Month: December 2016

Christmas Just Ain’t Christmas Without Great Schools

It happens to me every year. December rolls around and everyone begins to hang out the holly…it’s Christmas. But, in the midst of all the cheer, I find myself working on organizing a school fair or reading a story like the one in the Chicago Sun-Times recently about parents desperately searching for a high-quality school environment for their children and…

What…You Teach Your Kids At Home?

Since as early as I can remember, I have been passionate about educating children. I thoroughly enjoyed my years as a classroom teacher (both public & private), working at seasonal camps or simply babysitting. I confidently believe that children are unlimited beings with outrageous potential in almost any area, so I take great joy in facilitating learning and stirring their…

It’s the Most Stressful Time of the Year If You’re Applying to CPS Schools

The Chicago education system is becoming a system of choice (even though the quality of options available to poor Black and Brown families is still too limited).  But, with so much choice, it can be kind of stressful for families as they try to wade through it all.  The Chicago Sun-Times recently highlighted what some families go through at this…

What Does Trump Pick Mean for Educational Opportunity?

For more than seven years I have worked in education reform. The number of times friends, classmates, professors, and community members have asked me how I sleep at night are many. I started in this work because despite everything I know about privatization and its impact on low-income communities, I understood that the reform movement was giving an answer to…