships with kids. Everyday I would come to… Continue reading This Is What Mrs. D Taught Me About Building Relationships With Students

New York Schools and Prisons Are In Dire Need of Support Staff
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New York Schools and Prisons Are In Dire Need of Support Staff

Vivett DukesLeave a comment

In one of my recent blog posts from our “Letters from John” series, my husband, who is incarcerated, mentioned that he recognizes more and more that inmates have an increased need to be heard. It’s like they are fighting against the invisibility of self that is taking place between them and their community. Many require… Continue reading New York Schools and Prisons Are In Dire Need of Support Staff

Letters from John: A Prison Education After a High School of Hard Knocks
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Letters from John: A Prison Education After a High School of Hard Knocks

Vivett DukesLeave a comment

This is Part 7 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: A Prison Education After a High School of Hard Knocks

Letters from John: My Senior Year
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Letters from John: My Senior Year

Vivett DukesLeave a comment

This is Part 5 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: My Senior Year

“Dear Vivett, What’s Wrong with Me?” Letters from John on the School-to-Prison Pipeline
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“Dear Vivett, What’s Wrong with Me?” Letters from John on the School-to-Prison Pipeline

Vivett Dukes1 Comment

[In Part I of this weekly series, “Letters from John,” 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 have spent… Continue reading “Dear Vivett, What’s Wrong with Me?” Letters from John on the School-to-Prison Pipeline

“We are America’s Overlooked Co-Parents”: On Student-Teacher Relationships
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“We are America’s Overlooked Co-Parents”: On Student-Teacher Relationships

Vivett DukesLeave a comment

 The world we live in is increasingly becoming more sad, frustrating, and downright scary.  Our students long for an identity and need an environment where they can figure out who they are and what they’re about, but that can’t happen without our love, direction, and guidance. As teachers, we must be sincere and authentic in… Continue reading “We are America’s Overlooked Co-Parents”: On Student-Teacher Relationships