This piece was originally posted by Adeshina Emmanuel at Chalkbeat Chicago. Growing up with dyslexia, Athenia Travis had to master other ways of learning at Chicago Public Schools. Now the Golden Apple-award nominee helps many of her culinary arts pupils do the same at Southside Occupational Academy, where students with special needs prepare for life after high school “At one…
Category: Real Stories
Students Don’t Learn From Suspensions But Restorative Justice Offers Opportunity
For the last few years, Chicago Public Schools has been working hard to change its discipline policies and practices to reduce suspensions and expulsions. Instead, the district is encouraging principals and teachers to use restorative justice practices such as peace circles, conversations to restore relationships and formal letters of apology to repair harm and restore community. This shift is essential.…
Vic Mensa Is Looking Out for Our Kids Better Than the Police
Vic Mensa for the m’fn win! This weekend, he hosted the Anti-Bait Truck event in West Englewood in response to the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and Norfolk Southern’s attempt to bait people in that community into stealing gym shoes. This Sunday my foundation @savemoneysavelife is giving away THOUSANDS of shoes on a Anti-Bait Truck in Englewood on 2050 W 59th…
Racial Crossfit: Movies Edition
As I prepare myself for my seventh, yes, seventh, viewing of “Incredibles 2” with my daughter, I was inspired to have a new movie-themed racial crossfit! Lucky for you, the assignment is not to watch “Incredibles 2” seven times without going crazy. And for you high school English and social studies teachers, this is an assignment you can do right…
Your High School Freshman Can Have a Great Experience in Any School
Because of my deep experience in Chicago’s schools, friends and friends of friends sometimes call and ask me, “Is my neighborhood school a good school?” Or, “My child did not get into a selective enrollment high school. Should they go to Noble Charter?” Unfortunately, the real answer is, whether neighborhood, charter or selective enrollment, there is no perfect school. I…
3 Tips to Survive College From Someone Who Made It
Editor’s Note: This is a condensed version of Samantha Smylie’s speech to the 2018 graduating class at John Hope High School in Chicago. Hope is one of the high schools that will be closing as part of the plan to create a new high school in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. Smylie is a Hope High School graduate who earned a bachelor’s…
3rd Grader’s Chant “I Must Push Through” After 2016 Election
3rd grade teacher at Mastery Charter School (Philadelphia) Jasmyn Wright recently taught her students a motivational chant in response to the 2016 presidential election results. A diverse setting of black and brown students are seen chanting with Wright “I must push through”, call and response style. “What if you don’t know how to do it?” Wright asks. “I must push…
What to Tell Your Children About the 2016 Election
I voted. Instagramed my voting sticker. Facebooked a few inspiring posts to get my peers to participate in the election as well. I smiled so big when I picked my 9 year old son up from school and told him that I “rocked the vote!” He was upset I went without him, but I told him he can stay up…