Chalkbeat

At NYC’s first all-virtual high school, this award-winning teacher knows it’s not ‘one-size-fits-all’

2026-07-22T21:12:30+00:00

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Chemistry and earth science teacher Jude Julien helped launch New York City’s fully virtual high school four years ago, after more than two decades teaching in brick-and-mortar classrooms.

Julien was already comfortable with online learning before schools went remote during the pandemic. Besides teaching high school, he was an adjunct professor for the City University of New York, primarily for their virtual classes. So when the city’s Education Department tapped his principal at the Bronx High School for Writing and Communication Arts in 2022 to lead one of two new virtual high schools, Julien joined the effort.

The Virtual Innovators Academy (formerly known as A School Without Walls Virtual) is the city’s only all-virtual high school, and served more than 320 students last school year. (The city also opened a hybrid high school called A School Without Walls.)

“Every student brings different strengths, experiences, and obstacles into the classroom,” Julien said. “Whether I’m teaching in a traditional classroom, a virtual school, or mentoring other educators, my goal is the same: to help students see possibilities for themselves that they may not yet see and to give them the knowledge and confidence to pursue them.”

From his own experience, as the son of Haitian immigrants growing up in Brooklyn, attending public schools, and eventually studying chemical engineering at Columbia University before getting his Ph.D at Teacher College in science education, Julien believes that “learning isn’t one-size-fits-all.” His efforts to expand equitable access to STEM to diverse learners have won him much recognition: He has a Sloan Award for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics, was a Big Apple Award semi-finalist, and this year won Math for America’s prestigious Muller Award for Professional Influence in Education, which comes with $20,000 in prize money along with $5,000 to Julien’s school.

At the Virtual Innovators Academy, he enjoys watching his students grow from hesitant participants to confident learners engaging in scientific discussions.

“Those moments remind me that powerful teaching is less about the setting and more about creating opportunities for students to think deeply, collaborate, and recognize that their voices and ideas can make a difference,” Julien said.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I decided to teach about a year after I graduated from college. I studied chemical engineering but I wasn’t exactly sure if I wanted to work in that field or if I should go to graduate school so my plan was to teach for a few years until I figured it out. I entered education through Teach for America and started teaching middle school math and science in the South Bronx.

I instantly enjoyed it and my experience and decided to continue teaching. I then started to work towards my Masters in Education and the rest has been history so to speak.

Tell us more about the Virtual Innovators Academy. What are some of the ways teaching there is different from your previous experience?

It serves students from all five boroughs whose needs and circumstances make a traditional setting a poor fit. Many of our students face social and personal challenges, so our work extends beyond delivering content. Some of our students have physical disabilities which make it difficult to access a physical site. Some students have underlying health conditions so the virtual option allows for more access. Some of our students have social and emotional challenges so they struggled in the larger school setting. Some of our students were initially homeschooled, and families wanted to access a more structured environment to deliver the content. Some of our students work and are caretakers, so the virtual option provides more flexibility. Some of our students simply preferred the virtual option and are comfortable learning online.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

One of my favorite lessons to teach is our project-based learning unit on climate change. Rather than simply learning about the science behind climate change, students investigate its causes and impacts and then work collaboratively to develop realistic, evidence-based solutions to a problem they identify. At the end of the unit, they present their proposals to the class, explaining the science behind their ideas and defending their recommendations with data.

What makes this project especially rewarding is that we do it entirely in a virtual environment. Students collaborate using shared digital workspaces, conduct research online, create multimedia presentations, and present their solutions live to their classmates. It demonstrates that meaningful, hands-on learning doesn’t require students to be in the same physical classroom. In fact, the technology often allows students to be even more creative in how they communicate their ideas.

I love this lesson because it transforms students from passive recipients of information into active problem-solvers. They see that science isn’t just about memorizing facts, it’s about using evidence, critical thinking, and creativity to address real-world challenges. The virtual format also helps students build important skills they’ll need beyond high school, including digital collaboration, communication, and presenting ideas in an online setting.

You’ve worked with incarcerated youth in the past? Do you still do that?

Yes. I volunteer as a math tutor with the Petey Greene Program, which partners with educational programs in correctional facilities and community organizations to expand educational opportunities for justice-impacted individuals.

Before the pandemic, I tutored at the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center in the Bronx, working with incarcerated men to strengthen their math skills and support their educational goals. When the pandemic changed how programs operated, my tutoring transitioned to a virtual format, where I worked with formerly incarcerated and justice-involved youth in the community.

That experience reinforced my belief that education can be a powerful pathway to opportunity and transformation. Regardless of a person’s background or circumstances, every student deserves access to high-quality instruction, encouragement, and someone who believes in their potential.

You’ve also long mentored other teachers. Why is that important to you?

I’ve been fortunate to have incredible mentors throughout my career. They challenged me, encouraged me, shared their expertise, and helped me become a better educator. I’ve always felt a responsibility to pay that forward.

Mentoring is also important because it ultimately benefits students. When teachers collaborate, share ideas, and learn from one another, everyone grows. Whether I’m working with new teachers, experienced colleagues, or fellow science educators through organizations like Math for America and the New York State Master Teacher Program, I enjoy helping others refine their practice while continuing to learn from them as well. Mentoring isn’t just about giving advice, it’s about building a professional community where we all become better educators together.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I attended New York City public schools, and they opened doors that changed the course of my life. As the son of Haitian immigrants growing up in Brooklyn, education represented opportunity. I was fortunate to have teachers who believed in me, challenged me, and encouraged me to pursue goals that sometimes felt beyond my reach. Their influence ultimately led me to study chemical engineering at Columbia University before finding my true calling in education.

Those experiences shape my work every day. I never assume that a student’s current circumstances define their potential. I’ve seen firsthand how a caring teacher, high expectations, and meaningful opportunities can change a young person’s trajectory. That’s why I strive to create a classroom where students feel supported, challenged, and capable of succeeding.

And finally, how do you plan to use the prize money from the Muller Award?

I’m planning to be practical with it. I’ll save a significant portion, pay down some bills, and invest in my financial future. At the same time, I also want to enjoy it a little. I love to travel, so I’d like to use part of the award to take a memorable trip, and maybe treat myself to a few things I normally wouldn’t.

Amy Zimmer is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat New York. Contact Amy at azimmer@chalkbeat.org.

A trip to Scotland with 75 teenagers: This Colorado theater teacher wants to make memories

2026-07-20T19:16:41+00:00

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In August, theater teacher Shawn Hann will accompany 75 Denver high school students to a massive theater festival in Scotland called the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. When they’re not putting on the musical Legally Blonde, Jr, they’ll be soaking in performances from around the world.

“I truly believe in curating experiences and life memories,” she said. “The Fringe is exactly that.”

Hann, who teaches sixth- through 12th-graders at the prestigious Denver School of the Arts, said the trip is such a big deal that students and their families start saving up four years in advance and school fundraisers start two years ahead.

Hann was recently named the 2026 Stephen Schwartz Musical Theatre Teacher of the Year by the Educational Theatre Foundation and the ASCAP Foundation, which promotes music education. The award is named for the Broadway veteran who wrote the music and lyrics for Wicked, Godspell, and Pippin, among others.

Hann talked to Chalkbeat about what she looks for when students audition for a spot at Denver School of the Arts, why she teaches the physical acting method of Polish theater director Jerzy Grotowski, and how a student’s devoted mother inspired her.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

I remember the exact moment. I was finishing my freshman year at Cottey College, a small two-year women’s school in Missouri. I was looking at the University of Northern Iowa’s course book as I was deciding to transfer. I was thinking about all the general education courses I had taken that year: Which ones were easy, what did I enjoy? Theatre, speech, psychology. I flipped through that course book and landed on the Theatre/Communication Education major. I wanted to take every single course that was listed.

Tell us about a favorite lesson to teach.

Several years ago, I got to participate in a two-week course in New York City about the physical theatre methods of Jerzy Grotowski. Most high school acting approaches are based in the Stanislavski tradition of method acting, where students analyze the intellectual side of a character. You leave your own problems and desires outside the rehearsal room and immerse yourself mentally in the character’s life.

Not many high school students get to learn about Grotowski’s methods, but I teach a unit on them to my upperclassmen. I love how it makes students who approach theatre intellectually all of a sudden flip to approaching a character physically. The question we ask is, “What is your already?” Then, through a series of physical exercises, which remind many people of yoga, students explore where in their bodies certain emotions live. They are given permission to play like children, unjudged and uninhibited, to find true emotions in their own lives and then transfer those feelings into a character’s world.

When students audition for a spot at Denver School of the Arts, what do you look for?

Potential and positivity. We have students who audition who have Broadway credits, and we have students who have only done a historical “play” in fifth grade. I want to see a spark in a student who wants to learn as much as they can. I will always prefer a student who works hard and tries versus someone who feels they already know it all. And kindness. Kindness above all else.

You’ve brought students to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe several times. Tell us about it.

The Fringe festival is such a large undertaking I only do it once every four years so that all the students in the seven-year program get a shot at going during high school.

This summer, I am taking 65 acting majors and 10 stagecraft/design majors. We’ll be part of the American High School Theatre Festival alongside 30 other U.S. schools that were selected to participate.

The Fringe is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Students get to go to as many shows as they possibly can over two weeks and see world theatre: a dance show from Poland, a physical theatre troupe from France, comedy from Italy. British humor, Scottish humor, and food. They see how the United States is viewed internationally as well. This summer we have two alumni who traveled there with me in 2008, returning with their own original shows.

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective or approach.

In my second year of teaching, I had a student who was somewhat shy. Her mom was the No. 1 volunteer and adamant about her daughter being in plays. Not being the star, just being a part of them.

As time went on I realized why: Her child had a health condition where she was only supposed to live to 14 and had to survive by plugging into an IV every night for nutrition. The mom was trying to build extraordinary memories as fast as she could since the clock was ticking.

I changed my approach by trying to truly know my students, their circumstances, and their families so I could help curate life memories no matter what. The way my student’s mom showed up for her daughter was beyond inspiring. She became a lifelong friend until she unexpectedly passed a year ago. Her daughter is now in her mid-40’s. I credit her mother for teaching her how to survive and manage so well.

What is a common misconception about your job as an educator?

That we get the summers off. I revise my curriculum for weeks every summer. I also take my students to a national theatre conference for a week. This summer, I took two weeks in June to direct the show that we are taking to the Fringe Festival, then will spend three days getting the show ready in July before taking 75 students to Scotland for two weeks in August. That is also unpaid. In fact, it will cost me money as I will spend my own money to go to shows with students as a chaperone. It is MY choice to do these trips, but it is because I believe in how it will shape my students’ lives.

What are you reading for enjoyment?

I live 40 miles from my school; that equates to about two and a half hours a day commuting. So I listen to books on tape or TV shows in the car. I just finished re-”listening” to West Wing. So great.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

This Decatur Central teacher’s marketing class helped launch rebranded district logos

2026-07-02T16:53:51+00:00

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When the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township unveiled its rebranded logos last school year, it turned to an in-house marketing firm: Jessica Sandvold’s Strategic Marketing and Digital Marketing classes at Decatur Central High School.

Sandvold designed a curriculum in which students treated the district as a marketing client. She said the project pushed students to think about “what would resonate with a broader audience, which is a critical mindset in marketing.”

While students learned marketing strategy and practiced collaboration, Sandvold said the project also gave her a new perspective on structuring assignments and teaching concepts to students new to marketing.

Sandvold became a teacher four years ago after encouragement from a mentor. Now, she hopes to inspire her own students by helping them discover potential career paths.

“I get to help them explore who they are, what they’re interested in, and how that can translate into a career,” she said. “That sense of purpose, helping students see a path forward, is what drives me every day.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I didn’t originally set out to become a teacher. I started at Decatur Central as an administrative assistant to Christine Mullis, who also leads the EDGE Academy small learning community. My daughter had just graduated in 2022, and at the time I was returning to the workforce after staying home with my three young children. Initially, I was looking for a role that aligned with my family’s schedule and allowed me to explore a new career path.

A few months into the job, a business teaching position opened. I was honestly unsure if I could do it, but Christine saw something in me before I fully saw it in myself. Her mentorship and belief in me played a huge role in my decision to take that step and in the teacher I’ve become.

I chose to teach marketing because it’s where my background and passion align. I have a bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in marketing, along with master’s degrees in Public Administration and Marketing Project Management. More importantly, though, I’ve always been someone who connects well with people. Building relationships is one of my strengths, and that’s at the core of how I approach teaching.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

One of my favorite lessons to teach is our semester-long small business project, where students develop their own realistic business from the ground up. Entrepreneurship is something many of my students are genuinely interested in, so this project gives them a chance to turn that interest into something tangible and meaningful.

Throughout the semester, students take on the role of business owners. They create a brand identity with a logo and slogan, decide what products or services they want to offer, define their target audience, and think through how they would actually market and operate their business.

It’s not just a creative exercise; it pushes them to think critically, make decisions, and problem-solve in ways that mirror the real world.

What I love most is seeing students take ownership of their ideas. They start to realize that building a business takes more than just a good idea. It requires planning, adaptability, and persistence.

How did you approach working with the students on the district rebranding?

We began working on a district logo launch video, and then expanded into developing concepts for how each school’s new logo could be introduced. I used my prior experience with marketing and rebranding to build out a structured process for students, essentially turning a real-world brand launch into a guided curriculum.

Students worked through planning, content creation, and editing while collaborating in teams. They also took on leadership roles, presented their ideas, and operated under real-world expectations, meeting deadlines, following guidelines, and even signing confidentiality agreements. We treated it like a true client-based project, which elevated both the level of professionalism and student investment.

How did you make the project a real-world work experience for students?

Students approached the district rebranding as if they were working for a real marketing client. Over several months, they collaborated in teams to plan, create, and refine content that would introduce the new district and school logos in a way that felt engaging and authentic to our community.

Their work included brainstorming campaign concepts, identifying target audiences, scripting and storyboarding videos, filming and editing content, and presenting their final ideas. Throughout the process, they had to think critically about messaging, audience perception, and how to build excitement around a brand, skills that directly mirror what professionals in the marketing field do.

The experience was intentionally designed to feel as close to real life as possible. Students worked under deadlines, followed project guidelines, signed confidentiality agreements, and treated each phase of the project with a high level of professionalism. They also participated in group collaboration and took on leadership roles, which added another layer of accountability.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received is that teaching is like “building the plane while you’re flying it.” At the time, I didn’t fully realize it was advice, but it has become something I rely on every day.

That mindset has been incredibly important because teaching requires constant flexibility. You’re navigating new students, evolving expectations, and shifting systems, all while trying to make content meaningful and engaging. There isn’t a perfect moment where everything is fully “built”... you have to keep moving forward anyway.

I’ve learned to give myself grace in that process. Some days don’t go as planned, and that’s part of the job. What matters is staying adaptable and continuing to show up for students.

I also bring that mindset into my classroom. I talk to my students about handling uncertainty and making the best decisions with what they have in front of them. They’re going to face similar situations in their future careers, where things aren’t perfect or fully figured out. The goal isn’t perfection … it’s learning how to adjust, problem-solve, and keep going.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

I try to be intentional about self-care whenever I can, whether that’s something small like getting my nails done or trying out a new recipe in the kitchen. I also have three daughters at home, and being their mom is one of the biggest ways I recharge. Spending time with them fills my cup in a way nothing else can.

Over time, I’ve learned that you can’t pour from an empty cup. I used to feel guilty taking time for myself, but I’ve realized it’s not optional … it’s necessary. When I take care of myself, I’m able to show up better for my students and my family.

I also enjoy traveling and spending time with friends and family. Those moments help me reset and come back to work with more energy and perspective.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

This Brooklyn teacher connects chemistry to the real world — and just won $25,000 for it

2026-06-29T21:18:08+00:00

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Rayhan Ahmed, a Brooklyn high school chemistry and environmental science teacher, knows that the human brain is wired to care about people and their stories, not formulas and equations.

That’s why at Gotham Professional Arts Academy High School, where he’s spent the past eight out of his 22 years teaching, he created a curriculum for his ninth and 10th graders that is attached to human experiences and rooted in fieldwork and field trips focused on critical social and environmental issues. It explores topics such as the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (known as PFAS) contamination, and nuclear energy.

“Absolutely, my students run experiments on corrosive inhibitors, analyze data, and write scientific papers,” Ahmed said. “But that learning became deeper when we went to Flint to hear people describe waking up early to stand in line for bottled water. It wasn’t abstract any more because there were faces and stories attached to the chemistry.”

(Since his school is part of the New York Performance Standards Consortium, where students complete performance-based assessments instead of taking Regents exams, Ahmed has been able to create his own project-based learning curriculum.)

Ahmed was one of six grand prize winners for this year’s prestigious FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence, which comes with a $25,000 cash prize for the winning teacher and a $10,000 grant for their school. He plans to use the money to take the 14 kids in his advisory “crew” that he’s been with for four years hiking in the mountains. (He’ll also use it for a family road trip, visiting as many major league baseball ballparks as possible this summer.)

But even this award-winning teacher is worried about the encroachment of artificial intelligence and how it’s affecting the prompt he uses as the heart of his classroom: “What do you do with an idea?”

“What I’m seeing now is that students are using AI to bypass the intellectual and emotional struggle of learning that is required to address this question,” he said. “This is really forcing me to ask what learning is for. What is the kind of learning that I’m trying to protect and what kinds of people am I hoping my students become?”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

For years, I told myself a pretty simple story about how I became a teacher. It was just a temporary job that I’d do for a couple of years, get some experience, and head off to graduate school and move on with my life. It turns out that wasn’t the story.

My first teaching job was in the Eight-Plus Program in the South Bronx, where I taught math and science to 15- to 17-year-old kids who were too old to be in eighth grade but had not met the promotional criteria for high school. The recruiter placed me at the site because “they needed the bodies.” He said “most teachers didn’t make it until Thanksgiving.” (Side note: He was wrong because two teachers left after Christmas!)

In my time there, I saw grit, humor, resilience, and intelligence. These students carried more on their shoulders than I did as a recent college grad!

I ultimately did leave for graduate school. I mostly did research in a lab, and I deeply missed being around teenagers every day. A couple of years in, I was at a conference about protein folding and my phone rang. My former student was stuck on quadratic equations. I stepped outside, found a quiet spot in the woods, and we worked through the problem together. This call reminded me where I belonged. So I came back into the classroom.

Tell us about the curriculum you’ve developed, and why you decided to create it.

What excites me most is creating opportunities for my students to do work that matters to them, their communities, and to the world around them and to see what happens when we trust young people with real work.

One year I had a group of students concerned about the environmental and health impacts of fracking. They analyzed scientific evidence, designed experiments, interviewed experts, wrote policy recommendations, and eventually traveled to Washington, D.C., to present their findings to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s office.

Not long afterward, New York enacted a historic ban on fracking!

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

My favorite “lesson” is really when my students realize their work matters beyond the classroom. In my ninth-grade environmental science class, I teach an expedition on PFAS, which are what are commonly called “forever chemicals.” Here, students start out thinking that they are doing just a regular chemistry class, with labs where all the answers are known. But pretty quickly, they’ve come up with questions about their water, communities, and the consequences of PFAS in their lives that I can’t answer. No one can just yet.

We were at Hudson Yards doing a PFAS community assessment survey and happened to run into Stienjte Vanveldhoven, minister of climate policy and green growth of the Netherlands, who told my students about her international work with PFAS and how she called on the European Union to restrict all PFAS, except for uses of the chemicals deemed essential.

Now, they’ve got more questions. Before they know it, we’re headed to Dartmouth to talk to Professor Celia Chen, an expert in PFAS. And I’m on a call with Reyhan Mehran, a regional resource coordinator at NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration, about using Jamaica Bay as a potential research site and offering practical support to make it happen. (Toshiba awarded us a $10,000 grant to study this!) And now they are thinking they are capable of contributing to problems adults haven’t solved yet!

You brought the first AP course to your school. Why was that so important?

One of the Peloton instructors I like to ride with always says, “The most powerful thing anyone can say to us is what we say to ourselves.” At Gotham, I’ve worked with the guidance team to expand those stories.

Over the last eight years, we’ve taken kids on overnight college visits. Over a student’s four years at Gotham, they’ve visited more than 25 campuses, from local schools to places like Dartmouth, Cornell, and Williams. Our seniors take a hybrid college course with Williams. We’ve organized our annual College March, where our entire school community celebrates graduating seniors and their postsecondary plans. This year, two of my advisees are attending Smith and Hobart and William Smith on full scholarships. Another student is on track to join UA Local 1 ( the plumbers union). The label “Advanced Placement” is another way of sending the message to students to see themselves differently. For many of our students, especially first-generation college-bound students, that message is really powerful.

Is your educational experience connected to why you mentor early career educators through the NYC Men Teach program (which aims to get more men of color into teaching)?

My parents are immigrants to this country. I grew up in Astoria, Queens, and went to New York City public schools, including going to high school at Brooklyn Tech. Tech is a huge school with large classes and it’s easy to get lost, but for students, like me, who thrived there, it opens tremendous opportunities and a pathway to the middle class. It’s important to me that schools are places of opportunity for our students, including opportunities to learn and grow, to interact with ideas and people that are new and different. Part of that is having a diverse teaching workforce that is reflective of the student population. That belief is connected to why I mentored early-career educators through NYC Men Teach.

Amy Zimmer is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat New York. Contact Amy at azimmer@chalkbeat.org.

How this robotics teacher gets students interested in a challenge

2026-05-26T11:00:00+00:00

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As a student at Arsenal Technical High School, Isaac Adams did the minimum amount of work needed to pass.

That changed when he took a physics class with Mark Blachly in 2007.

“I discovered a passion for the mechanics of the world and how math can be used to explain everything from basic moving objects to thermodynamics,” Adams said.

Adams was struck by the creative tactics he used in his teaching. For example, he created a website and database where students could turn in their homework.

“I know that sounds mundane now, but in 2007 it was crazy,” Adams said. “He just took everything to the next level and expected nothing but the best from every student.”

Blachly was able to be “incredibly kind” but firm, Adams said: “It was incredibly intimidating going in, but I knew that he wanted the best for me and would push me to do what I needed to do.”

That experience in physics class inspired Adams to become an educator. He now teaches engineering, digital electronics, and robotics at his alma mater. He also coaches the Indianapolis school’s robotics team, which for the first time this year competed in the VEX Robotics World Championship. He started teaching at Tech in 2017.

“If I could sum up Tech in one word, it would be ‘legacy.’ It’s an incredible campus that is rich with history,” he said. “I was given the chance to come back to Tech and step into Dr. Blachly’s shoes. I didn’t know at the time that I would end back up with engineering and also step into the role of a robotics coach, but I’d like to say that I’m beginning to establish myself and build a similar reputation on campus.”

Adams has helped grow the robotics team, which began with a tough first season in 2022-23. “We competed twice and got our butts kicked,” Adams said.

But this year, the team took seven awards from nine tournaments — the most in the school’s history.

Adams spoke with Chalkbeat about engaging students in academics, COVID learning loss, and his biggest challenges in being an educator.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What was the most challenging moment in time for you as an educator, and how did you overcome it?

It’s hard to point to a single time, but teaching hybrid during COVID was definitely tough.

Our students go through a lot in their personal lives and the challenges of virtual/hybrid teaching brought a lot of those issues more clearly into the light. I spent those years trying to focus on the future. I began writing grants to build a makerspace and that effort is what led me to the engineering lab that I call home today.

Arsenal Technical High School teacher Isaac Adams, right, with members of the 7410X robotics team at the VEX Robotics World Championship.

Over the course of months, I was able to secure over 30 3D printers, a (computer numerical control) machine, and a laser cutter. We also procured thousands of dollars in tools and robotics components that get used daily by engineering and robotics students. However, as any engineer will tell you, the work is never done, so I continue to refine the space and try to make it more useful. I may have started building during COVID, but I’m still working on it.

How have you addressed pandemic learning loss?

In second-year engineering, I typically reserve time to do math boot camps to make sure they have the skillset for a given design challenge, such as trigonometry.

The best thing you can do is to let them get their hands dirty. You can’t just tell them about a concept, let them play around with it and struggle.

What advice would you give to educators who coach an academic extracurricular?

If you can get the students to buy in, they will take over and make it so much better. My robotics teams have grown this organization to a point where we have met all of our goals year after year. Get them excited, give them ownership, and let them drive.

What part of your job is most difficult?

I think the biggest challenge in my role is that it’s not one dimensional. I’m not just an engineering teacher; I am also a small-scale designer and manufacturer. I’m not just a robotics coach; I’m also the chair of the Arsenal Tech Faculty Musical committee. I never have a day that looks the same as the day before. That’s a challenge, but also incredibly gratifying.

If I had to pin down one thing, it would probably be the most challenging part of being an inner-city teacher: all the stuff outside my lab. My kids come in with some really challenging home situations. There are a lot of attendance-related issues and financial struggles that I can’t do anything to help with, and they have a huge impact on my classroom.

My lab is a place where we can build things and focus on what matters in the room. We rarely talk about the looming changes to IPS or the political shifts that will impact education. In our space, we focus on what we can control and how we can make the greatest impact on those around us. That’s how we’ve framed it, and I hope it can continue to be that space for students and for me.

What was your biggest misconception that you initially brought to teaching?

You don’t have to be the Dr. Blachly all the time. Sometimes kids will just remember you as the guy they knew they could come talk to when they need someone. Or, they need someone they know they can count on to be ready for them with something crazy when they walk in.

What’s the best advice you’ve received about teaching?

Kids need teachers who will kick their butts in the nicest way possible. They need to know that academics are rigorous, but they also need to understand why it’s hard and have the support of their teacher and their peers as they navigate it.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

2026 National Teacher of the Year wants to share the ‘playbook for the power that people can generate’

2026-04-21T22:17:45+00:00

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When Leon Smith was a kid at camp, adults would tap him to keep an eye on younger children and make a point of praising how well he handled the responsibility.

It sparked a thought — probably helped along by the fact that both his parents were educators — that teaching might be the way he could make a difference in the world and in the lives of others.

He especially wanted to be the Black male teacher he only briefly got to experience as a child. That student teacher Smith had in 10th grade “made me feel the way that I hope all students feel in classrooms, and that is to feel a sense of belonging, a sense of dignity. And it just really gave me a great passion.”

Smith, a history teacher at Haverford High School in Pennsylvania, was named the 2026 teacher of the year by the Council of Chief State School Officers on Tuesday. He’ll spend the next year as an ambassador for the teaching profession.

Smith teaches AP U.S. History and African American Studies and coaches basketball. His favorite period to teach is Reconstruction, when Black men and women just a few years out of slavery built community institutions to provide opportunity for the next generation.

“It’s just a real playbook for the power that people can generate when they are committed to a cause,” he said.

But his favorite lesson, one that calls for students to embrace the complexity and nuance of history, is about events from nearly a century later.

Chalkbeat spoke with Smith about that lesson, why teacher diversity matters, and why young people should consider teaching. This conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

You started an Educators Rising chapter to encourage students to become teachers. We hear a lot that fewer young people want to go into the profession. What concerns do you hear from young people about teaching and what do you tell them about why this is a good job?

There are a lot of young people that do want to be teachers, and we really have to do a better job as adults of inviting them into the profession. We have to do a better job with our PR and really letting students see the greatness of the profession. So that’s one.

But students are always thinking about, hey, does this teacher understand me? Do I feel like I can talk to this teacher about anything? Are they going to give me grace if I’m going through a difficult time? I think many of our students just want the teacher to support them and to be someone that they can go to if they need a hand. And I think that type of compassion and joy and genuineness that they would receive from the educator is something that would then make them think, “I want to do that for someone else.”

Through kindness and through those types of understanding and gestures, we can really start to plant the seeds for the next generation of educators.

You were the only Black male educator at your school for many years. What were the things that helped you keep going or feel supported and gain that comfort in bringing more of yourself into the classroom?

My faith. I have a strong belief in God. I would also say my community, my mom, my wife. But what began to give me a sustaining power was some of the feedback that I received from students. I would often get cards and messages from students thanking me for just being a genuine person, for telling them about my experience. And as I started to read those notes, I began to be more confident in being who I was as a teacher and letting them know, hey, here are some of the things that I’ve gone through, good and bad.

The more that we as a society can share our experiences, talk to each other, the more we can understand each other and move forward.

Some of this work around increasing the diversity of who’s in the classroom has come under political attack. What would you want the general public to know about the importance of having diverse people at the front of the classroom, in front of students?

I think one thing that we can all agree on is that we want all of our students to be successful. Student achievement is driving all of our work in education. The research is clear, that educators of color not only benefit students of color, but they benefit all students. And that’s what we want. We want all of our students to be successful.

You teach American history. I’m wondering if you have a favorite lesson.

We did a Socratic seminar where the students listened to a podcast by Malcolm Gladwell, a Revisionist History podcast called Miss Buchanan’s Period of Adjustment. It shines a light on an often untalked-about chapter when it comes to Brown vs. Board of Education and that is the number of Black teachers and principals that were fired in the wake of desegregation, over 100,000.

We talk about our teacher pipeline, and we talk about not having enough educators of color. There was a time when we saw many educators of color, and there were events that led to that decrease. And so when my students listened to that, they came back the next day and the classroom was buzzing. They’re like, “Mr. Smith, I can’t believe this.” It’s such a joy as a teacher to have the students be connected to their learning in that way.

We’ve had some great discussions. I had a young woman actually start to write the curriculum for an Asian American studies course as a result of that particular lesson, I’ve had another student that was more connected to her heritage as a result of that lesson.

So then they get a chance to choose any topic they want in American history and look at this topic from a different perspective or try to find an untold story with regard to this topic. And they get a chance to choose any medium in which they want to present that, and that’s our capstone project.

They set up in the library and the whole school comes and talks to them about their projects. And these are ninth graders, and they are just outstanding.

Brown is one of the seminal civil rights Supreme Court decisions. What do you think students get from considering this other angle?

It’s important for us to really look at things through multiple perspectives and to really understand the impact of context and point of view and intended audience. We build critical thinking skills in my classroom, not so that we can just decipher primary and secondary sources. I really want my students to take that out into the world and help them to be critical consumers of information, to be able to really evaluate the information that they’re seeing, to think about how it’s going to apply to them.

They’re going to be parents, they’re going to be voting citizens, they’re going to be homeowners. And so they really need to be able to think critically about a whole variety of things. And I’m excited that they get a chance to start doing that in my class.

Erica Meltzer is Chalkbeat’s national editor based in Colorado. Contact Erica at emeltzer@chalkbeat.org.

How an Indiana counselor helps students turn ‘I want to go to college’ into a plan

2026-04-21T11:00:00+00:00

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In the quest to prepare for life after high school, students at the Metropolitan School District of Perry Township have an edge: a coach who knows the ins and outs of getting into college.

After 30 years in admissions at the University of Indianapolis, Ron Wilks now serves as the College Success Coach at Perry schools, helping students figure out a postsecondary plan sooner rather than later.

He encourages all students to pursue some form of education after high school — whether that’s a traditional bachelor or associate degree, or a short-term certificate. That’s in line with new high school graduation requirements that require students to plan ahead by earning college credits, technical certificates, or other credentials that indicate they’re ready for post-grad opportunities. These rules go into effect for the Class of 2029 in Indiana.

While not all students will choose college, programs like IU Indianapolis’ seamless admissions initiative — which offers automatic admission for central Indiana students in 31 high schools who have a 3.0 GPA or higher — help make the college conversation easier, he said.

“There are people on both the high school side and college side who will help,” Wilks said. “[Students] just need to raise their hand and say, ‘I want to go to college, can you help me figure that out?’

Here’s more about how Wilks helps students approach the college admissions process.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What led you to become a college success coach?

I retired after 30 years in admissions from the University of Indianapolis and Perry Township had an opening for a Fairbanks Grant-funded College Success Coach position. The position fit perfectly with where I was and allowed me to continue fulfilling my calling of helping students transition from high school to college. Having the college admission experience has also been very helpful in my role.

What does a typical day in your role look like?

I typically will meet with seniors who are interested in college or unsure and may not understand the college admission process. I listen to what they tell me their goals are for after high school and then we work together on a plan for them to execute. I also lead a six-week program for sophomores in the spring that focuses on developing a plan earlier in their high school career.

The program is called SOAR, or Strengthening Opportunities and Academic Resilience. We cover topics around enrollment and employment pathways after high school and take a deeper dive into what skills are needed for careers, how to develop skills and experiences and convey them into strong resumes and applications. We also do goal setting and assess their current situation and target opportunities for improvement.

I talk to many seniors who have a goal of college but either don’t have a plan or are unsure how to make a plan. The goal with the sophomore group is to make sure they don’t come to a person like me as a senior without some type of plan for education or training beyond high school.

How do you talk to students who might be unsure about college?

I encourage them to strongly consider some type of training or education beyond high school. We talk about everything from one semester certificate programs, to associate and bachelor degree programs. We then go over the process of making it happen and I then track their progress. I even help them fill out an application if they want and follow up when they need more encouragement or nudging.

What role do programs like IU Indianapolis’ seamless admissions play in these conversations?

It’s a great hook for many of them. Especially for those who are unsure or intimidated by the process. Knowing that admission is guaranteed makes the conversation easier. Once they complete the application I can see the confidence they have gained in making college one step closer to becoming a reality.

A lot has changed in Indiana when it comes to college and career readiness. How do you help students and their families navigate new requirements and opportunities?

To me it’s about listening to what they would like to do after high school and helping them understand the different pathways and processes for getting to where they want to go. I also talk with them about the power of information and provide them with information and resources through my college connections that they can use during the process. Then I check on how well they are navigating the process and help them overcome any hurdles they encounter along the way.

What’s your best advice to students and families preparing for college?

I tell students that one of the best things they can learn is to ask for help. Especially if they want to do some education or training beyond high school but are unsure or intimidated by the process.

Can you share a success story you’re particularly proud of helping a student with the college process?

Last year I worked with a student who wasn’t sure if he wanted to go to college or not. After several conversations assessing different options he determined he wanted to go to IU Indianapolis — where we were able to get him in the Groups Scholar program at the last minute. The Groups Scholar program is an IU program that supports students the summer prior to enrollment and throughout their college career.

At the end of the year he asked me to sign his yearbook saying I was an important part of his high school journey. I then saw him on the (IU Indy) campus in the fall during a visit and he saw me and sought me out to tell me how well he was doing. That was a proud moment for sure.

Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.

Here’s why this Colorado teacher gives out pocket copies of the U.S. Constitution

2026-04-17T22:42:28+00:00

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Sam Westerdale, a civics and government teacher at Aurora’s Rangeview High School, has a master’s degree in political science. But she’s not afraid to admit what she doesn’t know.

“I try to demonstrate that fragility is natural in the learning process, and it shouldn’t be seen as weak, but rather, as being curious in wanting to understand or learn more.”

Westerdale spends a lot of her summers attending workshops to improve her craft. For example, learning how to teach the concept, “stare decisis,” a Latin term for the legal doctrine that says courts should honor historical precedents when they decide similar cases.

Teaching, she said, is “a constant cycle of learning and relearning.”

Westerdale, a board member of the Colorado Council of the Social Studies board, talked to Chalkbeat about why she hands out copies of the U.S. Constitution to students, what she learned after a student’s unexpected absence, and what she wants teens to know about the nation’s founders.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

There were a few moments when I realized perhaps teaching is where I wanted to end up. This definitely came from being an avid reader ranging from “Goosebumps” to the “Fellowship of the Ring” series. I remember creating a fake library with my siblings in my bedroom and pretending to check out books for my sister.

I went into college as a biology major, thinking I might be a science teacher, and then took a government class and realized how much I loved learning about how power is wielded and the importance of knowing your rights.

There is a history of teachers in my family and in my husband’s family, and that also helped encourage me to apply to the teacher education program at the University of Colorado Denver 15 years ago.

How did your own experience in school influence your approach to teaching?

I grew up with a speech impediment and took speech therapy classes in elementary school. I was difficult to understand at times and participated less due to embarrassment. I think a lot about how the pressure to succeed felt very prevalent in the 1990s and early 2000s, and how the learning that comes from struggling or failing is at times far more important than getting it right the first time. I share that experience with my students because I think that education is in a better place now in terms of providing support and being honest with who you are.

I want my classroom to be a space for excellence as well as vulnerability, and give students opportunities to be kids, which may include a room full of stuffed animals (mainly llamas), getting-to-know-you warm-up questions, their current favorite song, or knowing which Dorito is their least favorite.

Tell us about a favorite lesson to teach.

One of the first lessons I teach in both my civics and my dual enrollment American government classes focuses heavily on the Federalist Papers and the Anti-Federalist Papers. I stress the importance of compromise and how the actions of a few people led to our rights and liberties today.

The lesson from iCivics, called The Federalist Debate provides a summary of what each group wanted along with their beliefs. I group students into smaller groups and assign them each a Federalist Paper (usually 10, 78, 39, or 84) or Anti-Federalist Paper (Brutus I or Brutus II) to analyze and decide which point of view it is from.

It’s one of my favorite lessons to see students learn from primary sources and realize that much of what was designed hundreds of years ago is still relevant to today.

Why do you hand out pocket-size copies of the Constitution to students at the beginning of the year?

It’s a tradition we’ve had at Rangeview High School for as long as I can remember for civics and dual enrollment classes. One of my main goals is a sort of scavenger hunt, so students find each part, from the Articles, which design our structure of government, to the Bill of Rights and the rest of the amendments.

Students like having physical copies of the Constitution and feel more engaged and connected to their rights and liberties. There are even moments where students make statements like, “Now I have my rights with me, ready to read whenever I want.”

Tell us about a lesson when you connected current events to the Declaration of Independence?

One of my favorite iCivics lessons is Philosophically Correct. It explains which philosophers influenced America’s founders and which philosophies are referenced in the Declaration of Independence.

My class is often the first time students dive into content that asks them to reflect on human nature and current events in relation to civics. I remind them that many founders were not much older than the students, and — like good students — they looked for inspiration for a new government in their favorite philosophers. This lesson includes ideas from Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, Machiavelli, and Montesquieu, and what that relationship looks like between a people and its government.

I have students analyze concepts from each philosopher and annotate the Declaration of Independence to show how it expresses natural rights, the rule of law, the right to revolution, popular sovereignty, equality, consent of the governed, and social contracts. Students complete an exit ticket on how they see The Declaration of Independence today by selecting one of the seven concepts in relation to current events.

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective or approach.

This happened one of my first few years of teaching. There was a miscommunication over why a student would be absent for a few days. When the student returned and I asked where they were, they said, “Monticello.” I incorrectly thought that the student was lying because just a few weeks before, I had shared that I had visited Monticello for the first time. I thought the student was referring back to my experience and using it to lie.

I remember taking a deep breath and deciding to be curious. I asked the student to share what they learned. The student went into amazing detail from the artifacts on the plantation, the enslaved labor which built Monticello, and the significance of Thomas Jefferson in American founding. I quickly apologized. I also made sure to email the student’s parents about what happened and how I felt horrible for that initial thought of the student possibly lying. The student and I would often laugh about the moment throughout the year. To this day, I always try to be curious with others.

What are you reading for enjoyment?

I am currently reading the newest Wonder Woman series by Tom King, “The Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America” by Jeffrey Rosen, and “Water Moon” by Samantha Sotto Yambao.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

How this Detroit teacher uses an outdoor garden to turn students on to healthy eating

2026-04-14T18:36:35+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free monthly newsletter How I Teach to get inspiration, news, and advice for — and from — educators.

“I don’t eat that,” are the famous last words teacher Shirley Brezzell hears from her fifth graders when she introduces food the kids think they won’t like, such as pickled beets, pickled onions, eggplant, and oatmeal burgers.

Brezzell teaches science and social studies at Detroit’s Mackenzie Elementary-Middle School in the Detroit Public Schools Community District. But she’s particularly passionate about exposing students to fruits and vegetables through an outdoor school garden she created and manages, and teaching them about healthy eating. She incorporates the work in the garden into her lessons, showing students during a lesson on matter how food changes while being cooked. Consequently, she’s able to turn those “I don’t eat that” comments into appreciation.

“When they see the process from seed to a piece of fruit that they can actually eat, it is mind-blowing. They are in awe,” Brezzell said. “Oh, and then when you taste it, and when it comes off of the vine, and it is all organic, it’s a whole other experience.”

If you walk into the outdoor garden, you’ll see plenty of garden beds where fruits and vegetables grow. You’ll also see Walmart recyclable bags that students use to grow everything from greens and cabbage to tomatoes and potatoes. Parents will create their own bags during an event this month.

Shirley J. Brezzell, the 2026 Elementary School Science Teacher of the year by the Michigan Science Teachers Association, is a science and social studies teacher at Mackenzie Elementary-Middle School.

Brezzell was recently named the 2026 Elementary School Science Teacher of the year by the Michigan Science Teachers Association. The Detroit native, who graduated from Cass Technical High School in 1975, spent much of her career in the banking industry during a 22-year stretch that took her from working as a teller to an operations manager for a bank. When that bank closed, she began homeschooling her children. Soon after, she began substitute teaching in the Detroit district and by 2011, she had become a certified teacher. Brezzell hasn’t for one moment regretted her decision to become a teacher.

“My regret is that I didn’t do it 100 years ago. Absolutely, this is my calling,” Brezzell said.

Her career will likely end soon, as Brezzell considers retirement. But that won’t happen until after this summer, because her garden supplies plants for her students’ families to grow and provides fresh fruits and vegetables to the wider school community during the summer,

“I have to bring the harvest,” Brezzell said.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

My favorite unit to teach is on matter, as it utilizes food as the medium to show the various stages of matter. I love taking the students out to our school’s garden to pick fresh fruits and veggies and then bringing them back inside to cook them together. It’s a perfect hands-on way to show how matter changes — how food transforms with cooking — and it also gives me the opportunity to introduce them to new flavors they might not have tried before. Altogether, it’s a really engaging and memorable way to connect science to everyday life.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom (or your school)?

Mackenzie is in a neighborhood of Detroit that’s considered a food desert. While I officially teach fifth grade science and social studies, I also manage our school garden. Alongside 10 stationary garden beds, I created the “Garden in a Bag” project where students plant and maintain portable gardens, in a Walmart recyclable bag. This way, they can potentially have fresh produce all summer, even if they move. Plus, the veggies from our on-site beds go straight to Mackenzie families, helping everyone enjoy fresh veggies and a healthier lifestyle.

How do you get your students engaged with science?

In my classroom, I set high expectations and we dive into science from every angle. We follow the curriculum, do hands-on projects, work in the garden, and even use those vegetables in cooking as a way to show how matter changes. And through that, I introduce them to fresh fruits and vegetables they might not usually try. That’s truly my passion — giving them a glimpse of a healthier lifestyle while they learn. At the heart of my teaching, I’m passionate about connecting what we learn in class to real-life choices. I want my students to feel empowered not only to understand science concepts, but also to see how these lessons influence a healthier lifestyle. It’s all about giving them the tools to make good decisions about what they eat and how they care for themselves.

Tell us how you came to create an outdoor oasis for your students.

Four years ago, I joined a group of researchers from Michigan State University in a project called Teaching Science Outdoors: The Urban Project, or TSOUP. With encouragement from them and through American Forests, we planted a total of 65 trees over two plantings. Then, a grant from the Whole Kids Foundation helped us refurbish the garden with garden beds and a hoop house, and with a series of mini-grants from TSOUP, we were able to expand even more.

In the past year, the district has added a new shelter and this spring, will finish the cement work under it. They’re also adding eight picnic tables to create a third outdoor classroom on the patio near the middle school side of the building, and the original outdoor classroom is being moved elsewhere on the property for its own cement work.

And finally, we received another grant from the Whole Kids Foundation that allowed us to build an irrigation station, solving our watering problem with a 450-gallon water capacity. This station will also have cement work and create a comfortable place for students and teachers to sit, cool off, and relax.

How do you approach news events in your classroom? Please provide an example.

I tell them the truth. For instance, we really dove into the pause in governmental food benefits. That was a genuine challenge many families faced, and having those real, honest conversations allowed us to lay a foundation where we can have meaningful discussions about the news and how it impacts their daily lives. This pause also gave me another opportunity to talk about eating healthfully even on a budget, whether that was making oatmeal burgers or finding creative ways to put together a whole meal from basic kitchen staples.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I’m a product of Detroit Public Schools, graduating from Cass Tech in January of 1975. My parents and teachers instilled in me the importance of education and how it could afford me many opportunities. To that end, I work tirelessly to help my students see the importance of their education and their potential to become whatever they want to be. To that end, I am a demanding teacher. I have high expectations for my kids and most rise to the occasion. My goal is to make sure that when my students, after a year with me, move to the next grade, they are better than when I first met them. They will be tired, but they will KNOW the material.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

Lol! What a notion! Like all of us, I wear many hats. Wife, mom, sister, aunt, church member, and the list goes on. This year I am learning to at least try to put Shirley first. What does this look like? I have a bedtime. I am taking my vitamins regularly. I am promising myself to exercise daily. I am drinking WATER and have mostly eliminated sugar from my diet. But above all, I am learning to take time for just me.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

This first-year Newark teacher builds a sense of belonging for students with disabilities

2026-04-14T17:15:00+00:00

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Alex Richardson always knew she wanted to help people; she just needed to find the right way to do it.

After graduating summa cum laude from the University of New Mexico in May 2025, she decided to teach. As a first-year head of special education at North Star Academy’s Alexander Street Elementary School in Newark, Richardson works for the school’s Aspire Program, which launched in 2022 to support students with autism. She spends her days working with third grade autistic students, building reading comprehension skills and creating lessons that meet each student where they are.

As a student, Richardson struggled to learn new concepts but blossomed when teachers approached those difficulties with patience and creativity. Now, as a teacher, she leans into flexibility, positive interactions with students, and her core belief that mistakes are part of the learning process.

She spoke recently with Chalkbeat about discovering Newark’s strong culture of autism advocacy, using Black History Month as a way to include all students, accessible learning, and why a children’s book about a panda and a dragon changed the way she thinks about teaching.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

I love teaching literacy. I have always had a deep admiration for language, many languages, really, and for how they come together to make meaning. Getting to break down phonemes and help my scholars build sentences and comprehension of passages is my favorite thing to teach!

Richardson is passionate about literacy, working with others, and learning from students.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom?

As someone who is still new to the New Jersey community, I am continually learning about the people, experiences, and values that shape the environment around both my scholars and me. One thing I noticed right away — especially compared to my experience back home — is the strong sense of awareness and advocacy for the autism community. There is a clear and intentional effort not only to raise awareness but to foster genuine acceptance and inclusion. This commitment has a meaningful impact on my classroom. It creates a space where my scholars are not just supported, but truly valued for who they are — their unique ways of thinking, communicating, and engaging with the world are recognized as strengths. Being part of a community that embraces neurodiversity in this way is incredibly powerful, and it allows my students to grow with confidence, authenticity, and a strong sense of belonging.

How do you approach news events in your classroom?

As I teach a young group of autistic scholars, I approach topics about the world with intentionality, ensuring that all information is presented in ways that are accessible, meaningful, and responsive to their individual strengths and needs. While these conversations may look different in my classroom, my school takes great pride in making sure that every scholar is included in learning about important events and histories. During Black History Month, my scholars engaged in a variety of projects that allowed them to explore and connect with history through drawings, videos, and books. These experiences were thoughtfully designed to be both engaging and accessible, helping scholars build understanding in ways that felt natural to them. Stories of influential Black individuals were shared in ways that fostered connection, curiosity, and comprehension, allowing my students to meaningfully engage with the core ideas and significance of these historical contributions.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

While in school, I was on the honor roll and graduated summa cum laude from both my high school and the University of New Mexico. I have always loved learning, but I sometimes found it challenging to stay engaged with topics that I didn’t fully understand or initially find interesting. That perspective shifted when I encountered a few incredible teachers and professors who approached complex topics with patience, creativity, and genuine enthusiasm. Their ability to present material in innovative and accessible ways helped me stay engaged and ultimately develop a deeper appreciation for a wide range of subjects — including those I had once found uninteresting. This experience continues to shape my approach as an educator. When I anticipate that a lesson may be less engaging for my scholars, I intentionally design it to be interactive, supportive, and responsive to their needs. I prioritize patience, flexibility, and creativity so that my students can access the material in ways that align with their strengths, helping them build confidence and succeed as learners.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

The best advice I have ever received is, “It is okay to not be perfect.” I have always held myself to a high standard, striving to do everything correctly, efficiently, and to the best of my ability. While I value that drive, I have come to understand that perfection is both relative and often unattainable — what truly creates lasting impact is effort, growth, and persistence. This mindset plays an important role in my classroom. I use it to support and encourage my scholars, especially when they encounter challenges. At times, I notice that my students can feel frustrated or discouraged when they are asked to revisit or revise their work. In those moments, I respond with patience and understanding, helping them see mistakes as a natural and valuable part of the learning process. By guiding my scholars through challenges in a supportive and affirming way, I aim to ensure they leave each experience feeling capable, confident, and empowered.

What’s one thing you’ve read that has made you a better educator?

I read a wide range of books, though not all of them relate directly to teaching. I believe that literature has a unique way of connecting to our lives in different seasons, often offering insight when we need it most. One book that has deeply influenced my journey as an educator is “The Journey: Big Panda and Tiny Dragon” by James Norbury. Norbury’s work combines beautiful illustrations with meaningful reflections, inviting readers to step into the experiences of the characters and consider how those lessons apply to their own lives. This particular book centers on the idea of leaving behind the familiar in pursuit of growth and something greater. It has prompted me to reflect on how often we, as educators, may unintentionally limit ourselves by relying only on what we already know. This perspective has shaped me on a personal level within my role as an educator. It has encouraged me to approach my scholars, colleagues, and families with openness and curiosity. I strive to let go of assumptions, biases, or preconceived notions, and instead remain receptive to new perspectives and experiences. In doing so, I am better able to build meaningful connections and create a more inclusive, responsive learning environment for my students.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

She was expelled from high school. Now, she’s one of NYC’s top teachers.

2026-04-13T21:40:35+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free monthly newsletter How I Teach to get inspiration, news, and advice for — and from — educators.

Fatimah Barrie knows the 30 sixth graders in her three history classes at Uncommon Canarsie Middle School really well. But she also prides herself on knowing the younger and older kids at the 5-8 school, which serves about 100 kids per grade.

“To me, that is joy,” Barrie said. “It is showing up every day as a whole school educator to pour into all students in the building, not just the ones on my roster.”

Barrie has been at Uncommon for eight years and serves as the school’s lead lesson planner, helping write the 5-8 curriculum, leading professional development, and mentoring new and returning educators. Barrie’s own educational journey was filled with highs and lows. She went from being expelled from high school — which she shares candidly with her students on the first day of school — to winning a 2025 Big Apple Award from the city’s Education Department, which recognizes 10 “exceptional teachers who go above and beyond to serve students and families.”

Barrie’s school, which is overwhelmingly Black, Latino, and economically disadvantaged, often outperforms its peers on standardized tests. About 63% of its students, for instance, passed last year’s Algebra 1 Regents exam, which was well above the average for students of similar backgrounds and also surpassed the state average.

But more importantly, Barrie said, her students have shown resilience and compassion in the face of loss. In 2023, a fatal fire claimed the lives of two students, Kelsee Miles (who would have been in sixth grade this year) and her sister Journee Milles (who would have graduated last year), along with their mother, Danielle Havens. Four of the girls’ cousins attend the school along with many of their friends. At last year’s eighth grade graduation, the school reserved a seat for Journee, had a gown for her, designed a cap in her memory, and presented her father with her diploma. The school plans to honor Kelsee in the same way, said Barrie, who is working on a more permanent memorial for the girls through funding from the Big Apple Awards fellowship.

“They’ve been through a lot,” Barrie said of her students, “but they continue to show up for each other in ways that mean a lot.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

Becoming a teacher was extremely unplanned. I was just about to graduate from City College of New York with my B.A. in Political Science and my B.A. in Black Studies, and the plan was to take a gap year interning at a law firm as I prepared for my LSATs.

A few weeks prior to graduation, I bumped into a former high school classmate who had recently relocated back to NYC and was starting her principal journey at Uncommon. She thought with my interests and concentrations in college, I’d be a great fit as a seventh grade history middle school teacher. I did not think I would get the job, but on Juneteenth of 2018, I was hired just two weeks post-graduation for a full-time history teaching position.

The plan was to teach for a year, study for my LSATs, and prepare for law school. However, I fell in love with teaching.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

This is such a hard question, I hope I can change it up. Since I have begun teaching, I’ve had the pleasure of teaching fifth, sixth, and eighth grade. My favorite grade to teach history is sixth grade not only because of their personalities but the content is foundational to scholars’ understanding of the United States. The essential questions of the year asks students to consider: Does a society’s culture shape their government or does a society’s government shape their culture?; What form of government best serves people?; What role do people play in their governments? Students start the year off learning about Ancient American Civilizations (Aztec, Maya, and Inca) and end the year learning about the formation of the United States.

And while I am sure my students would say their favorite lesson was when I dressed up as an English judge (and we put Columbus, his men, the King and Queen of Spain, the Tainos, and the system of empire on trial for the genocide of the Taino population), I was only able to do that because I had built genuine relationships with my students which not only resulted in strong classroom management but a comfortable learning environment.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom or your school?

One thing that really impacts my classroom is how much my students are on social media and just constantly taking in information. They have opinions, they have thoughts, but a lot of times they haven’t been taught how to actually question what they’re seeing. They’ll say something confidently, but not always know where it’s coming from. So, I’ve had to be really intentional about slowing them down and teaching them how to think, not just respond.

Tell us more about the importance of joy in school. How do you bring joy into the classroom?

Middle school is often one of the most challenging parts of a student’s learning journey. I know it was for me. I attended three middle schools during my journey because of my behavior. When students get to middle school, they are navigating everything from hormonal changes to major shifts in academic expectations. They have a different teacher for each subject, move between classrooms every hour, and face increased rigor. Because of that, joy is not extra. It is essential. It becomes the heart of learning, especially in middle school.

I bring joy into the classroom by removing the strict power dynamic between adult and child, or teacher and student. My scholars know that my classroom and our school building are safe places. For some, joy may look performative in the classroom, like sing-a-longs, chants, and dance breaks. For me, joy is building relationships with them, not just teaching them. It is about students feeling seen, valued, and safe.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I had the honor and privilege of growing up in the greatest and most influential neighborhood in the world, Harlem. Being from there, especially in the ‘90s, and attending schools in Harlem gave me a unique perspective on life, confidence in learning, and knowledge of Black and brown people.

In Harlem, I learned a lot through an inclusive education and learning about multiple perspectives. I always tell my peers and my mother that attending Child’s Memorial Christian Academy for Kindergarten and first grade gave me the tools I needed to excel academically in any setting. From second to eighth grade I attended public schools; including P.S. 166, FDA II, West Side Collaborative, and I.S. 164 Stitt. At a few of these schools (those not based in Harlem), instruction, especially regarding history, was often Eurocentric, which sometimes made it hard to see myself and my community reflected in what I was learning. At parent-teacher conferences I would often hear, “Fatimah is so bright, but she distracts her peers by constantly talking to them,” or “Fatimah challenged the lesson today by saying Christopher Columbus did not discover America.” It was a constant reminder that I was intelligent, but I was not necessarily a follower. I was a leader in some way, even if I did not always realize it.

Eighth grade brought me to one of the most challenging middle schools in New York City, where there was constant violence. I knew I needed a better environment. For high school, I attended the first and only boarding school for girls in New York City, Catherine McCauley Catholic Academy, where I developed independence and control over my studies. In true Fatimah fashion, I was later expelled and was given the opportunity to complete my high school journey at Frederick Douglass Academy I, earning a Regents diploma. While some may see that I attended seven different schools during my educational journey and assume the worst, however each school gave me an experience that led to this very moment in my life.

I would not change a single choice I made during my adolescent and teenage years as a student. I believe this is why I connect so well with middle school students.

I know firsthand what it feels like to make a mistake and not be given grace. I want them to know that not only do I understand what they are going through, but they can grow through it and truly excel.

Amy Zimmer is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat New York. Contact Amy atazimmer@chalkbeat.org.

How this Indiana teacher makes her AP personal finance class click for students

2026-03-25T11:00:00+00:00

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In Kristin Lidstrom’s business classes at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, the finance lessons quickly become personal.

“They begin thinking about their own spending habits, future goals, or even what they’re seeing at home,” Lidstrom said. “Concepts like interest rates or debt suddenly carry weight when they realize how long it can take to pay something off or how quickly costs can grow.”

Not every student will pursue business after Lidstrom’s class. But all of them can apply the lessons they’ve learned from business class in their future career paths, she said.

And Indiana wants all high school students to start thinking about what those paths will look like beginning in high school. The state will have new requirements for graduation in 2029 that emphasize career learning and financial literacy.

Lidstrom’s own career journey started with studying marketing at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. But she found the path she wanted to pursue through volunteering in schools, and combined it with her passion for business to become a teacher.

Now the business department chair at Hamilton Southeastern with 22 years of experience in the district, Lidstrom has been piloting an AP Business with Personal Finance class this year, which is open to grades 9-12. The course, which is set to roll out nationwide in the 2026-27 school year, has the backing of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce and local employers.

Read more below about Lidstrom’s class at Hamilton Southeastern High, and the projects that students complete pitching business ideas and putting together a realistic budget.

These answers have been edited for length and clarity.

What does a typical day look like in AP Business with Personal Finance? How is this class different from other AP courses?

A typical day in this class is very active and hands-on. The course is intentionally designed with a project-based learning approach, so while there are occasional moments of direct instruction, most of the time students are learning by doing, working through real-world scenarios, collaborating with peers, and applying concepts in meaningful ways.

What really sets this course apart from other AP classes is that it’s less about memorizing content and more about developing skills. Students are consistently engaging in problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication, which mirrors how business actually works outside the classroom.

One of the anchor projects in this course is an entrepreneurship business plan that students build from the ground up, centered around solving a real problem.

Students start by identifying a need — something they’ve observed in their own lives, school, or community. From there, they develop a product or service to address that need and work through the full business planning process. This includes defining their target market, analyzing competitors, creating a marketing strategy, and building out basic financials.

What makes this project especially meaningful is that it’s not hypothetical in the traditional sense. Students are expected to make realistic decisions, justify their choices with data, and adapt as they encounter challenges along the way.

The project leads to a presentation where students pitch their business as if they were seeking investment. It’s a great example of a real-world scenario because it requires them to bring together everything they’ve learned.

The culminating project in the course is a financial-adviser simulation, in which students take on the role of advising a client through real-life financial decisions.

What makes this project impactful is that students have to think holistically and justify their recommendations based on the client’s situation. It pushes them to apply what they’ve learned in a realistic context and communicate their reasoning clearly.

Have you seen any moments where the material “clicked” in a real-world way for students?

One of the biggest “click” moments is around things like compound interest or saving for the future. When students see how small, consistent decisions can significantly impact their financial situation over time, it changes how they think. They start asking better questions, making more intentional choices in simulations, and connecting it to real-life decisions they’ll be making soon.

It’s in those moments you can tell it’s no longer just a class, it’s something they see as directly relevant to their lives.

Kristin Lidstrom, business department chair at Hamilton Southeastern High School, is piloting an AP Business with Personal Finance class this year.

What do your students hope to do after high school and has taking this course changed the way they think about money, entrepreneurship, or next steps?

My students have a wide range of plans after high school. Some are heading to four-year colleges, others to community college or trade programs, and some are eager to jump straight into the workforce or start something of their own. What this course does is give all of them a stronger sense of direction and confidence in those next steps. While not all students will pursue business after high school, they all come away with an appreciation for how business acumen can support them in any career path.

How does the course support students in meeting Indiana’s new diploma requirements?

This course directly supports Indiana’s new diploma requirements by fulfilling the Personal Finance requirement, ensuring all students graduate with a strong foundation in money management, credit, and financial decision-making.

As an AP Career Kickstart course, it also helps students begin building a purposeful pathway early in high school. It encourages them to pursue additional AP coursework, putting them on track toward earning Honors and Honors Plus Seals. By starting that progression earlier, students are more prepared and confident as they move into more rigorous AP classes, while also developing practical, real-world skills that connect to both college and career opportunities.

If you could adjust one thing about how business or personal finance education is taught nationwide, what would it be?

If I could adjust one thing, it would be to make business and personal finance education more consistently rooted in real-world application rather than theory. Students don’t just need to know what a budget, credit score, or interest rate is, they need to actively use those concepts in realistic scenarios. When students are making decisions, experiencing the consequences, and reflecting on those choices, the learning sticks in a much deeper and more meaningful way.

I’d also push for this type of learning to happen earlier and more consistently across grade levels. By the time students are making real financial decisions, they should already feel confident navigating them, not encountering the concepts for the first time. Ultimately, the goal should be to move beyond exposure and toward true readiness, so students leave school not just informed, but capable.

What’s the best teaching advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

The best teaching advice I’ve ever received is to never do for students what they can do for themselves. In practice, that’s shaped how I structure my classroom in a big way. Rather than stepping in with answers, I focus on asking questions, creating space for productive struggle, and designing experiences where students have to think, decide, and reflect.

It can be uncomfortable at times (for both the students and me) but that’s where the real learning happens.

In a course like this, it means students aren’t just learning concepts, they’re applying them, making mistakes, adjusting, and building confidence along the way. Over time, you can see them become more independent, more thoughtful, and more willing to take ownership of their learning, which is ultimately the goal.

Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.

Rutabagas and beet muffins in the cafeteria? This Colorado teacher shares her passion for produce

2026-03-17T22:07:30+00:00

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Do radishes belong in breakfast burritos? Do frozen pancakes taste good when they’re reheated? Will strawberry-topped yogurt cups with marshmallows, potato chip crunch, and chocolate drizzle win fans?

These are some of the questions students answer in Sabra Sowell-Lovejoy’s food production classes at Campo Undivided High School on Colorado’s Eastern Plains.

And here’s a question they asked: Can we grow rutabagas?

That came about when the root vegetable turned out to be a sleeper hit after Sowell-Lovejoy’s recent lesson on preparation techniques.

“None of the students had eaten a rutabaga before,” she said. “They loved them and asked us to start growing them so we could eat them in the cafeteria.”

The answer was yes.

Sabra Sowell-Lovejoy, teacher at Campo Undivided High School.

Sowell-Lovejoy, a semifinalist for Colorado’s 2026 Teacher of the Year award, also teaches social studies and English to fifth through 12 graders in the rural 38-student Campo district.

She talked to Chalkbeat about what experiments students run in the school’s dome greenhouse, how she covers water scarcity, and why students are brainstorming ideas for freezable breakfast foods.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

At the end of my undergraduate studies, my metal arts professor encouraged me to start teaching as an adjunct professor. Fifteen years later, the principal of my children’s school in New Mexico encouraged me to teach again. I was working as a part-time librarian while also teaching at the university. I reluctantly accepted, and now have a career that chose me — one that I wouldn’t change for anything.

How did your own experience in school influence your approach to teaching?

I went to school in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Mr. Harban, my fifth grade teacher and seventh grade math teacher, and Mrs. Malloy, my sixth grade teacher, provided hands-on learning opportunities and clear in-class instruction.

We observed stars through large telescopes in the cold, participated in a mock voting process at a replica voting booth that our parents drove us to, and recreated Christmas traditions from various countries. I still remember those lessons vividly and aim to provide similar experiences to my students.

Tell us about a favorite lesson to teach.

Currently, I am teaching a civics lesson in which students examine the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and look at James Madison’s ideas for building a healthier democracy. Students debate the tension between majority rule and the tyranny of the majority. They determine whether the Virginia Plan and the “double-negative” proposal would work. The double negative was a proposal that would have given Congress the power to veto state laws and to exercise federal oversight over states. Ultimately, the Constitution was written after these debates, and the double negative was rejected.

Tell us about the Dome Project.

The dome greenhouse was a replacement for the previous student-built greenhouse, which blew away. It’s a little larger and taller than a two-car garage. We expanded our growing capacity by adding more grow boxes and a hydroponic system. Both shop class and food production students contributed designs for the boxes, and shop class students constructed them.

Students and community members spent a week in the summer constructing the dome from a kit purchased from Growing Spaces in Pagosa Springs.

Inside the greenhouse, we have a pond featuring plants and experimental food crops, along with four koi fish that the students enjoy feeding. We have strawberries, lettuce, basil, dill, and some flowers growing in floating rafts. Students track the nutrient relationships with the various plants to see which performs well in the pond and at what temperatures.

We have different soil tests going for tomato plants, various peas, and lettuces. We are tracking whether the same lettuce grows faster or has a different taste when grown hydroponically versus in soil. We have also planted a few trees — lime, lemon, and cherry.

Tell us about the Farm-to-Freezer project.

We started the Farm-to-Freezer learning initiative to strengthen our Farm-to-School program. It’s funded by the Colorado Department of Education’s Harvest Innovation grant, and the purpose is to develop recipes so we can process produce in the summer and use it in breakfast items that can be frozen. That will allow the cafeteria staff to provide scratch-made food and local products year round rather than only during peak season.

Junior high and high school students are currently creating recipes that use our produce, comply with child nutrition guidelines, and will be taste-tested by students. We are currently working on carrot cake bars or muffins, as well as breakfast casseroles or burritos featuring peppers and onions.

The students have not found a food that they didn’t like yet. I challenge them to try some of my ideas, including radishes in the breakfast burritos and beets in their muffins.

Connecting students to local foods is a passion of yours. How do you get students interested?

Our program emphasizes the entire process of growing, producing, and consuming food. The produce we cultivate is selected by the students, focusing on their favorite items for the cafeteria salad bar. Classes take place in a room equipped with a hydroponic system, providing a relaxing environment filled with the soothing sound of flowing water and the presence of lush plants.

We host two major events each year. The first is Colorado Proud Meal Day, where the entire school works together to collect local foods, such as goat milk and harvested wheat. Throughout the day, we transform these ingredients into delicious meals, and the goat milk ice cream served on the playground in the afternoon is always a highlight.

The second event is our annual Campo Chopped competition. Junior high and high school students use the produce they’ve grown and the cooking techniques they’ve learned to create three dishes for the judges. Winning dishes include a chicken rice bowl with apple and turnip slaw, strawberry basil cake, and a crispy tortilla wrap with bell peppers, lettuce, carrots, and a dipping sauce.

What is something going on in the community that affects your students? How do you address it?

Our community is facing water scarcity. It’s a topic taught in food production and social studies classes. We study human-nature relationships and how they played out during the Dust Bowl, which hit our area hard. We also educate students about responsible water use for crops and livestock and the history of water rights in Colorado and the country.

Reducing food waste decreases the need for additional water to grow more food, so students learn to use parts of plants that are typically discarded. For example, after removing stems, skin, or leafy tops from vegetables, students will make vegetable stock to use for future cafeteria recipes such as chicken pot pie.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

‘I try to build them up’: How a dean with corrections experience tries to keep North Philly students safe

2026-03-16T20:59:34+00:00

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When Art Green was working for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections a few years ago, he noticed the inmates getting younger and younger — and it ate at him.

“I would talk to the young people, I would try to get the young people on track,” he said. “But moving forward, I thought about maybe catching these young people within high school settings, maybe having the same conversations with them without them being incarcerated.”

Now Green, a Philly native and self-proclaimed former troublemaker, is rounding out his first year as dean of students at the YESPhilly Accelerated High School. It’s a credit recovery school within the School District of Philadelphia, serving students ages 16-23 who were unable to complete their education at their original school.

The campus is in a part of the city experiencing elevated levels of poverty and crime. That means Green does a lot more than desk work.

Green coordinates with school security, local law enforcement, transit officials, and other agencies to make sure that the school building — and all the vital services it provides — remain available and accessible to kids.

Chalkbeat talked with Green about keeping students safe, and giving them the tools they need to move forward.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I come in in the mornings. I make sure that the outside of the school, the perimeter is safe. Once I enter the building, I open up, I make sure that every room is inspected. My main purpose is working in the front, making sure that I speak with every student entering the building. I make sure that I greet them.

What I’m actually doing is temperature-checking to make sure that they’re ready to get to learning. I want to make sure that no one bothered them in their transportation to or from school. I may need to refer you over to our counselor. I may need to refer you over to the principal, someone that can help you. Or maybe it’s something I could help you with.

At lunch time, it’s crowd control, controlling the traffic within the hallways, making sure there’s no loitering in the bathroom. After lunch, I pretty much slow the day down a little bit and prepare for the release of the students.

How does the environment surrounding YESPhilly affect what happens inside the school?

The challenge that our students face, of course, is crime. Everyday movement, bums, different people saying things to them and they may get a little intimidated. I try to make sure I look out the window, stay within the perimeter, or make sure I can see them when they get here, but also let them know when you get here you’re here in a safe environment. I walk all the way around a one-block radius to show my face.

I want to talk to everyone, even the people that may be on drugs and stuff like that, I let them know: “This is a school. You can’t be around this area. You can go over here. Is there something I can do for you? How can I support you?” I want everyone to know that this is a safe place.

I have to stay active and involved with every aspect of that student, whether that student is with the Department of Health Services or that student is with a guardian, whether that student is in a homeless shelter. It does not matter. We have a purpose that we need to serve. The young people [are] the client[s], and they are our future.

How do you talk to students about violence they might see on the news or in their communities?

It’s a very scary time that we’re living in. I let them know that the answer is the young people. When I give you these teachings, I need you guys to go home, have these conversations with your parents about the stuff that you’re learning. Have these conversations with your peers, the ones that’s involved in gang violence. Because in school, we talk it out and we walk away and no one gets hurt.

As far as the gun violence side, I let them know the values that I’m teaching, use them. If you see danger, separate yourself. If someone tries to introduce you to having a weapon or joining a gang, XYZ, seek help. I try to build them up, to give them that strength.

I can’t be with them every walk of the way. I wish I could. But I try to give them enough tools that when that decision comes to separate yourself, where you see danger, to go the other way.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

I bowl heavy. I’m really into bowling. I’m into landscaping and it’s about that time I start putting my seeds down and getting the mulch out and flowers and taking care of a plant and just seeing how you can make the garden look. I play basketball, I run track. And other than that, I take care of my students. Whatever they have to do on their free time when they’re off. We have a lot of programs making sure they get to and from the programs. If they text me, I’m here.

Everything’s good because I committed my life to trying to save our young people.

This story is part of a collaboration between Chalkbeat Philadelphia and The New York Times’s Headway Initiative, supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) via the Local Media Foundation.

Sammy Caiola covers solutions to gun violence in and around Philadelphia schools. Have ideas for her? Get in touch at scaiola@chalkbeat.org.

Here’s how Colorado’s ‘Oscars of teaching’ award winner helps sixth graders tackle math

2026-02-18T18:53:34+00:00

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On a Thursday in January, Shana Engel and the rest of the teachers at Mountain Vista Community School in Colorado Springs gathered with their students for a special assembly. No one knew what it was for.

Engel, a sixth grade math teacher, figured one of her colleagues was being recognized.

But suddenly the cameras were trained on her, with students screaming and clapping as she picked her way through the packed bleachers to the gym floor, where Colorado’s education chief was waiting to give her a hug.

Shana Engel teaches math at Mountain Vista Community School.

Engel had won the Milken Educator Award, often referred to as the “Oscars of teaching.” The award is for early or mid-career teachers and comes with an unrestricted $25,000 prize.

“I was beyond surprised when my name was called,” she said.

Engel, who is one of 30 Milken award recipients nationwide this year, talked to Chalkbeat about how her fourth grade teacher calmed her “new student” nerves, what she learned from her mother’s struggle to learn English, and how she helps struggling students solve math problems.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was a student at Mesa Ridge High School in Colorado Springs. We had an elementary education elective class at school, which allowed us to visit the surrounding elementary schools and volunteer. I loved being in the school environment as someone the students looked up to and sought help from.

How did your own experience in school influence your approach to teaching?

When I was in fourth grade, we moved schools. I was nervous about moving to a new school and have always been a shy person. Somehow, my new fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Russel, sensed that. She brought me outside and introduced me to a group of students who would become some of my best friends at that school for the next couple of years.

I always remember the warmth I felt when I first spoke with her, and the satisfaction I felt when she introduced me to some new friends. It reminds me that all students are different and experience things that aren’t always pleasant, and that teachers have the power to help students adjust.

What other experiences shaped you as an educator?

My mother was born in Korea and moved to the United States after marrying my father, who was in the army. She spoke Korean at home. Throughout my life, I witnessed people’s reactions to my mom when they thought she could not understand them. It embarrassed her and made her feel ashamed that she did not read English and could not communicate very well.

She has gotten better at English over the years, but I always think of how hard it must have been for her.

This has helped me relate to students who aren’t English-speaking and those who have a challenging time understanding an educational world where terminology is so complicated.

Tell us about a favorite math lesson to teach.

My favorite math lessons are those on expressions or equations and those involving geometry. For example, students in sixth grade need to understand equivalent expressions, so knowing that 6(x + 5) is equivalent to 6x+30.

When my students struggle, I find the challenge of helping them understand enjoyable. By working in small groups, having students display their learning on white boards, and encouraging productive conversations with math vocabulary, students start to get better at concepts they once feared.

How do you help students who feel they are “bad” at math?

When students feel they are bad at math, I help them by asking questions. For example, if students need to calculate the surface area of a solid figure, I would ask them, “What is the first thing you need to do?” Many times, they think out loud and figure out where they are stuck.

For students who are very stuck, I ask them, “What shapes do you see?” “What do you know about the area of a triangle?” “If you are trying to find the total area of this figure, what would you need to do?”

Effective questioning helps students find the answer with minor prompting. When they realize they did the work, you can see their pride.

You also encourage “essential conversations” among students. Tell us how it works.

I have learned that students can help one another better than I can when given the opportunity to discuss things together. I provide sentence stems and give students specific topics to discuss. For example, I might say, “The partner with a higher number on their desk, tell your partner what shapes you see and how many of them there are. Lower number partner, agree or disagree, tell your partner why, and then identify the base and height of each shape.” I will then go to the group I notice is struggling or not talking, and ask questions.

Struggling students are paired with proficient students and students who are almost proficient are grouped with advanced students. So, there is always a partner who is stronger in math. However, students are required to speak back and forth through structured conversations so that the stronger math student isn’t just rambling to their partner.

The greatest secret for peer collaboration is building comfort with being incorrect. I often tell students, “Wrong answers are still great answers, because through fixing our mistakes, we develop a greater understanding.”

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective or approach.

Last year, I showed a parent how much growth her daughter achieved from the beginning of the year to the middle of the year.

She just smiled and said, “I hope you know how much she likes your class … She never used to like math. Her sister has always been better, but this year they help each other. It’s because of you.”

What is something going on in the community that affects the students you teach? How do you address it?

The district I work in has many single-parent households and many families are economically disadvantaged. Our school has many programs to support those who need food or clothing, and we have many bilingual employees to assist families who do not speak English.

I work hard to help students build their confidence and realize they can do hard things. I have provided after-school tutoring and led clubs, such as robotics and STEM, to build interest in different fields.

What are you reading for enjoyment?

I work with an enjoyable group of teachers, and we have a book club this year. We are on our third book, “Happy Place” by Emily Henry. The other book that I read for enjoyment every night is the Bible, which reminds me regularly to love and cherish others, and more importantly, to lend a helping hand.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

This Michigan assistant principal wants to help students succeed in college

2026-02-04T22:39:42+00:00

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Scheduling conflicts, disinterest, and fear of failure can keep students from taking college prep classes, says Tara Becker-Utess, assistant principal at Mason High School south of Lansing.

The veteran educator is part of a statewide cohort coming up with fixes to help college-bound students gain confidence.

“One of the misconceptions is that they are not smart enough – and that’s not the truth,” she said.

Honors, advanced placement, and dual enrollment courses can help prepare students for college.

Students who don’t receive scores of 4 or 5 on AP exams can still benefit, she said. “Even if they are getting a 2, that means they are prepared for a college-level course.”

Becker-Utess is close to completing an 18-month Michigan Leadership for Equity and Transformation fellowship. The program, a collaboration between the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals and the Michigan College Access Network, helps educators advance as school leaders.

The fellows complete projects aimed at helping students be successful in higher education. They consider data that shows how many students in their schools go on to finish college in four years and how many have to take a remedial course in their first year of college.

Tara Becker-Utess

Michigan has historically had a low rate of residents with college degrees. In 2023, the state’s post-secondary attainment rate was 51.8%, below the national average of 54.9%.

However, over the last decade, state data shows Michigan has significantly increased the percentage of students who successfully complete college or university. The most recently available data shows 60.6% of students who matriculated in 2020-21 graduated within four years from the state’s public universities – up by 16 percentage points compared to 10 years ago.

Chalkbeat talked with Becker-Utess about how she connects with students, handles difficult conversations, and more.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Was there a moment when you decided to become an educational leader?

There was not a specific moment, but I enjoyed the work that I was doing as a teacher leader in Charlotte, Michigan. I began giving presentations on topics including standards-based grading and the flipped classroom. My first job out of the classroom was as a mathematics and social studies consultant, where I was able to support teachers across Ingham county. I learned so much in this role, but felt a calling to get back to a building in an administrative role.

How do you get to know your faculty members and/or students?

I find that the best way to get to know faculty members is simply to listen. When I first started at Mason, I made it a priority to meet with all of the faculty that I would be evaluating to see what support I could provide them.

I recognize that it is just as important to get to know the faculty as humans and not just teachers. It is fun to hear about how their kids are doing at college or plans for upcoming breaks. However, it’s equally important to know the hard things they are going through so that I can provide support in the moment to help them focus on the hard things at home.

I find that being present during the school day in classrooms, hallways, and the cafeteria is the best way to get to know students. I enjoy greeting students at the front door each morning as well. Students will often come up to me to ask questions or just even ask about my day. It’s a good way to get to know students in a positive way before they are in my office for disciplinary issues. I try to do daily classroom pop-ins where I can talk to kids about what they are learning.

Tell us about a favorite piece of advice. Where did the idea come from?

A former colleague of mine shared that she always started her class with “good things.” She simply asked students each day what was going good in their lives. I started this with my own students at Charlotte and it was fascinating how much I would learn about each student and how much they would learn about each other.

I still use that technique as an assistant principal. We start all staff meetings with good things.

What object would you be helpless without during the school day?

Without sounding like the teenagers that attend Mason, I would say my phone. I really enjoy being out and about in the building during the day. Having my phone with me allows me to answer emails or handle other building business while I am still visible in the school.

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective or approach.

At our Student Support Team meetings, we try to determine the root cause of student struggles with attendance, behavior, or discipline in order to assign the most effective intervention. In some cases, we determine the best course of action is to meet with the student and family.

My initial approach was to get down to business and try to identify the problems and look for solutions. However, I now start the meetings getting to know the student and parent better. I let the student and family know that everyone sitting in the room is on their team). I also involve the students in these meetings to get their perspective on what is going on and how we can help. I believe it helps the student and parent leave feeling supported by the school rather than simply getting a list of things to do.

What part of your job is most difficult?

The unknown on a daily basis is what causes the most stress in my position. I often enter the day with a plan of what work I want to accomplish, which classrooms I want to visit, and who I want to check in with. However, a student incident can change that entire plan before the first bell even rings.

What was your biggest misconception that you initially brought to education leadership?

My biggest misconception was that I had to know all of the answers. I was concerned that if I didn’t know the answers, people would lose faith in me as a leader. When COVID hit and I was consulting with districts on how to use the various technology tools, I did not have all of the answers. It forced me to say “I don’t know” at times and then look for the answer. I often tell people that I am not sure, but that I will find out for them or I look for others (including the people who asked the question) who can help with problem-solving!

Tell us about a book that helped you become a better leader.

I read and took a training on “Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High” by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler earlier in my career. It really breaks down how to have difficult conversations. When I know I am facing a difficult conversation, I can go back to the Situation-Behavior-Impact template from the book.

I have used this approach many times while at Mason. In fact, for particularly difficult conversations, I will write down what I want to say for each component of the model before I have the conversation. It helps to keep the emotion out of the conversation and focus it on facts and moving forward.

What’s the best advice you’ve received about educational leadership?

All of the textbooks will tell you how important it is to get to know your staff and students. I saw this in action when I started at Mason High School. Principal Lance Delbridge and Assistant Principal Nick Toodzio served long tenures here and I noticed how much they knew about our staff and students. The strong knowledge came from setting aside a great deal of time to simply talk with these stakeholders and get to know them and their families. As a result, they really understood how to motivate people and who they needed to get on the bus to get something done at the school.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

This award-winning South Bronx teacher creates ‘living labs’ (and helps design Regents exams)

2026-02-04T20:02:20+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free monthly newsletter How I Teach to get inspiration, news, and advice for — and from — educators.

In New York, classroom educators often help create state assessments. Few however, are from New York City, like Bronx earth science teacher Carolina Castro-Skehan.

Since 2018, she has been working as an educational specialist with the New York State Department of Education, trekking to Albany to help develop the New York State Earth and Space Science Regents exams.

“The experience offers a true behind-the-scenes look at how the exams are designed and aligned to the standards,” Castro-Skehan said. “That insight is invaluable and has made me a stronger classroom teacher and a better mentor to other educators.”

But her path as an educator was not a straightforward one.

After college, Carolina Castro-Skehan worked for a New York City-based cosmetic company. It was fast-paced and even glamorous at times, she said. She used her biology and business background to understand the science behind the products and how they were marketed.

Then came the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, and her job began to feel “empty.”

Award-winning Bronx earth science teacher Carolina Castro-Skehan.

She pivoted to teaching, landing 24 years ago at DeWitt Clinton High School, the same public school she attended as a student. For the past five years, Castro-Skehan has been at Comprehensive Model School Project in the South Bronx, where she is the science department chair and teaches earth science to freshmen and sophomores.

To bring earth science to life, Castro-Skehan’s students participate in real-world projects such as growing produce for the school community or local food banks through a hydroponics program with NY Sun Works. She was recently recognized by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers with an “Outstanding Earth Science Teacher”award for both New York state and the Eastern Section for her sustainability and environmental projects.

Castro-Skehan also continually seeks out professional development opportunities and fellowships taking her into the field. She’s explored the Jurassic Coast in England, studied dinosaur fossils at dig sites in Montana, and sailed on an ocean drilling ship to learn how core samples reveal Earth’s past environments.

“Staying curious and continuing to learn alongside my students,” she said, “is what keeps my teaching meaningful and my classroom a place where curiosity thrives.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

My favorite lesson is our rain garden and street tree unit, which is really our core lesson on green infrastructure. It starts with a real problem students see every day: flooding around our school.

In the classroom, students build water filters and explore porosity and permeability, seeing firsthand why some surfaces absorb water while others don’t. Then we move outside. Students study the compacted soil around our street trees, loosen it, add fresh soil and native plants, and observe how healthier ground improves infiltration after storms.

Street flooding becomes becomes a way to teach geology, hydrology, ecosystems, and community action all at once. Throughout the year, students return to the same sites, observe changes after rainfall, and use what they’ve learned to argue for greener, better-draining spaces around our school.

Tell us how you approach teaching challenging scientific concepts particularly for students who are simultaneously learning English as a new language.

Hands-on, real-world science lessons are especially important for students who are learning English as a new language. When we teach through phenomena, students don’t have to wait until they’ve mastered scientific vocabulary to participate. They can jump in right away by observing, questioning, and making sense of what they see, which isn’t limited by language.

This kind of learning also allows students to participate from the start by sharing their own lived experiences. For example, when we study hurricanes or earthquakes, many students bring in personal experiences from events like Hurricanes Maria or Sandy, or earthquakes they experienced while living in the Caribbean. They talk about how their families prepared, what worked, and what they think could have been done better. Those conversations become the foundation for learning the science behind these events.

Language develops naturally as students explain their thinking, listen to one another, and refine their ideas.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom?

The area around my school is heavily urban. We’re crisscrossed by major highways and surrounded by heavy traffic, auto repair shops, and very little green space. Air quality is poor, flooding is common, and dilapidated concrete dominates the landscape. This is the reality my students walk through every day, and it shapes not only what I teach, but how I teach.

We talk about why our neighborhood looks the way it does, including the legacy of urban planning decisions associated with people like Robert Moses, that prioritized highways and automobile access over existing communities, public transit, and quality of life, particularly in marginalized neighborhoods. From there, we focus on what can be done to make it better.

How did you start working with the NY Sun Works hydroponics program? And how has that helped your school’s community while also giving hands-on learning experiences to your students?

I first became involved with the NY Sun Works hydroponics program through my work as a Master Teacher with Math for America. During a workshop at DeWitt Clinton High School, I saw how deeply students were engaged in growing food while learning the science behind it.

They were testing systems, collecting data, and producing nutritious food for their school community. I wanted to bring that experience to my own school.

Hydroponics labs are bright, active spaces filled with water, light, and growing plants that transform a dry classroom into a living lab. If I couldn’t green the space outside our school, I thought, maybe I could do it inside a classroom. That idea became a reality in our high school, where the hydroponics lab is now one of our most popular and successful science electives.

Because of that success, I worked with the development director of NY Sun Works, Megan Nordgrén, who helped identify a grant opportunity and supported me in writing the proposal, to expand the program into our middle school. With the support of my principal, Ms. Ricci, and approval from City Council member Althea Stevens, the project was allocated $200,000 in funding. In June 2025, we received confirmation that, once the budget passes, the School Construction Authority will fully fund the construction of the new lab in partnership with NY Sun Works.

The new middle school hydroponics lab will allow students to begin this learning earlier and will be named in honor of Jacob Pimentel, a beloved student who passed away in 2024 and was one of the first participants in our high school hydroponics program.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

When I think back on my own learning in high school, the most memorable experiences were the ones where I was given opportunities to lead my own learning with the support of a teacher. Those were the moments when I felt most engaged, challenged, and confident because I wasn’t just receiving information, I was actively making sense of it.

That experience shapes how I teach today. I try to create classrooms where students have ownership over their learning, where they’re encouraged to ask questions, investigate real problems, and take intellectual risks, knowing there’s a teacher there to guide and support them.

Amy Zimmer is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat New York. Contact Amy at azimmer@chalkbeat.org.

How this school chef is building healthy habits one vegetable at a time

2026-01-26T12:00:00+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free monthly newsletter How I Teach to get inspiration, news, and advice for — and from — educators.

The students at Circle City Prep aren’t big fans of squash – no matter which type their school chef makes. But they do like brussels sprouts.

Tracey Couillard, lead chef at the school, leans on her days working in Indianapolis restaurants to come up with ways to cook with vegetables and fruits that might be new to the students.

It’s all about “making sure we are intentional about what we are offering, and not just throwing spaghetti at a wall to make it stick,” said Couillard, who started her job a year ago.

The school’s kitchen is a Next Course Cafeteria through A Longer Table, a nonprofit formerly known as the Patachou Foundation which aims to make sure all students have access to good food. The organization partners with schools to have cafeterias that serve fresh and scratch-made foods. At Circle City Prep, Couillard leads a kitchen team of six other people to prepare scratch-made food for breakfast and lunch for more than 430 students that include fresh vegetables and fruits as well as daily salads.

What students are eating is also getting attention at the statehouse where house lawmakers advanced a bill to ban foods with certain food dyes and additives from public schools that participate in a “federally funded or assisted meal program.” The bill also requires schools to post a menu and ingredients online.

At Circle City Prep, Couillard said the fresh foods help students build healthy habits both inside and outside of school. And it’s led her to build relationships with students too.

“Sometimes kids will be in a sad spot and ask if I can have lunch with them, so then I sit with them and let them talk and let them share their feelings because there are a lot of big feelings between kindergarten and eighth grade,” she said.

Chalkbeat talked to Couillard about her daily routine, what makes her cafeteria special, and the biggest thing she’s learned on the job.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What led you to become the lead chef at Circle City Prep?

I was in the Army National Guard for 20 years, and after I retired from the guard, I started working in restaurants around Indianapolis and did that for about 12 years.

This opportunity popped up at a time when I needed a change, and I honestly didn’t know if it was going to be for me. Working in restaurants with adults is very different than working in a school kitchen with kids from kindergarten to eighth grade as your primary customers

But the kids are the best part. I’ve got kids that come into my office when they are having a bad day, and they build Legos while I’m working on something. I’ve got a couple of kids who come in after school and do extra practice on their reading.

I get a lot of joy and feel like I’m actually doing something helpful and making a positive difference in kids’ days.

Tell me about the meals you make at the school.

It’s mostly all from scratch and we do a lot of our own sauces. We’re very mindful of sodium, fat, and sugar to make sure we are serving good healthy foods for the kids to eat. Students have fresh vegetables and fruit. Every day they have a different salad option.

I started a program at the beginning of the school year to introduce them to new fresh fruits and new fresh vegetables, just trying to broaden their horizons.

At first, they were apprehensive because it’s something new but now, the kids get really excited about it, they are really invested in it.

How has the food made an impact on students?

They eat more vegetables now when they are coming through lunch, and that’s just good fuel for their bodies and their minds. They’re more willing to try something new too. It’s shocking to me how many kids I see with salads compared to last year because it’s just different exposure.

When they ask their people at home to cook something we had at school and it doesn’t taste the same, they’ll ask if I can share a recipe with their parents on how we do it so it tastes like it does here, which is really cool.

What does a typical day look like for you?

My day starts between 6:30 and 7 a.m. I check out the breakfast stations and make sure they are set, and oftentimes I’ll be walking the halls while the kids are coming in, touching base with them and making sure they are getting their breakfast.

I sit in on late breakfast. There are kids that come in late almost every day so they are already a little behind the curve. I sit down with them, make sure they have a good breakfast and their mind is set to jump in and go to class. I’m trying to be a positive touchpoint for them when they are starting their day.

In between breakfast and lunch, we are prepping. And at lunch, I’m helping kids move through the line, making sure that they have all the items they need on their tray to have a good meal.

What do you want people to know about what it’s like to have a cafeteria that emphasizes fresh foods?

They have to look at the kids as they are an investment. We are able to run a fully staffed kitchen and feed breakfast and lunch to more than 430 kids a day, and we are operating a scratch-based kitchen in the black.

You can run a successful school kitchen without using all of the processed foods, it takes practice, and it takes a certain amount of skill that maybe you wouldn’t expect from a school cafeteria.

But it’s an investment in the future. You are building healthy food habits and eating habits and trying to develop healthy relationships for kids with food. I’m teaching kids that good food can taste good.

What do you want to do next?

I would love to have a hydroponic garden in the cafeteria space. I would love to have a little green space where we can grow veggies and fruits and things like that. Because we serve salads every day, so how cool would it be to have lettuce growing in our cafeteria? The kids could see this is what is actually nourishing our bodies and this is how it grows to develop more of that connection of where does the food come from and how does it get to our plate.

What have you learned doing this job?

You don’t understand how much of an impact you can have on somebody else’s day. And you don’t always see that impact with adults, but it’s really easy to see that with kids. You can see their whole day shift with just a “Hey, how are ya? You good?”

You give them two minutes and those little time investments make a difference. That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned because it’s not hard to make somebody smile and share a little joy.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

How this Philadelphia teacher is training the next generation of educators

2026-01-12T18:06:10+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free monthly newsletter How I Teach to get inspiration, news, and advice for — and from — educators.

Philadelphia wants to help fill the city’s severe teacher shortage by training some students to become educators before they leave high school.

Gina Dukes champions that effort. She runs the district’s first career and technical education program meant to train future K-12 educators, which launched in 2023 at Science Leadership Academy at Beeber. The district also offers a similar program at Olney High School and an early childhood education program at Parkway West High School.

Students in the program at SLA Beeber learn the fundamentals of teaching, serve as teaching assistants, and have the opportunity to earn up to a year’s worth of college credit. The Center for Black Educator Development supports the program by providing curriculum and learning experiences.

Dukes, who has been teaching for nearly a decade, said the program isn’t just for students who are certain they want to become teachers. Her aim is to inspire any young person to look beyond what they think they’re capable of and plan for a career that can make a difference.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How did you decide to become a teacher? What led you to want to teach the education career training program?

It was the first job I got out of college. I was always interested in education — I’m from Philadelphia, and I’m someone who had really awesome teachers. I felt in a lot of ways, I got really lucky. I felt like I was kind of plucked out of some environments and put on a different path that a lot of my peers and even family members didn’t have access to.

I was at Daroff Elementary, which has now closed. A counselor told me to apply to Andrew Hamilton, where they have an academic track for middle school. There, I had Ms. Abbott as a teacher, who inspired the TV show Abbott Elementary.

Ms. Abbott was amazing, but she also demanded a level of excellence. She was like, “You’re going to work; you’re going to do public speaking.” That was like the first real challenge I had, and I thrived in her class. Then I went to Science Leadership Academy, where I had a really awesome teacher, Matthew Kay. He made learning so much fun.

I always wanted to be someone like Mr. Kay or someone like Ms. Abbott, who helps students to see themselves beyond what they saw themselves as. I knew that I wanted to change the education system because I felt like I got lucky.

My faith sustains me and reminds me I don’t have to have all the answers or do it on my own strength. I am still growing as a teacher. I realized teaching is not about having it all figured out — it’s about having the courage to keep becoming.

How do you approach teaching and inspiring your students?

Not everyone wants to teach, obviously, and teaching is not for everybody. So my program is for future teachers, but also future leaders. I tell them, regardless of if you want to go into education, you’re going to learn tangible, practical skills that can improve your college application, that can improve your resume, that can take you far in the world professionally.

Teachers are making lesson plans, they’re managing the classroom, they’ve got social emotional skills. That planning, time management, creativity — whatever job they want to do, it’s relevant.

Public speaking is also a big part of my program, college exposure, and leadership. I give students the platform to figure out what they want for themselves. Who do they want to be? What does success look like for you? How can you use the stuff in this program to take you there?

How do you discuss challenges in the education system with your students?

We start with a foundational understanding of the history of education in the U.S., including when schools first started and who were allowed to attend. Students learn about the education reform movements, and we look at current policy.

Every year we go to the state Capitol for student advocacy day, and we meet with lawmakers. Last year, the push was for stipends for student teachers. That really helps students see that they’re not just learning this stuff — this is real. They can actually get involved in these things.

My students see the challenges. I think they see the shortage of teachers who look like them. I think sometimes talking about the challenges makes them get fired up, and I definitely have a lot of kids who are activists in my program.

Philly and many other cities have a severe teacher shortage. What do you think your students need most to continue down the path to become educators and thrive?

One of the biggest things I see is support with going to college. If there could be more scholarships available to students who are committed to teaching in Philadelphia, in schools where there’s a high need, I think that would relieve a burden.

Often for my students, the biggest thing that makes them not want to get into teaching is they think about the money. They think, “Oh, you can’t make a living.” I try to tell them, I’m doing alright. I have been able to do things above what my family has been able to do because of the salary, the stability, the benefits of teaching that I don’t think people often hear about.

I think they also need to see that teaching can be fun. So many people when I tell them I’m a teacher, they say, “Oh, thank you for your service.” Or they’re sad for me, like they pity me. We need to reframe that.

It should be like, “Wow, you’re doing something that’s amazing! You’re changing the future. You’re creating better opportunities.” Not that it’s something to be looked on as a burden, but like a beautiful gift.

Rebecca Redelmeier is a reporter at Chalkbeat Philadelphia. She writes about public schools, early childhood education, and issues that affect students, families, and educators across Philadelphia. Contact Rebecca at rredelmeier@chalkbeat.org.

Chicago teacher Sharon Overton prepares students to perform ‘The Wiz’ before the holiday break

2025-12-15T22:52:22+00:00

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Ray Graham Training School’s gym buzzed with excitement on Friday as students in costumes rehearsed lines for a production of “The Wiz,” a musical that takes a soulful spin on “The Wizard of Oz.”

At the center of the tumult was Sharon Toi Overton, a special education and theater teacher who works with 12th graders at the school on the city’s South Side. She has put on plays with her students for the past five years.

At Friday’s rehearsal, she directed her students, going over their lines and making sure their costumes were perfect before their debut on Dec. 19 at King College Prep High School’s auditorium.

A student portraying Eviline performs in a production of "The Wiz" led by Sharon Toi Overton, the special education teacher at Ray Graham Training Center on Chicago's South Side on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025.

Overton is not new to acting or music. She is a Chicagoan who grew up in a musical family; her father played saxophone and her mother was a pianist. Overton took up singing and drumming, later becoming a lead singer and drummer in an-all girl rock and roll band in the 1970s.

Before she officially started her teaching career in 2000, she was an established actor in the city and performed with the Black Ensemble Theater, a theater company on the city’s North Side that puts on plays and has educational programs for students.

Overton became a teaching artist through the theater’s program and started to work with women with disabilities at the Ada S. McKinley Community Services, a nonprofit organization based in Chicago. Over the past 25 years, Overton has combined her love for the arts with working with students with disabilities.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I returned to Chicago in 1995 from Los Angeles to support my mom after she suffered a stroke. I auditioned and became a member of the Black Ensemble Theater as an actress. The founder of the theater, Jackie Taylor, who is not only an actress but also a former Chicago Public Schools teacher, and developed various educational programs. She trained interested artists to become teaching artists and placed them in schools around the city.

During that time, I decided to further my education as a special education teacher. One of my professors at Chicago State, Vinni Hall, recommended me for the special education program at University of Illinois-Chicago where I received my master’s. One of my professors, Abisola Bakare, was teaching at Ray Graham and suggested I perform my student teaching there with her. I completely fell in love with the climate and setting created by Principal Thomas and Vice Principal Buckner. The friendly yet professional and equitable standards set were outstanding. My colleagues are exceptional. In fact, the whole staff across the board was amazing. The students are extremely talented. I knew Ray Graham was the perfect fit for me.

What’s your favorite play to put on and why?

“The Lion King” is actually my favorite show to perform with students. “The Lion King” was so impactful. It was because it had drama, comedy, and tragedy. It showed every stage of life that you could possibly go through and still come out and triumph.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

My experience in school was wonderful. I loved school, except for math. I was raised in Hyde Park and I went to Ray Elementary School and Hyde Park Academy High School. I got a lot out of school as far as integration, because Hyde Park was so integrated. We had friends of all nationalities and races. My mom gave dinner parties like the United Nations was there. So school was fun, but there was also turmoil back in that day. There were a lot of sit-ins, walkouts, and strikes. It was a tumultuous time in the ‘60s and ‘70s. The Vietnam war was going on. There was always a cause that people were fighting for.

Did you participate in singing or acting at school?

Absolutely. I come from a musically-inclined family. My mom was a consummate pianist and enjoyed playing all genres from Beethoven to Motown. Her favorite was jazz. I can remember singing jazz songs before I started kindergarten. I was in the school plays throughout my early school years.

A student in a lion costume performs as the Cowardly Lion in a production of "The Wiz" led by Sharon Toi Overton, the special education teacher at Ray Graham Training Center on Chicago's South Side on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom?

Explaining and protecting the students from public scrutiny, restricted resources, time spent navigating politically sensitive topics, and diverting focus from instruction. The ICE situation when we go out on community-based instruction trips. We have students who did not understand what it was about. The safety while traveling on CTA when they hear the news regarding someone punching people on public transportation for no reason.

However, it’s not all negative. Ray Graham is a life skills training center that has professional and experienced educators who are involved with local businesses, college partnerships, and various programs designed to meet the students’ needs, to ensure a positive result. When businesses or local universities partner with our school, it provides real-world learning opportunities, mentorship programs, career days, and internships. This makes classroom lessons more relevant and engaging for students.

How do you approach news events in your classroom? Please provide an example.

I will share it with them and lay down the foundation of what’s going on, because they’re not just hearing it with me. If they’re at home, they’re hearing this news, and they know what’s going on. I ask them, what is the response at home? Because I don’t want to disrespect the parent’s point of view either. We have to maintain a good collaboration with the parents as well and a rapport with them. So, I tried to maintain whatever their parents are talking about, just expound on it, wherever each student is, where their understanding level would be. Then I allow them to turn and talk.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

My mom always said, “You can get angry, but make sure you don’t stay angry.” That’s a choice. You don’t carry resentment and anger with you. Go and get everything out, and then let it go.

What’s one thing you’ve read that has made you a better educator?

I have a philosopher that I really like to read, Jean Piaget. One of his philosophies is about putting the lessons right above the students’ level. Set your expectations high, but don’t make it unreachable.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

Singing, dancing, massages, traveling, but mainly getting together with my friends that I’ve had since we were 3-and 4-years-old.

Samantha Smylie is the state education reporter for Chalkbeat Chicago covering school districts across the state, legislation, special education and the state board of education. Contact Samantha at ssmylie@chalkbeat.org.

This Newark teacher says AI tools are helping students write better and ask sharper questions about the past

2025-12-15T11:00:00+00:00

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For nearly two decades, Scott Kern has worked to make history feel more alive for Newark students. He does so through close readings of Fredrick Douglass’ Fourth of July speech or, most recently, by weaving artificial intelligence tools into his classroom.

Kern, the AI innovation lead and history department chair at North Star Academy’s Washington Park High School, teaches AP U.S. history to ninth and 11th graders. He joined North Star in 2007 and has spent the last decade at the charter network’s Washington Park campus.

Kern didn’t always envision himself in the classroom. In high school, he enrolled in a world history course instead of orchestra after realizing he had reached his full potential on the violin. That switch set the tone for his career. A standout teacher sparked his fascination for the past and “started a love affair with history that hasn’t abated since,” Kern said.

Now, in his 19th year of teaching, Kern reflected on the lessons that shaped him, why his favorite lesson still surprises him every year, and how AI is influencing what happens inside his Newark classroom.

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I was certain I would do something with history as a ninth grader. In middle school, I played the violin and was in the orchestra, but it was pretty clear that I had peaked. So I had to meet with my guidance counselor to reconfigure my schedule and replace orchestra. That replacement class happened to be world history. That class and that teacher – Mr. Bentivegna – changed my life and started a love affair with history that hasn’t abated since. I majored in history in college and earned a bachelor of arts, then headed to graduate school to pursue a doctorate in history. One day, when I was at the library working on an esoteric paper for a graduate medieval history class, I started to wonder if this was really what I wanted to do with my life (the answer was “no”). I thought about the people who really changed my life and why, and it was my teachers. After that reflection, I finished my master’s degree, went for yet another master’s degree, and have been teaching history ever since.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

My favorite is our close reading of a portion of Frederick Douglass’ Fourth of July speech from 1852. I just love everything about it. You have one of the greatest speakers in American history, invited by a group of abolitionist women in New York to give a speech honoring American independence. I try to transport students there. We picture all of these women sitting in their seats and imagining that he is going to thank them and deliver this soaring speech about the Fourth of July and instead, it’s an excoriation. Abolitionists in 1852 are losing – America has just passed a fugitive slave law that endangers all African Americans, including Douglass himself, and slavery is becoming increasingly entrenched in American society.

We zoom out to consider Douglass’s purpose, audience, and word choice. Why would Douglass have come out so intensely in this way? Was this the right message for this audience at this moment in history? What can this tell us about how leaders of social movements try to effect change?

Students are absolutely enthralled every year. We only read a few paragraphs, but they always find something new that surprises. It’s a reminder that history is complicated and beautiful and that we need to bring it to life for students.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom?

Artificial Intelligence is affecting Newark and pretty much every other community in America. I’ve been using AI tools with students for the last two years, such as custom chatbots that I’ve built to help students revise their writing and or debate ideas before class discussions.

The results so far have been really encouraging. Last year, I had my highest AP scores and pass rate ever. I’m also co-teaching an AI literacy class for seniors starting in January and hope to expand it next fall. The goal is not just to teach them how to use these tools, but how to think about them and the world in a humanistic way.

How do you approach news events in your classroom?

We often look at how history echoes the present. Sometimes it’s in the hook and close of class to engage students in the content and then connect it to broader events that will help them see the trends in history.

When we studied the Douglass speech example from earlier, we started off class with pictures of the American flag – one at an ICE protest in L.A. and another from a Fourth of July parade. Students reflected on how the symbol of the flag can evoke different meanings depending on the context. That helped students see how Douglass and his audience could experience the same holiday in very different ways.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I was an underachiever and a procrastinator for a long time. Some great teachers tried to pull me along, but it never clicked for me. That experience makes me hyper-aware of students who are capable but aren’t intrinsically motivated. If my teachers had let me just float in that state, my life would be very different. I’d like to think I’m doing the same thing – trying to nudge students along to reach their potential.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

The best advice I ever got was from my father, who encouraged me to be committed to whatever I chose to do. That has framed much of my life since. I knew I wasn’t going to be the smartest or the fastest at anything, but I could control my effort. Over time, I was determined to commit to things and try to out-hustle everyone else. Teaching isn’t a competition, but it has required extraordinary levels of commitment over the years. I credit my father for instilling that drive in me.

What’s one thing you’ve read that has made you a better educator?

Reading Zaretta Hammond’s “Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain” felt like a strong pedagogical approach to teaching that I believed in and had seen in class. Her explanation of how the brain’s amygdala shuts down when threatened makes higher-order learning nearly impossible. When students feel threatened, their brains shut off the ability to do meaningful learning. It spoke to me deeply and reinforced my belief that a physically and intellectually safe environment is important for meaningful learning.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

Friends and family are my priority outside of work. We have family rituals that keep me grounded. Family dinner at the table with no devices is obligatory except on Friday, which is movie night. We spread a blanket on the floor for our kids, and we have dinner and a movie together. I also try to get together with a group of friends at least once a week, usually to play board games. I love that board games bring people together in an analog way that promotes dialogue and human connection.

Jessie Gomez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org

How Colorado’s 2026 Teacher of the Year channeled his dislike of viral TikTok challenges

2025-11-18T23:06:37+00:00

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The TikTok challenges were getting to Stephen Paulson. The ones where students steal items like soap dispensers from school bathrooms or smash Chromebooks, all for a viral moment on social media.

Paulson, a social studies teacher at Greeley Central High School in northern Colorado, knew the episodes were not only damaging school property but also staff and community perceptions of students.

As school started in the fall of 2023, he had an idea. Paulson and one of his ninth grade classes spearheaded a monthly school clean-up day. It started with 20 students and soon grew to include students from all four grades and tasks far beyond picking up trash and wiping down desks. Students began helping out at every major school event, volunteering at local elementary schools, and joined service projects in the community.

“The magic of this project was giving students an opportunity to lead and give back to the school,” he said.

Paulson, who was recently named Colorado’s 2026 Teacher of the Year, talked to Chalkbeat about how the clean-up project helped change minds, why his students write personal essays about family migration, and what he did to give 10th graders hands-on career experiences.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

When I first enrolled at the University of Northern Colorado, I was planning to pursue a pre-law path. But within a day of college orientation, I switched my major to education. I have always been driven to help others and I felt that a career in education would allow me to support my community.

How did your own experience in school influence your approach to teaching?

I loved elementary school and found it very easy, but as I got to middle school, that all changed. I no longer enjoyed school and had very little success. I was even attempting to fake illnesses to get out of going. Eventually, I realized that I had to play the game of school, even though I did not enjoy it. I did my best to get good enough grades and test scores to attend college, but I could have accomplished much more.

I try to remember my own struggles when I am working with students to help them avoid the mistakes that I made or recover from them when they do fail. I try to be honest to a fault, supportive, and to push students to be their best.

Tell us about a favorite lesson to teach.

If you happened to walk into room 321 during sixth period AP Human Geography in late September, you would see 35 students, all new to AP, working on their first essay. The curriculum says students must demonstrate understanding of different types of migration, causes, and common patterns. Our mission is to show understanding through a narrative essay of our own family migration histories.

To understand why I care so much about this lesson, you must understand who sits in room 321. These 35 students represent our school, community, and the world. Many students in the class (roughly 60%) are English learners. There are over 10 ethnicities represented and five different languages spoken. Seven students are advanced while 11 are behind. Every type of person is represented and welcomed into our space.

The migration essay exemplifies one of my key beliefs: Every person in my classroom belongs, and all of their experiences are valuable and add to every lesson I teach.

What is the Career Mentor project? Why did you start it?

A fundamental part of my teacher identity is being part of Advancement Via Individual Determination or AVID, a nationwide program designed to help first generation students access college and their dream careers. The 10th grade year emphasizes career exploration.

For my first two AVID cohorts, we took a deep dive into career fields. Students took surveys, did research, wrote essays, and made poster boards that they presented to staff and students. But deep down, I felt like this wasn’t enough. Then two former AVID students gave me an idea: Get your students into the community to see these careers up close.

I put up a simple Facebook post explaining the goals of the project and the careers that students wanted to explore. I received hundreds of comments, texts, emails, and messages. Within a few days, we had 90 AVID sophomores paired up with “career mentors.”

The project has three parts: a professional email from students asking to set up an interview, the interview, and a one-day job shadowing experience followed by a reflection essay. Students got to teach mini-lessons as elementary teachers and spend time with doctors, nurses, and lawyers. Others even got to fly in planes at the Greeley airport to learn more about aviation careers.

At a time where public education is being questioned and challenged, our community got to meet our students and see how incredible they are. The students got to meet mentors and show that they really value their school, their education, and their community.

You helped start the Castle Clean Up. What is it and how did it evolve?

TikTok Challenges have encouraged negative behavior and school vandalism. Even though more than 95% of students are not involved, it impacts staff and community perceptions of all students.

As we returned for school in the fall of 2023, we had a staff meeting on student behavior concerns. I listened to the suggested solutions and felt we needed a different approach. I took my idea to our AVID classes. We began a program called the “Castle Clean Up.” (Greeley Central was built in 1927 and looks like a historic castle.)

Every month we would pick a day and stay after school to pick up trash inside the building and around the campus. We would also go in and wipe down every single desk and whiteboard in the school.

Office staff, teachers, custodians, and administrators were blown away by the number of students who showed up and how serious they took this task. The first clean-up was attended by freshmen in my AVID class but by the time the next date came, students from all four grades began to show up.

The number of students became so big that I had to find new ways for them to get involved. Students began volunteering to act as family liaisons and translators for back-to-school night and ninth grade orientation. They were student leaders and program advocates during parent-teacher conferences.

This simple project has done much more than making the halls and classrooms look more inviting and presentable. It’s created more positive interactions between students and staff and chipped away at negative perceptions. I cannot say that this project has completely changed the culture of a 1,600-student school, but what it has done is brought a wide range of students and staff together.

Staff members who made negative comments about student behavior in that staff meeting now contact me and ask for student volunteers to help with their events. We have even begun connecting with the local elementary and middle schools and volunteering at events like field days, track meets, and acting as mentors for younger students. This project started with about 20 students wearing rubber gloves and carrying trash bags and is now expanding out into the community of Greeley.

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective or approach.

I remember hosting parent-teacher conferences for the first time and having very poor attendance. I followed up later that week with families I was hoping to meet with, assuming that the language barrier was the reason they did not attend. I even had a translator call with me in hopes of resolving their concerns.

What I learned from those phone calls was many of my student’s parents did not get a formal education through 12th grade. In fact, many barely got to finish elementary school. So while language was a hurdle, the real issue was not feeling comfortable in an American school. They trusted me as an educator to a fault and would not even question me if I was wrong. This changed how I viewed school and its role in connecting students and families to the school itself.

I started sending home monthly newsletters that are translated so they feel more aware of what is happening in the classroom. I used to think that was an elementary school practice but it’s been well received by families. I also send them personal invitations to come to school and not mass communications and that makes them feel more welcomed.

What are you reading for enjoyment?

I really enjoy understanding how people think and what they do to reach incredible levels of success. I am also a big sports fan and admire Coach Nick Saban. I am currently reading his book, “The Leadership Secrets of Nick Saban” by John Talty. I really love how he pushes others to reach their full potential and even go beyond what they thought they were capable of.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Indiana Teacher of the Year 2026: Meet Megan Johnson, a ‘dedicated literacy champion’

2025-11-12T12:00:00+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free monthly newsletter How I Teach to get inspiration, news, and advice for — and from — educators.

Indiana’s 2026 Teacher of the Year Megan Johnson always knew she wanted to be a teacher.

Growing up, she loved the classroom. And her teachers helped her build confidence and discover her talents, despite being a student who “often blended in,” she said.

“I realized that what I loved most was the relationships and the sense of belonging that school created,” Johnson said. “I knew I wanted to be part of giving that same experience to my own students one day.”

As a fourth grade teacher at Central Elementary in Plainfield, Johnson said she wants “to be the teacher who truly sees every student, who takes time to know them well, and who pours into them the way my teachers poured into me.”

Johnson was named Teacher of the Year by the Indiana Department of Education in October, and said she’s still “in awe of it.” The more than 60-year-old state program aims to inspire and celebrate the teaching profession in Indiana. State Secretary of Education Katie Jenner praised Johnson for her embrace of the science of reading, calling her “a dedicated literacy champion.”

In her new role, Johnson said she wants to get to know teachers across the state.

“I want to celebrate the hard work and dedication of educators and share the great things happening in our schools with the broader community,” she said. “Above all, I hope to carry the voices of teachers and students with me, shining a light on the passion, creativity, and heart that exists in classrooms across our state.”

Below, Johnson told us about her love of reading, pitching a playground project with her students, and the best advice she’s ever received.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

I tell my students all the time, “Oh, this is my favorite subject,” or “This is why I love teaching science,” or “This is why I love teaching math and reading.” The truth is, I really enjoy all subjects because each one has something special to offer.

Megan Johnson, a teacher at Central Elementary School in Plainfield, hugs students after she was named the 2026 Indiana Teacher of the Year by the Indiana Department of Education.

Science stands out because it is so hands on and gives students the chance to learn through discovery. I can introduce a concept, but they get to explore and see the learning come to life in front of them. That moment of curiosity and excitement in their eyes is incredible to watch. In fourth grade, we do a lot with energy, and those lessons are so much fun. Students make real connections and begin to see how the world works.

Still, I could choose favorite lessons from every subject area because each one offers its own kind of magic in the classroom.

What does teaching literacy look like day-to-day in your classroom?

In my 19 years of teaching, literacy is the subject that requires the most effort, care, and understanding of each individual student. It is something that I am always studying and reflecting on, trying to find the best ways to reach every learner in my classroom. I truly believe that students need to have a purpose for everything they do in reading. When I let them in on what that purpose is, they invest more deeply in their learning and take greater ownership of their progress.

Over the last five years, I became a strong supporter of the science of reading. Even when I did not fully understand it at first, I knew it was something worth trying. Each year since, I have continued to add new practices and strategies that align with that research.

In my classroom, literacy is active, purposeful, and engaging. My students read a variety of texts and apply comprehension skills in meaningful ways. For students who need it, we include focused work on phonics. I make it a priority to build background knowledge and vocabulary across all subject areas so students can connect more deeply with what they read.

Megan Johnson, the 2026 Indiana Teacher of the Year, poses for a photo with state Secretary of Education Katie Jenner.

Literacy in my classroom is a living, growing process that I continue to refine each year, and I am so proud of the progress my students make through it.

What is an example of the project-based learning you do with students and community partners?

I am especially proud of a playground redesign project that my students and I created in September 2020.

After reading a text that highlighted the diversity of needs, we took a closer look at our own playground and realized that it was not fully accessible to all students, including some at our school. That sparked an important conversation about inclusion and fairness, and I challenged my students to redesign our playground so that all children in our school and community could use it.

We discussed working within a budget, researched playground equipment that would meet the needs of children of different ages and abilities, and even brought in an architect to talk about design, blueprints, and accessibility standards. My students created digital models of their redesigned playgrounds and presented their ideas to our principal for consideration.

This project went far beyond a single subject. It combined literacy, math, science, and technology, but more importantly, it helped my students see the impact they can have on the world.

Although the funding wasn’t available to make it happen, it was one of those experiences that truly made learning come alive and showed students that their voices and ideas matter. One student fell in love with architecture, and still plans to pursue it as a career as a now middle schooler.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

The best advice I ever received came from my first principal, Mr. Mike Underwood. He told me to “shut my door and teach” in the kindest, most loving, and professional way. At the time, I did not fully understand what he meant, but looking back, it makes perfect sense.

What that advice means to me now is that there will always be a lot of noise around education. There are positives and negatives, and sometimes the negative voices seem louder than all the good that is happening in schools. But there truly is so much good within the walls of every classroom, including my own. I have made my classroom an anchor place for my students. I bring in people from the community to connect with them, use best practices and research to guide my instruction, and make sure my students have everything they need to grow and be successful.

So, in that sense, I do exactly what he told me years ago: I shut my door and teach.

Inside those walls, I can control the climate, joy, and learning. It is a space filled with positivity and purpose. I block out the noise that does not serve my students, and when they leave my classroom, I hope they carry that same joy, learning, understanding, and confidence into the world.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

Outside of school, my most important roles are being a wife and a mother. My husband and I are raising two sons, a 10-year-old and a 14-year-old, who are both active in sports. Along with their activities, we love exploring, hiking, and traveling. We have visited 19 of the national parks, and we try to take trips that help our boys see the world, meet new people, and gain a broader perspective on life.

I also take care of myself in smaller ways. I enjoy running, reading, and spending time with friends over meals, sharing stories and catching up. Balancing family time, outdoor adventures, and moments for myself helps me recharge and stay grounded, so I can bring my best self to my students each day.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

How a kid who hated school became a superstar Bronx teacher: Lunch-and-learns and basketball helped

2025-11-10T22:40:49+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free monthly newsletter How I Teach to get inspiration, news, and advice for — and from — educators.

Angelo Imperati never wanted to become a teacher. He disliked school and couldn’t wait to finish.

He only went to college to make his parents happy. But while there, he befriended a girl and began to take the same courses as her. Soon, he found himself student-teaching and signing up to take the teacher certification exams.

Twenty-one years later, Imperati is an award-winning fifth grade teacher at P.S. 75 in the Bronx, where he teaches math to three classes and leads social studies lessons twice a week to his homeroom class. He also started a basketball league for his students and beyond. As 2025’s FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence grand prize winner for elementary school educators, he received a grant for $25,000, and his school received $10,000. (Nominations for the 2026 FLAG awards are open through Nov. 30.)

Imperati couldn’t be happier than educating kids from the borough where he was born and raised, making learning feel relevant to their lives.

“I share stories about myself, and show them how I have used the topics I’m teaching in real life settings,” Imperati said. “I create word-problems using my students as characters in the problem. We, as a class, act out the problems to bring it to life, and students begin to make that connection between what they’re learning and the application of it in a real-world situation.”

He focuses on building community and a “sense of belonging” for his students. At lunch, he opens up his room to kids from across his school for tutoring. He cooks for his students on Thanksgiving and brings his outdoor pizza oven from home to make pizza with the fifth graders for an end-of-year party.

His approach yields academic results, Imperati said. Of his 60 students who took the state math tests, 55 of them — or 92% — showed proficiency levels. The citywide average for fifth grade math was 57%, according to public data.

And though he’s proud of his students’ test scores, he was disheartened to see that test prep programs were basically the only option in terms of after-school activities. So he started a basketball league and has been continually adding teams over about 10 years.

“It was a perfect outlet for kids to exhaust some of their energy, and give them an organized activity with something that they enjoy doing,” Imperati said.

We talked to Imperati about his approach to making school feel relevant and fun. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom or school?

My school is located in the South Bronx. Some of our students live in shelters, struggle financially, or come from broken homes. Some children don’t know where they are going to sleep, or where their next meal will come from; but yet they are still expected to care about a fraction, a decimal or anything else getting taught.

I believe this is a teacher’s and a school’s biggest obstacle. How can I get them to care about education when they have all these odds against them? How can I empower them and help them overcome life’s challenges? How can I make them feel like their existence matters and are essential parts of their communities? As an educator, I feel immense pressure to do everything in my power to help put these kids on a path to success.

How have you boosted student performance? What’s your secret?

It’s about building a relationship where students feel valued and respected. I believe once you’ve established that sense of trust and respect with your students, they will work harder to make you, their families, and most importantly themselves proud.

We are a community of learners that follow a growth model; a classroom where the focus is on realistic, individualized goals for every child.

Bronx teacher Angelo Imperati

In addition to this, I strategically pair students up to encourage collaboration in my classroom. It creates an atmosphere where they are all responsible for each other’s learning and success. I give up my lunch every day to do lunch-and-learns. My top math students stay to “tutor” any child who wants to come for extra help. They eat, mingle, and learn.

Lastly, I communicate often with my students and parents. I create online assignments that address topics that have been taught in previous lessons and questions that relate to the current topic being taught. Students are expected to complete and submit these daily assignments on Google Classroom. Every evening I check these assignments and leave feedback for every student.

I also created a digital math notebook that students, parents, and guardians can access anytime they need clarity or assistance with the work.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

When it comes to math, I don’t really have a favorite lesson to teach. I just love to teach. I love the challenge of finding ways to make math practical for my students. I love finding ways to motivate and inspire children (especially children from the Bronx) how to be successful in their educational paths, how to ultimately be successful in life, and how they can be positive contributors to their respected communities and world they live in.

I love educating students on past events like slavery, World War II, and what happened to the Native Americans during the age of exploration. I teach about the current injustices that are happening in our world today and how we can learn from the wrongdoings and injustices of the past. These lessons create excellent discourse around topics like racism and inequality, and allow students to look at the world from a different perspective. It helps build community within the classroom, and I believe students are transformed through these lessons.

Tell us about the basketball league you’ve founded. Why is coaching so important to you?

I began by organizing a basketball program during recess time for fourth and fifth graders to participate in. I had about 30 kids that would participate on a daily basis. I began to notice the difference it was making, especially with the “troubled” kids. I started to make them responsible for their behavior and academics to stay in the program.

Later that year, my principal hired a basketball organization to come and work with the kids. If I remember correctly, she paid about $15,000 for nine weeks. At the end of the year, I put forth a proposal to my principal allowing me to run my own after school basketball program for a lot cheaper than she was paying this organization. Thankfully, she granted my wish, and the following year, I set up an after-school basketball program for third to fifth graders. I partnered with another teacher and a school aide. We had about 40 kids.

While running this program, I began to reach out to other schools to set up exhibition games. We would take our 10 best players to travel to different schools to play against different competitions. I saw how these games would attract the surrounding community. My new goal became partnering with different schools to form our own basketball league.

With the support of my principal, I was able to partner with several other schools in my district to create a District 8 elementary basketball program. We are entering our seventh year as a league.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

An excellent piece of advice came from my boss when I worked in a dry cleaners while in college.

I was 19 years old and very short tempered. My boss noticed my temper and anger on a couple of occasions. This one particular night, after we closed, he called me into his office. I thought he was going to terminate me. The first thing he asked me to do was take one hand and ball it into a fist. He then asked me to use the pointer finger on my other hand and travel along my knuckles of the hand that was balled into a fist. He asked me what did I feel. I replied, “ups and downs.” He replied, “That’s life!”

He explained that when I’m feeling down, I should keep my head up because I am surely bound to go back up again.

I have used this analogy every year with my students. My hope is that they realize no matter how hard life gets, and no matter what individual adversities they may encounter, there are brighter, better days ahead.

Amy Zimmer is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat New York. Contact Amy at azimmer@chalkbeat.org.

This Philly educator helps students map the land, water, and sociopolitical systems

2025-10-16T20:16:40+00:00

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High school educator Anna Herman is a self-described “food person.” But her interests and expertise extend well beyond the plate.

As an urban agriculture, food, and natural resources teacher at The U School in North Philadelphia, Herman asks her students to research soil health and study the connection between the land, water, and the sociopolitical systems that contribute to their lives and diets.

“It’s about understanding the cycles of nature. It’s about understanding how to have access to more fresh, healthy food,” Herman said. “We’re trying to give kids exposure to things and then tangible career pathways within those things, so that there’s a sustainability throughline within that work.”

This year, Herman was selected to create a new curriculum unit through Yale University’s National Initiative program, which pairs public school educators with Yale faculty to “strengthen teachers’ content knowledge,” according to the program description.

Herman’s unit is called “Mapping the Future.” It combines analog and digital resources — think clay and paper as well as drones and Geographic Information Systems software — to map everything from Philadelphia’s topography to the indigenous histories of the Lenape people as they navigated displacement and environmental changes.

Herman wants her students to “excavate stories” about our land and geography and understand “the connections between how food grows, how energy is used in the food system, and how food companies use cognitive science to sell you ultra high processed foods” among other issues.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

Before this, I ran an out-of-school time urban agriculture entrepreneurship program at Awbury Arboretum called Teen Leadership Corps. I was doing that, and I was an urban garden educator at Penn State Extension. I ran the Master Gardener program for six years. And before that, I was in the industry. I was a food business consultant and entrepreneur. I was a chef, and a caterer, and I worked in restaurants.

I didn’t go to graduate school, I saved up a chunk of money and I traveled. What I learned when I traveled is that every culture that has great cuisine, it’s really about the connection between the crops that are grown, or the cheese that they make, the wine — whatever it is, it’s very much place-based. So I became interested in gardening from that. I was always a food person. I became a garden person and a garden educator because I wanted good ingredients.

I didn’t quite understand those connections initially, that good cooking comes from good ingredients, good ingredients comes from good farms. Good farms come from good soil. Good soil comes from taking care of the cycles [of nature] so I became an environmentalist, sort of through the back door of food. And then I really became an environmental educator probably when I had kids.

This is my capstone career. I came to teaching in my late 50s with a lot of experience in food, agriculture, and natural resources and so this program was a natural thing for me.

What does your work look like in a classroom setting?

We do a boatload of food growing indoors and out. We do some food processing, we do a lot of field trips and work with partners. Our major focus is green career exploration. So it’s thinking about whatever interest you have, there is some way of thinking about that in a more sustainable way. If you’re interested in construction, it’s understanding the material supply chain in the construction field. It’s understanding energy. We do a lot of trips, we have a lot of really fantastic partners who take kids out in the field.

In our classroom, we’re telling sustainability stories around Philadelphia, place-based stories using tools from National Geographic’s 2892 Miles To Go education program, like these powerful GIS tools that [students] could use to do place-based storytelling projects. … We had all these resources. We had all these workshops. It was a really fantastic experience.

I realized one of the things that was missing for me and for [students] was a deeper understanding of how to use how to use maps, how maps can be part of the storytelling, but also how they can help you understand the environment, how they can help you understand history, how they can help you tell stories, and how they can help you learn content.

And how does that tie into your ‘Mapping the Future’ unit?

This mapping unit very much starts with what this geographic area was like before humans. It imagines ecological time. And then it goes into what it looked like when the Lenni Lenape were here. And you can see the neighborhoods, you can see Wingohocking [Creek]. You can see Manayunk, which meant ‘the place where we drink,’ and this is the place where we got clams, and all these names that kids will recognize. And then we use 3D printing to make the shape of Philadelphia.

I have a lot of hands-on opportunities to learn the shape and the geography and the geology of Philly, and then how it specifically relates to watershed issues, environmental issues, where were factories located in the ’50s that now are creating lead issues in the soil? Where’s the water flowing from here to there?

One of our partners brought in a map, literally the size of our gym, that the kids could walk around on and look at the river. They could walk from Schuylkill County down to Philadelphia. And then in Philadelphia to see where the water actually flows.

Anna Herman's students at The U School participate in a map activity.

Students don’t quite understand that we drink the river. If we throw our trash in the street, it ends up in the drinking water, and we have to pay to clean it up. And so we’re trying to make all these very tangible connections in a place-based way.

We’re trying to combine data collection, data visualization, with how you communicate about issues, and how you advocate for things.

How do challenges going on in Philly communities impact your lesson planning?

Every year I poll students and have a process for excavating what things matter to them. It’s almost always gun violence, the opioid crisis, and trash. Those are the three things that they notice that they really want to change.

Our first unit of the year is very much about viewing the city through the lens of those issues. It turns out there’s a lot of really interesting research about how greening and cleaning impacts gun violence and various public health measures.

They find that out for themselves, and then they are very excited to actually [act on it] they’re like, ‘oh miss, we should go out and clean the yard, because people have been throwing stuff around.’ I’m like, ‘that’s a great idea. There’s 12 brooms and four pairs of gloves over there. Go ahead.’ The idea is for them to come up with these solutions.

I have a huge back burner of ideas and projects that we could work on and whatever things kids in this particular cohort are interested in we pull up for the front burner.

What’s something you’ve read that’s made you a better educator?

“The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and “Braiding Sweetgrass” were two books that really were influential in terms of reminding myself how connected everything is and how important it all is.

I am a big reader, and I think that speculative fiction, sort of imagining the future and imagining this place in the future—you can’t push towards change without having an idea of what the future is going to be like. I do a lot with the “Parable of the Sower” and “Parable of the Talents” [by Octavia E. Butler].

Ezra Klein’s new book called “Abundance” is also pretty special. Just in terms of the political realities.

In a couple of my units I do flash fiction and ask students to just quick-write: What do you imagine it would be like if we don’t make changes? And if we do make changes? Imagine from the perspective of a kid waking up in North Philly looking out the window, what do they see? What do they smell?

Carly Sitrin is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Philadelphia. Contact Carly at csitrin@chalkbeat.org.

This Michigan alternative high teacher sees his students reach everywhere in his small community

2025-10-15T19:57:17+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free monthly newsletter How I Teach to get inspiration, news, and advice for — and from — educators.

Corey Rosser doesn’t have to go far in the rural community in which he teaches to see how much his former students have to offer.

When he goes to the bank, he’s likely to see students he taught at Quest High School, an alternative high school in North Branch Area Schools, working there. When his son broke his arm, the emergency room nurse was one of his former students. So was the coach for his son’s youth basketball team. And when their community needed a grand marshal for a Fourth of July parade, a former student who became disabled serving the country in the Middle East was chosen.

“The impact is everywhere in my rural community because my students are everywhere, and are the most likely to remain local,” Rosser said. “I am proud of the contributions my students make to the community they are now an integral part of.”

Rosser, Michigan’s Teacher of the Year for 2025-26, is a longtime teacher in an alternative program. He knows well the misconceptions people have about the students he teaches — that they’re lazy, unmotivated, have little to offer, and are unable to learn. He also knows well that those misconceptions couldn’t be further from the truth.

Corey Rosser is a program coordinator and teacher at Quest High School in North Branch Area Schools.

“They may either just be motivated differently or not motivated by what you are teaching,” Rosser said.

Often, it has nothing to do with education.

“When you have a student that works 40 hours a week to help pay their families’ bills, their poor performance has little to do with your curriculum. It has to do with competing interests,” he said. “My interest is the subject. Their interest is keeping the lights on. That is the challenge. You have to bridge that by providing an authentic learning experience that they see benefitting their lives.”

Rosser has been a teacher for 22 years and is the program coordinator and a teacher at Quest. He spoke with Chalkbeat about his career, his favorite lesson on political affiliation, and connecting with students.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I decided to become a teacher after working at Teen Ranch, a juvenile detention center, during my college summer breaks. It was the first time that I found a calling that wasn’t about me … and even greater, was bigger than me. It was the first time I wanted to be “better” for the sake of helping others. I knew that teaching was what I was meant to do.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

My favorite lesson to teach about political affiliation through a political compass quiz. The political compass quiz asks students numerous questions about their ideology. At the end, it places them on a political compass scale that shows their leanings based on their belief system. As an educator, it isn’t about whether they identify with left or right leaning politics. It’s about their ability to articulate why they identify with a respective party. It forces students to think about what they believe and support that belief with sound rationale. It’s not teaching them what to think, but how to think.

After completing the test, students submit their results anonymously. I compile the responses and present them on a political compass chart, along with graphs and pie charts that display historical data from previous years’ students. This data allows students to identify trends and make inferences about the data. Engaging students through their direct participation in the political compass test draws them.

Additionally, we critically examine the validity of the political compass test itself. We ask important questions: What biases might exist in the test? What motivations could someone have for creating it? Were any questions slanted to favor one side over another?

This unit defines my teaching philosophy in several ways. I believe that the driving force of learning lies in questioning. We must strive to understand the world around us and identify how we fit into it. Each of us should have a set of principles guiding our behavior, and those principles should be consistent across all situations. Discourse is crucial, but even more important is understanding how to engage in discussions that lead to resolution.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom (or your school)?

I don’t like to think of it as something separate. That being community and classroom. The classroom is the community; the community is the classroom. As educators, we get wrapped up in our four walls, our curriculum. Those are obviously important, but if students can’t see parts of their community in the classroom, and if my community can’t see the impact we are having in classrooms then we have failed. We work to remove those barriers. I work with great students and families, but with working with at-risk youth they have few mentors that drive the community. Connecting them to the community is crucial to helping them see their future success in it. That is true with our learning community and the community of North Branch at large.

How do you approach news events in your classroom? Please provide an example.

I think you have to approach current events understanding that not everyone perceives an event the way you do. Fake AI-generated news on social media platforms makes it difficult. People’s social media algorithm feeds them news similar to their previous clicks. It has divided us more than ever. The first step is to sift through what is “news”. By that, I mean, what can we confirm to be true. The 24-hour news cycle can make it difficult as well with evening reputable news sources wanting to break information on the story. We start there. What is real? What do we know? How might perspectives on the event be different? How can we respectfully discuss it, acknowledging different perspectives, and feeling our perspective heard?

How do you develop relationships with students who have struggled in a traditional school setting?

In my experience, developing relationships with at-risk learners is more difficult because they don’t particularly care about the ethos. They don’t care about what you have accomplished. They want to know what you can help them accomplish. Their path is full of well-intentioned adults who are successful with most learners, but fail to connect with them. You have to care consistently and relentlessly. They have to see that you aren’t going away. You have to value what they value. You have to incorporate it in your approach. It can’t be one-sided with the student being expected to meet you even in the middle, not at first. But more than the individual relationships, it begins with a culture. If you have a school with a strong, inclusive culture that will get you over the first hurdle.

How will you use your voice as Michigan Teacher of the Year to advocate for teachers and for students?

My message to students is to take advantage of every opportunity. We live in a country where all doors are open to you. Your decisions in school can keep them open or start to close them.

My message to all teachers: “You Are Enough!”

Corey Rosser in his classroom at Quest High School in North Branch Area Schools.

The challenges we face in education can often feel overwhelming. We are frequently told that we don’t do enough — whether by society, parents, community members, or even administrators. The most painful critiques come from our students.

Many students face daily challenges that are unfathomable to most. You owe it to them to put forth the best version of yourself. Your efforts are enough.

I feel like a failure, at least at some point during each day. Some days I know I have done everything in my power. Some days I feel like a fraud. Being recognized as Michigan Teacher of the Year has not changed that. YOU ARE ENOUGH!

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

My own high school experience was very positive. I was a leader on my sports teams, captain and MVP of some. I was president of the student council. This gave me a very narrow view of what the high school experience was. I built leadership skills in so many ways. Early in my career, my view of students was that if they couldn’t achieve the same it was their lack of effort. I didn’t understand the many variables that kept them from the experience. More so, I didn’t fully understand that many of my students didn’t value those same things. The contrast between my experience and my students’ experiences was so stark it led to a lot of failure as a teacher early on. I was blessed to have great mentors to follow. I evolved and adapted to remain relevant in my students’ lives.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

The best advice that I received was that you have to let people try and fail. You can’t save them from every lesson they need to learn. Failure is the greatest teacher. When you rob a student of failure, you steal an opportunity to grow.

What’s one thing you’ve read that has made you a better educator?

I think one of the most influential books that I have read as an educator is “Detroit Divided.” The book was very eye-opening. Being from a small, rural community growing up, I tended to view the world as very black and white, right and wrong. There is much more gray than we care to admit. It showed me there was a deeper layer to any subject. While the book is a study of historical race relations in the Detroit Metro area, the theme can be applied in so many ways across social classes.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

How this Tennessee teacher builds student confidence through show lambs and bees

2025-10-15T11:30:00+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free monthly newsletter How I Teach to get inspiration, news, and advice for — and from — educators.

While growing up on a livestock production farm in Arkansas, Megan Clegg probably couldn’t imagine how her upbringing would translate into a career years later.

She first used her degree in agriculture to work in veterinary science while she coached competitive gymnastics, before she dipped her toes into substitute teaching at Northwest High School, located in northwest Clarksville, Tennessee.

After an administrator encouraged her to become a certified teacher, Clegg realized she was qualified for a transitional license to teach students the subject she’d been steeped in her entire life.

“As a teenager, I was an avid 4H member and always wished that my high school had an agriculture program so I could have been a Future Farmers of America member,” Clegg said. “There is a lot of irony in me becoming an agriculture teacher. I am blessed to give students something that I always wanted when I was their age.”

After 14 years at Northwest, Clegg has helped build a robust agriculture program, imparting her passion for sustainability not just inside the classroom but by developing a school farm.

Clegg says her class prepares some students for post-graduation jobs in agriculture.

Clegg draws on her background in vet science to teach Clarksville teens animal husbandry, working with sheep and cattle, while classes also help maintain school bee hives. Students also take on the responsibilities of caretaking land and animals, repairing fences and managing groundskeeping.

“The farm idea all started because I was asking for permission to keep a few animals on the school campus,” Clegg said.

The farm has helped teach hard work and discipline, Clegg said, in addition to showing students school beyond a desk.

Though Montgomery County was once a rural area of Tennessee, Clarksville has risen as one of the fastest growing and rapidly developing cities in the state. As farmland dwindles in the area, Clegg is even more committed to spark a connection between the land and her students.

“People need to understand and know where their food is coming from for agriculture to be protected and live on to future generations,” Clegg said.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What is your favorite agriculture lesson to teach, and why?

Animal husbandry lessons are my favorite to teach. The basic care and reproduction of animals are essential to successful agriculture, and these are the lessons that usually intrigue the students the most. I also think I enjoy these lessons the most because they link to my personal experience of growing up on a farm and working at a veterinary clinic. The class discussions and student questions during these lessons are exciting as an educator.

What other topics/lessons does Northwest’s agriculture program include, and why do you think it is an important offering for high schoolers?

My fourth-year course includes the opportunity for students to obtain an industry certification in animal science along with hands-on experience working on the school’s farm. These seniors get a taste of what it is to work on a farm and with livestock. The students spend time with the show lambs and cattle, checking the health of the bee hives, building and maintaining fences, and basic groundskeeping.

Many of these students plan to work in an animal field upon graduating high school and this course is a resume builder. Time spent on the farm makes these students more marketable in any applicant pool.

Clegg's students help maintain the farm's beehives and care for various other animals.

Do you have a memorable teaching moment where you saw a student really connect with the subject or build a relationship with agriculture outside of the classroom?

Since my time at Northwest, the agriculture department along with the help of wonderful community members have developed a school farm. One of the opportunities that the farm has provided is the development of a livestock show team. We participate in local livestock shows, and the farm provides a place for students to house and train their animals to prepare for the shows.

This has provided opportunities to many of the students but one student particular stands out. This young man came into my class with no agriculture experience or connection. In the three years that I had him in class, he went from a very reserved student to the kid in the show ring, showing livestock animals with confidence.

He learned so much from the show team program. His mother even shared that she was no longer concerned about sending him off to college because his level of responsibility had grown so much from being a part of the show team.

Your school is in a once rural area of Clarksville. Do you feel the location and community affects what and how you teach agriculture lessons, and vice versa?

Clarksville is growing faster and faster, and a lot of the farmland is being developed into homes. I do not have many students who are directly connected to agriculture, which is why I feel the importance of my job is growing. The further students are removed from the origin of their food source, the more that they need to be educated on agriculture.

The community I teach in is very supportive of our agriculture program and have shown a lot of support to help us grow. They have been instrumental to the development of the school farm and livestock show team. My senior level students utilize the farm almost daily during the school day. The farm has allowed for my students to have more hands-on learning opportunities.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how do you put it into practice at work?

Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed, from Proverbs. I strive to have a growth mindset and remember to reach out for advice and help no matter how small or large the project or situation. It is a blessing that the agriculture community in my area is made up of some of the best people I know, and they are all willing to share their expertise with me. The district that I teach in is also a wonderful network of support to reach out and seek wise counsel.

What advice would you give other teachers interested in incorporating sustainability and agriculture lessons in their work?

I advise other teachers to network within their local agriculture community. Working with local agriculturists has been one of the smartest things that I have done to help students make connections with agriculture and sustainability. One activity that I started a few years ago with my older students is a farm tour series. We visit local farms and agriculture businesses and hear how agriculture is working within our community both on a large scale and small scale. These visits really show the students the opportunities that are here locally for them to enter the field of agriculture.

If you have a student who comes into the class disinterested in agriculture, how do you help them connect with the material?

I start with getting to know them as a person and find out their interests. Usually from there, I am able to find a connection between what they like or plan to do in the future to agriculture. Agriculture is everywhere and most people do not realize these connections. And if that fails, I have still developed a relationship with the student and then they tend to at least start to see and understand the value and importance of agriculture. If they can grasp that it is important to their future, even if they do not want to go into the industry, they become a more willing participant in the learning.

Melissa Brown is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact Melissa at mbrown@chalkbeat.org.

How one bilingual Chicago Public Schools graduate became a dual language educator in the district

2025-09-29T22:02:26+00:00

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Yehiri Gonzalez first heard about a new program to shepherd Chicago students into teaching careers at the height of the pandemic. After receiving an email from the school district, the then-high school senior and her friends debated whether the program could be real.

Gonzalez was intrigued.

The daughter of Mexican immigrants, she had spoken little English in the early grades and struggled to keep up, at one point leaning on a tutor who came to the shelter where she had stayed for a time. She credits growing as a student and getting into the highly selective Lane Tech College Prep High School to finding peers and educators who shared and understood her background. She wanted to offer that support to other students.

As it turned out, the program, known as Teach Chicago Tomorrow, was no scam. It was a new district partnership with City Colleges of Chicago and Illinois State University that offered students financial assistance, academic guidance, and eventually, priority for CPS teaching jobs.

Gonzalez became one of 20 students in the program’s first cohort in 2021. She was one of five to graduate with an education degree in four years and begin teaching this fall. Another five are still on track to graduate in the next couple of years.

In total, 246 students have enrolled in the program, including a record 102 who started this fall. The district’s goal is triple the number of CPS grads it hires to teach each year, from about 140 to more than 500.

After graduating from Illinois State University and student-teaching at Talcott Elementary on Chicago’s Northwest Side, Gonzalez returned to the school in August as a sixth grade teacher in its dual language program. She spoke with Chalkbeat about being an English learner in CPS, making it through Teach Chicago Tomorrow, and learning to lead her own classroom over the past month.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What stands out the most about your experience as a student in Chicago Public Schools?

What stands out is the experience of being an English language learner. It can be hard to accept the fact that you’re an English learner if you are born and raised here. That was a big part of growing up for me, and I know that many of my classmates had that similar experience of feeling like a weird English language learner. I do belong in this program because I don’t speak English, but then I don’t belong, because why don’t I know English? Obviously, I do not think that anymore.

When I was a child, I really loved being in a bilingual program. I was in the program up until third grade, and I had a really good sense of community and belonging even though I was transferring constantly. Especially if the teachers looked like me and spoke the same language as me, I felt an even greater, more authentic connection.

Do you have a memory that captures just how challenging it was to be an English learner at the time?

When I was in fourth grade, I got put into a monolingual English program. All my classmates spoke English. My teacher only spoke English. I had a really challenging time, especially because the school community did not look like me, and I felt like I didn’t belong there. How do I connect with these people? How can I create a friendship? How can I learn in this environment? Because of that language barrier, I didn’t understand what I was doing most of the time. I remember getting straight Fs that year.

You were learning English and also for a time living in a shelter. How did you navigate that?

At the shelter, we were learning English for a bit. It was a little bit more basic, and it was whenever we had the chance to do it, because sometimes the hours and the timing were difficult for me. But there was some support there, and sometimes they had things like homework help. But when I was in fourth grade, I was not living in the shelter anymore, so that actually made it more difficult to get any support outside of school.

How did you eventually find your stride as a student and your way into Lane Tech, one of the most selective high schools in CPS?

In fifth grade, I got put into a different school. It was also monolingual English, but I felt more connected because there were more people who looked like me and spoke my language, and I didn’t feel ashamed of speaking Spanish. I felt more comfortable trying to speak and write English. In fifth grade and sixth grade, I had already adapted to English, so that I was helping the newcomers who had just arrived. I was translating all the work to Spanish for them.

As a person who’s first generation and the oldest in my family, I didn’t know what selective enrollment was at all. In eighth grade, there was a mentor from the nonprofit City Year. Her name was Colleen. She said, “You have really good grades, and there are different types of high schools that you can go to.” She walked me through the process. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t think I would have been successful in getting into Lane or even trying to apply.

When did you first start thinking about becoming a teacher and why?

It was something that I always had in the back of my mind. I’m the oldest of four, so I was always helping my siblings with school. In middle school, I would help the newcomers translate their work. When I was in high school and we had service learning hours, I would volunteer at the local park and help fundraise money for kids so that they would have access to programming. So I found myself going into education because I really wanted to help and let students have that authentic connection and someone who represents them in their classroom.

How did you find your way into the Teach Chicago Tomorrow program?

My friends who are in the program and I always joke about this. It was COVID, the winter of 2020-2021. Everyone is trying to figure out where you’re going in the middle of a pandemic. All of a sudden, we get this email from CPS that says, “Do you want to be a teacher? Join a Q & A session for the Teach Chicago Tomorrow initiative.” And we’re like, “This sounds too good to be true.”

I remember speaking with my counselor at Lane, and she said, “It’s a new program. That’s why no one has heard of it, but you should definitely apply. I think you would be a good fit for it.” I got in, and I met other people who had that same mentality as me, who were products of CPS, who wanted to teach at CPS, and who were bilingual and first generation. We were really able to connect and learn from each other. And all of us are educators today, teaching in CPS.

How much academic, financial, and other support did you get through the program?

My first two years, I went to community college at Truman virtually. I was able to have support from a program partnered with Teach Chicago Tomorrow called Supporting Emerging Educator Development. They explained, “This is what community college looks like. These are the classes that you need to take to successfully connect to Illinois State University.”

They helped us get access to mental health resources. We were also able to get academic help through One Million Degrees (a nonprofit that provides academic, personal, and other support to City Colleges students). We had access to staff who were able to support us through our transition to Illinois State. Every single credit that I took at Truman went into my Illinois State degree so I was able to finish my bachelor’s in four years.

The district says that the program is set up so ideally, students can complete it without paying any tuition or fees. Is that how it played out in your case?

Through CPS, I connected to Lincoln Park Zoo, and I interned there. Then they hired me as a part-time educator. I worked at the zoo for three years, and then because of Teach Chicago Tomorrow, we were offered positions in the CPS Tutor Corps initiative that started in 2021.

They also have some scholarships, but it really depends. You get a scholarship your first two years of community college, but when you transfer out, you don’t have that scholarship anymore. I’m a Golden Apple scholar as well, so that’s how I paid for school.

This fall you are teaching sixth grade at Talcott. What have these first weeks of leading your own classroom been like?

It’s been a lot of trial and error. How do we make sure that students give their input and their value? For example, when I graded their math classwork, instead of just giving them a grade, I asked them, “What does it look like to get an A in this classroom?” Co-creating those norms and expectations together helps them see, “I know that I can do this because we came up with it together and have that mutual agreement.”

They are taking initiative in their own learning and becoming more independent. Thankfully, I have the students that I student-taught last year. So I’m able to better support them and pick up off where I left off last year.

Do you feel that during this first month, you’ve learned something about teaching that you can’t necessarily pick up taking classes or even student-teaching?

I feel like a lot of it is making decisions on the spot. You learn a little bit about that during your student-teaching, but you still have support from someone else. Being by yourself and having to do everything on your own, it’s a lot of, “Wow, I have to really make this decision quickly, and what’s the best decision?”

Mila Koumpilova is Chalkbeat Chicago’s senior reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Mila at mkoumpilova@chalkbeat.org.

This NYC teacher is learning how to fight burnout and improve educators’ well-being

2025-09-17T11:31:38+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free monthly newsletter How I Teach to get inspiration, news, and advice for — and from — educators.

Natalie Yasmin Soto pours herself into her job teaching English as a new language to students at a Manhattan transfer school.

For 10 years she’s been at the James Baldwin School, serving students who tend to have struggled in traditional settings and are at-risk of dropping out. For the past three years, she’s also worked as her school’s teacher co-director, closely watching how local and national policy shifts affected not only students and families, but also educators and support staff.

Natalie Yasmin Soto studied well-being practices this summer she plans to share with her colleagues.

This summer, she had the time, space, and funding to grapple with these matters and dream up some possible solutions. Through the Fund for Teachers, she enrolled in “Resilience and Well-Being Strengths for Teachers” and “Energy Tools and Mind-Body Activities for Self-Care” courses in Barcelona, Spain and Florence, Italy. (This year, 351 teachers across the nation won grants between $5,000 to $10,000 for self-directed summer study.)

“We are deeply invested in supporting our young people to become self-sufficient adults who are compassionate, healthy, inquisitive, and joyful contributors in the world. But doing this work IS work,” Soto said. “And you cannot pour from an empty vessel.”

Over the course of this year, she hopes to share the new skills she’s learned with her colleagues to help them feel more balanced while increasing their “capacity to serve and respond as we weather the changes ahead.”

In many ways, Soto said, the challenges of working with young people remain the same: making sure that students are learning things that feel relevant and useful. But now, there’s an added layer of doing that amid “an individual and collective fear and threat to the safety of themselves and their families,” especially for her students who are undocumented or from mixed status families.

She tries to stay grounded by finding the small victories.

“It’s when a student makes it to class on time or meets a deadline despite the responsibilities of work or sibling care. It’s when they become comfortable enough to talk to another student and they have lunch together,” she said. “The triumphs are in the moments when, despite all of the pressures and fears and noise, they get to be kids. They get to be learners.”

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I’ve realized my answer to this varies over time – shifts in perspective and all that. But I think the truth is I fell into teaching from a place of curiosity and indignation.

While in a Ph.D. program at an Ivy League institution in my early 20s, I taught a course I’d designed on short stories. From a compositional and grammatical perspective, students’ writings were often without major error. Their analyses were arguably adequate, but lacking in depth.

Shortly thereafter, I found myself teaching in a very different setting. Almost all of my students were first-generation college attendees, many children of or themselves immigrants from the Caribbean, and at least half were adults 20+ years my senior attending college for the first time.

But what I found, consistently, was that despite their depth of analysis in discussion and the nuance in their understanding of the connections and complexities of family dynamics and inequities, their writing – from a composition perspective – didn’t capture their brilliance, insights, analyses, or experiences.

I’d had students when I was teaching in the Ivory Tower who never once doubted their skills or their right to sit in a college classroom, despite an absence of life experience and still-developing critical thinking skills, and yet here were students who looked like me who lacked the confidence to continue. I thought, “How do I lower the first-year college dropout rate?” and figured, “Well, I’ll just leave academia and get licensed to teach high school.”

It makes me laugh a little that, to me, the solution was both so obvious and so simple – and maybe naive? But, years later, here I am.

Can you tell us a bit more about some of the challenges you’ve been seeing with those students and how this summer’s work might help?

For many in New York City Public Schools, the influx of newcomers in our classrooms has raised unanticipated challenges – ones that exceed the need for added language acquisition support and test the unconscious biases that even the best-intentioned harbor.

I’m really proud to be a part of a community that, I think, does consistently admirable work in meeting the emotional regulation needs of our students and their families – newcomers, long-term [English language learners], and home language speakers of English alike. I genuinely watch my colleagues and administrators in amazement at the skills they have in this regard.

But that skill demands a lot of labor and effort, no matter how many years in you are. It’s my hope that in expanding our adults’ reservoirs in this arena, we’ll be better positioned as a community to take on the work of learning how to increase our instructional capacity across English language proficiencies to better teach our city’s newcomers.

Any best practices you can share with other teachers regarding working with English language learners?

A best practice that I think too often gets overlooked is being deliberate in our communications with families and loved ones. Don’t assume because a child is not a designated [English language learner] that their families wouldn’t prefer communications in a language other than English. Confirm in which language families prefer written communications versus spoken ones. When utilizing an interpreter, direct your communications to the family member, not the interpreter.

Remember that, for so many families, schools can be scary. They can be intimidating places of judgment and even chastisement, and no matter a student’s behavior or academic performance, families are our partners in the work and deserving of dignity and respect.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

At Baldwin, we have crew (advisory), and two of my absolute favorite lesson series to run in advisory are one based on unconscious bias and the other is more financial literacy related.

The first is great to run at the start of the year whenever you have a new-ish group. It’s fun for students because it gives them the permission to outline all of their assumptions about you and then work collectively to interrogate/reflect on what they’re basing those assumptions on. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it builds community and I’m all for it!

The other is both sociology- and financial literacy-based. It comes up whenever a student says they can’t wait to move out on their own after high school. (And there is always at least one!) We do a StreetEasy deep dive, project necessary budgets, and conduct asset mapping to interrogate what accounts for the differences across ZIP codes.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom (or your school)?

Censorship in education, at both the national and local level, is an undeniable force that both interferes with the education of young people and undermines the professional integrity and skills of teachers. There is a moral imperative to provide young people with information that is rooted in fact and teach them how to identify falsehoods, verify sourcing, and interrogate perspectives so that they can draw their own conclusions, take their own stands, and determine how they want to show up in the world.

When narratives are falsified, limited, and/or manipulated, when explicit and implicit gag orders are issued, we rob young people – and society – of the opportunity to build a compassionate world that is solutions-oriented and responsive, rather than retaliatory, self-righteous, and violent.

Amy Zimmer is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat New York. Contact Amy atazimmer@chalkbeat.org.

How this teacher has used zoology to teach lifelong skills for roughly two decades

2025-09-16T11:00:00+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free monthly newsletter How I Teach to get inspiration, news, and advice for — and from — educators.

When Sherry Jackson teaches zoology at North Central High School, many of the lessons are ones she did when she took the course for the first time at Indiana University.

Students do behavior studies, memorize more than 120 birds that live in Indiana, perform dissections, and take timed exams — all similar to the lessons Jackson did as a college student.

She remembers thinking she could never memorize so many animals by sight, and the feeling of accomplishment when she eventually did. And she said the timed exams are an opportunity for her to get to know her students and their interests.

“Zoology is just amazing to me,” Jackson said. “To see the similarities and differences from one animal to the next and compare those to humans, how could your curiosity not be sparked?

This year marks Jackson’s 23rd year as a teacher at the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township’s North Central High School, where she teaches anatomy and physiology in addition to zoology. And she said she considers the school her home, filled with educators who care deeply and who are always learning.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I can remember as far back as kindergarten playing teacher. My mother was heavily involved in the PTO at my brother’s school, and she would bring home old or used school books. I used them to teach my dolls and any friends who came to visit. I even tried teaching my brother, though he wasn’t a fan. Once I got into elementary school, I often found myself helping my peers. I guess the calling started early.

I originally went to college with the intention of becoming a doctor. I majored in biology at Indiana University Bloomington and was in my final semesters when I started having recurring dreams about my future. I had even taken the Medical College Admission Test and begun looking at medical schools, but in these dreams, I never saw myself as the doctor — only as the instructor teaching future doctors. That dream stayed with me. After graduating in 1993 with a degree in biology, I entered the teaching program at IU and never looked back.

How did you become interested in and start teaching zoology?

Life sciences in general are absolutely fascinating to me, but zoology was by far my favorite course in college. That class sparked my curiosity more than any other. I got to learn about animals that I had never seen or heard of and I was challenged with learning extensive amounts of information.

When I came to North Central in 2003, zoology wasn’t available to teach. As the new teacher, I was assigned Physical Science (now called Integrated Chemistry and Physics) and Biology.

A few years later, the department chair and my mentor, Mr. Charlie Russell, approached me about taking on zoology. The moment he asked, I was thrilled. I’ve been teaching zoology ever since, and I love it.

What’s your favorite zoology lesson to teach, and why?

It’s hard to narrow down because I love everything about zoology. We’ve designed the course to be very laboratory-intensive — students spend two to five days each week in the lab.

If I had to choose, my favorite unit is Chondrichthyes — the cartilaginous fishes such as sharks. It’s our first major dissection and allows students to compare the anatomy of sharks with that of mammals. I love watching students work at their own pace, explore in depth, and make real-world connections between shark anatomy and their own. The excitement and sense of accomplishment they feel by the end of the unit is contagious.

What impact does studying zoology make on students?

I’m a huge proponent of teaching lifelong skills, and I’m fortunate to do that through science. Most of my students won’t major in zoology or work with animals, but they will leave my class knowing how to read and follow directions, stay organized, work independently and in teams, and — most importantly — think critically.

Some of my former students have gone on to become doctors, dentists, nurses, teachers, and more. I like to think I played a small role in helping them develop the skills they needed to succeed. Nothing makes me happier than when a former student comes back to thank me. That’s the best feeling in the world.

What was your experience with school and how does it affect your work today?

I’ve been around long enough to see many “new” ways to educate students come and go. Often, these so-called innovations don’t last. I consider myself a bit “old school,” and I firmly believe many traditional methods are still the best. The methods I use are from the time I spent in both high school and college.

I emphasize reading — students in my classes use textbooks. I believe in pencil-to-paper work because it builds stronger neural connections. I also stress multimodal instruction, exposing students to new material in multiple ways.

At the same time, I see myself as a Montessori-inspired teacher. My motto is: “The mind cannot forget what the hands have learned.” Hands-on learning is at the core of what I do. In my classroom, it’s always “go, go, go” and “do, do, do.” We don’t just sit at computers all day — we do science. Some students transfer in from schools where they’ve never done lab work, and I find that unconscionable. My entire education revolved around hands-on learning and I continued this practice in my own classroom.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

The best advice I’ve received is: Maintain high expectations and always be consistent with students.

When I talk to new teachers, I always give them this advice. Younger teachers really struggle with the consistency aspect and that can get them into trouble. Gray areas in rules and expectations can really stress out teachers so I learned to be as consistent and hold high expectations with everything I do in the classroom when students are involved.

At first, some students mistake high expectations for being strict or even mean. But once they understand how much I value education, they realize I hold them accountable because I believe in them. I make a point to let them know when I’m disappointed, but I also celebrate their successes. Even rare students who don’t earn the credit in my class grow in meaningful ways, and witnessing that growth is the greatest accomplishment of all.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Por qué a este maestro de Newark le encanta enseñar cuarto grado

2025-09-05T16:25:30+00:00

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Read in English.

El cuarto grado es una etapa emocionante para los estudiantes. La secundaria está a la vuelta de la esquina y pueden empezar a practicar más autonomía con el apoyo y la guía de adultos de confianza.

Eso es lo que más le llama la atención a Carl Thomas, maestro principal de matemáticas de cuarto grado, del año que enseña, en KIPP SPARK Academy en Newark.

“Es el momento ideal en el que un niño empieza a descubrirse a sí mismo y a volverse más independiente”, dijo Thomas.

Hace varios años, Thomas pasó de un trabajo de oficina a trabajar en el aula. Lleva seis años como educador y este otoño inicia su tercer año en su escuela actual.

El primer día de clases para la mayoría de los más de 6,000 estudiantes de KIPP en Newark fue el 25 de agosto, y los grados de kínder, quinto y noveno comienzan días antes. Una forma en que Thomas y su profesor asistente se preparan es revisando los datos de rendimiento de su nueva cohorte de estudiantes del año escolar pasado para ver “dónde necesitamos alcanzarlos académicamente y qué recursos podemos proporcionarles”.

Sobre todo, añadió Thomas, lo que desea es ayudar a sus alumnos a convertirse en la mejor versión de sí mismos, tanto académica como socialmente.

“A menudo, la mayoría de los estudiantes tienen dificultades con la confianza en sí mismos, lo que suele afectar otras áreas”, afirmó Thomas. “Como docentes, es nuestra labor ayudar a desarrollarla y aportarles todo lo positivo que podamos”.

Thomas habló con Chalkbeat sobre por qué decidió cambiar de carrera a la educación, cómo apoya a sus estudiantes cuando los eventos fuera del aula los afectan y las formas en que su propia experiencia mixta con la escuela informa su trabajo hoy.

Esta entrevista ha sido editada para mayor brevedad y claridad.

¿Cómo y cuándo decidiste convertirte en maestro?

Antes de dedicarme a enseñar, estaba en mi cuarto año de trabajo en el sector corporativo estadounidense como analista de cumplimiento en Manhattan. La docencia siempre me había llamado la atención, pero siempre estaba presente en mi mente. Durante mi adolescencia en Maplewood, Nueva Jersey, trabajé como consejero de campamento durante muchos veranos. Durante la universidad, hice prácticas en la Oficina de Servicios Juveniles en Elizabeth, Nueva Jersey.

Carl Thomas, mestro principal de matemáticas de cuarto grado en KIPP SPARK Academy. (Cortesía de Carl Thomas)

A lo largo de esas experiencias, siempre estuve enseñando y forjando relaciones con los niños y sus familias. Me encantaba esa parte del trabajo.

La enseñanza empezó a ocupar un lugar más destacado en mi mente cuando mi entonces novia (ahora esposa) trabajaba como maestra en Newark. Cuando hablábamos de nuestros días, las historias que compartía a menudo reflejaban mis experiencias cuando niño en escuelas de East Orange y Newark. Me dije: “Yo podría hacerlo”. Empecé a darme cuenta de que la docencia era la manera ideal de aprovechar mi tiempo para generar un impacto significativo. Mi propia trayectoria educativa fue accidentada, así que siempre existió una relación de amor y odio antes de convertirme en maestro. Una vez que comencé mi trayectoria como educador, empecé con buen pie, y el resto aún se está escribiendo. Se puede decir con seguridad que mi relación con la educación ahora es puro amor.

¿Cuál es tu lección favorita para enseñar y por qué?

Esta es una pregunta difícil de responder. Disfruto enseñar todo lo que puedo a mis alumnos. Siempre tomo todas las lecciones o materiales y los conecto con el mundo real. Por ejemplo, al enseñar geometría básica, como líneas paralelas y perpendiculares, hago referencia al barrio donde se encuentra la escuela. Muchos de los alumnos viven cerca, así que les ofrece una conexión con la vida real al hablar de sus calles y cómo se intersectan o no. Enseño matemáticas, pero también tengo experiencia en lectoescritura. Ser integral me ha ayudado enormemente a comprender las dificultades de los alumnos y a abordarlas eficazmente.

Simplemente me encanta y disfruto enseñar.

¿Qué es algo que sucede en la comunidad que afecta lo que sucede dentro de tu salón de clases?

Doy clases en el Central Ward de Newark. Mis alumnos provienen de diversos orígenes y situaciones. No hay un solo factor que afecte lo que sucede en mi aula, sino muchos: algunos positivos, otros negativos. Por ejemplo, un día cualquiera, un alumno podría estar esperando la llegada de un nuevo miembro a su familia, mientras que otro podría unirse a nosotros a mitad del año escolar desde otro país.

El año escolar pasado, una de mis alumnas perdió a su hermano mayor a causa de la violencia con armas de fuego. La apoyé organizando almuerzos con ella y algunos amigos, ofreciéndole “descansos mentales” durante las clases y hablándole con frecuencia para que se sintiera segura y cuidada. Terminó el año con un excelente rendimiento académico y asistencial. Esto me recordó que, independientemente de lo que suceda fuera del aula y en nuestra comunidad, es fundamental crear espacios seguros donde los estudiantes prosperen emocional, social y académicamente.

¿Cómo abordas los acontecimientos noticiosos con tus alumnos?

Cuando hay una noticia importante, la mayoría de las veces, es algo que tengo que preparar la noche anterior y decidir cómo o cuándo puedo comentar con mis alumnos. Incorporó la noticia en nuestras reuniones matutinas al comenzar el día o al final de la jornada. El año escolar pasado, después de las elecciones, debatimos con cuidado, respeto y brevedad los resultados de las elecciones presidenciales y lo que significaron para nuestro país. Mi profesora adjunta y yo creamos un espacio valiente para que estudiantes y adultos se expresaran.

¿Qué es lo que más sobresale en la enseñanza a estudiantes de cuarto grado?

Me encanta dar clases de cuarto grado. Este es el año que sienta las bases antes de la transición a la secundaria. Sentar las bases para el desarrollo socioemocional es lo que más me gusta. Enseñar a los niños a ser más independientes, social y emocionalmente conscientes, a defender sus derechos y a enorgullecerse de sí mismos y de su trabajo son aspectos que destacan en la enseñanza de cuarto grado.

Carl Thomas, maestro principal de matemáticas de cuarto grado en la Academia KIPP SPARK, con sus alumnos en una fiesta de máscaras celebrada recientemente para los alumnos de cuarto grado que cursan quinto grado en otoño. Los alumnos frente a él, de izquierda a derecha, son John, Michadio, Amari, Layla, Zakhi, Chasity, Sydai, Jordynn y Xavier. (Cortesía de Carl Thomas)

Ver el crecimiento genuino al final del año escolar es una sensación maravillosa. Saber que tuviste un impacto genuino y positivo en la vida de tus estudiantes para siempre es algo que me llena de alegría. Es una sensación realmente maravillosa.

Cuéntanos sobre tu propia experiencia con la escuela y cómo afecta tu trabajo hoy.

Bueno, como mencioné antes, mi relación con la escuela fue difícil. Académicamente, me fue bien. En cuanto a mi comportamiento, la escuela fue difícil para mí. Al repasar mis experiencias educativas, las utilizo como guía para ayudarme a convertirme en el mejor maestro posible. Los maestros y administradores nunca se tomaron el tiempo para comprender la raíz de mis problemas. Solían gobernar con mano dura, lo que resultaba en la suspensión y la expulsión como primera medida disciplinaria. Soy un educador que se toma el tiempo de comprender la raíz de cualquier problema que pueda tener un estudiante con dificultades. Si no puedo abordarlo con éxito, buscaré a un compañero que pueda, como una de las maneras de evitar la suspensión.

Desde preescolar hasta la secundaria, solo tuve una maestra que se tomó el tiempo de verme por ser más que un niño con problemas. Se llamaba Sra. Kunzman, que descanse en paz. Se esforzó por conocerme personalmente. Vio que necesitaba orientación y encontró la manera de brindarla. Asumió la responsabilidad de ser mi mentora.

Soy un maestro que ve a cada estudiante que se cruza en mi camino tal como es y puede llegar a ser. Fomento relaciones genuinas con ellos y sus familias. Los niños suelen dar respuestas monótonas y seguir adelante, pero me esfuerzo por convertirlo en una conversación. Esto permite que los estudiantes se abran de verdad y se sientan cómodos, lo que se traduce en asumir riesgos académicos, desarrollar confianza y ser mejores que el día anterior.

¿Cuáles son algunos de tus pasatiempos y cómo los relacionas con el aula?

Como gran aficionado al fútbol americano y al baloncesto, incorporó esas pasiones a mi clase para mantener a los alumnos motivados y motivados. Mi aula tiene como tema a los Georgetown Hoyas, y usamos una pelota pequeña de baloncesto o de fútbol americano durante las clases que los alumnos atrapan al responder preguntas y ganan premios por sus respuestas correctas o por su buen esfuerzo.

También creé el primer programa extraescolar de flag football en nuestra escuela, lo que llevó a muchos estudiantes a inscribirse en equipos locales de tackle football. Estos deportes me ayudan a conectar con los estudiantes, les brindan una forma saludable de liberar su energía y forjan relaciones sólidas basadas en el trabajo en equipo y la disciplina.

Traducido por Diego Maya.

Esta traducción fue proporcionada por The Latino Spirit, en asociación con el Centro de Medios Cooperativos de la Universidad Estatal de Montclair, y cuenta con el apoyo financiero del Consorcio de Información Cívica de NJ. La historia fue escrita originalmente en inglés por Chalkbeat Newark y se vuelve a publicar en virtud de un acuerdo especial para compartir contenido a través del Servicio de noticias de traducción al español de NJ News Commons.

Catherine Carrera es la jefa de oficina de Chalkbeat Newark. Puedes contactarla en ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

This Colorado science teacher wants students to understand how food gets to the dinner table

2025-08-26T20:28:56+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free monthly newsletter How I Teach to get inspiration, news, and advice for — and from — educators.

Mike Montgomery grew up in Denver, but visited relatives on their South Dakota ranch during the summer. That’s where he saw what it took to grow wheat, corn, soybeans, and feed hay.

As a high school teacher in Littleton, Colorado, a suburb of Denver, he realized that most students don’t have such firsthand knowledge of food production.

Mike Montgomery, who leads the natural resources pathway at the EPIC career center in Littleton Public Schools.

“That was readily apparent after a big snowstorm when the transport chain was interrupted and students complained about the lack of fruit and vegetables,” Montgomery said.

To teach students where their food comes from, he incorporated “seed to table” lessons when he created the natural resources pathway at EPIC, his district’s 2-year-old career campus. Today, students learn hydroponic farming techniques, sending the leafy greens they grow to district cafeterias and local food banks.

Montgomery, who was named 2025 Outstanding Teacher by the nonprofit Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom, talked to Chalkbeat about how his ADHD impacts his teaching style, what he loves about his beekeeping mini-course, and how he connected with an introvert teen.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

Becoming a teacher was an evolution that developed over time, driven by my desire to spend my day talking about animals and plants. I have always liked the structure of the school day and the rhythm of the school year, so becoming a high school science teacher seemed to be a good fit in terms of the lifestyle I wanted to have and the work that I wanted to do.

How did your own experience in school influence your approach to teaching?

As a child, I had a splash of ADHD, so I gravitated toward learning experiences where I was using my hands, was up and doing things, and was creating some tangible piece of learning. Essentially, I wanted to do anything other than sit and listen to somebody talk. My teaching reflects that same learning style. I am continually looking to design learning experiences that give students opportunities to apply scientific content.

Mike Montgomery's high school students test river water samples and send their findings to the state.

For example, each month, students in my water classes travel to the South Platte River to collect and analyze water samples, and report to the state on the water quality in our community. Getting outside, working in a riparian environment, and then doing relevant work back in the classroom brings about learning that is more impactful than hearing a lecture from me.

Tell us about a favorite lesson to teach.

The EPIC campus has an extended school year, so each June, teachers are given an opportunity to teach a mini-course on a subject related to their pathway. I have kept bee hives at home for a number of years, so I asked and was given the opportunity to teach a three-week course on beekeeping. Those weeks each June are probably my favorite because students who take the course are genuinely interested in the work. There is no credit offered or certification to be earned. They just want to learn about these amazing insects.

Mike Montgomery teaches a three week mini-course on beekeeping to high school students.

The hives remain on campus all year and are a continual topic of conversation. The presence of an apiary at school gives me another opportunity to teach and talk about the importance of pollinators.

What does the natural resources pathway at EPIC include, and why is it an important offering for high-schoolers?

The natural resources pathway includes two tracks: one on plant science and horticulture and the other on water quality management and conservation ecology. Career and technical education programs are important because they provide opportunities for adolescents to explore areas that they might be interested in after they graduate and allow them to earn college credit or industry certifications.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what’s going on in your classroom?

I learned early on in my teaching career that adolescents have no idea where their food comes from and how it gets to the dinner table. We are fortunate to have a hydroponics farm on the EPIC campus. Students, while learning the science behind plant growth, are involved with seeding, transplanting, and harvesting leafy greens for distribution to the cafeterias in the high schools for the creation of “EPIC” salads.

We also provide some produce to community food banks. The students take great pride in this work, knowing that they are providing for those in the community who might be facing food scarcity. The conversations we have in class have shifted beyond plant science to food production, distribution, and the need to reduce food waste. Talk about impactful lessons!

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student or their family changed your perspective or approach.

I learned early on in my career that forming good relationships with students was key to their success in my class. Those relationships start with having zero preconceived notions about the child walking into my room.

As a life science teacher, I have always had live animals in my classroom, and I like snakes. They don’t smell, make noise, or demand a great deal of care, and when you bring one out, there is always a reaction from students. I had one boy in class who was introverted, did not seem to have a large circle of friends, and never appeared to have any interest in the lessons.

One day, he had to remain after class to finish classwork, and I had to tend to the reptiles. He asked to help, and “Whoa!” He knew all about snakes and showed me pictures of the ones he had at home. He opened up like never before. Humbled, I dropped my previous notions of his ability and allowed his strengths to be successful.

Tell us why and how you seek out conversations with students’ families?

Those conversations can be a little awkward at first but lead to improved instruction because I can adapt my lessons to better differentiate learning. At conferences, I always ask parents what they do for a living. That gives me an opportunity to bring their knowledge and expertise into class. It also helps me understand the dynamics for the child. Do they need to work? Have they worked with their parents at their business? Are they home alone because of their parents’ work schedule? What expectations do the parents have for the child? Those conversations help me identify the strengths and challenges that each student brings to class.

What are you reading for enjoyment?

I used to just read one book at a time, finish it, and move on to the next. Then I got a Kindle. Now, I jump around, usually among three books — almost exclusively nonfiction. This is what’s currently in my queue:

“Tonight in Jungleland: The Making of ‘Born to Run’” by Peter Ames Carlin.
“The Alchemy of Air: A Jewish Genius, a Doomed Tycoon, and the Scientific Discovery That Fed the World but Fueled the Rise of Hitler” by Thomas Hager.
“Doctors by Nature: How Ants, Apes, and Other Animals Heal Themselves” by Jaap de Roode.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

6 takeaways from an interview with Zohran Mamdani’s favorite high school teacher

2025-08-20T21:37:39+00:00

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Ask Zohran Mamdani which educators influenced him the most, and one name comes up again and again: Marc Kagan.

“He’s a fantastic teacher,” Mamdani said in an interview eight years ago.

The high school social studies teacher stuck with him. During a January forum in the thick of the Democratic mayoral primary, Mamdani spotted Kagan in the audience. A short time later, Mamdani posted pictures with Kagan, writing on X that he was “one of the best teachers I’ve ever had.” Kagan “taught me the value of excellence and hard work,” Mamdani continued.

Mr. Kagan was one of the best teachers I’ve ever had.

He taught me the value of excellence and hard work.

Thank you Mr. Kagan, and thank you to the many Mr. Kagan’s in classrooms across our city. pic.twitter.com/Gi0afIPvcT
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) January 24, 2025

Kagan, now 68, taught Mamdani twice at the Bronx High School of Science, one of the city’s vaunted specialized high schools, including an advanced world history course. At the time, Kagan was not a veteran teacher. He spent years working for the city’s transit system, first as a mechanic and later as a union activist and leader for the Transport Workers Union local.

After a falling out with the union’s leadership, he joined a city program that quickly trains career changers to fill hard-to-staff roles in public school classrooms. At 47, Kagan began his teaching career at A. Phillip Randolph Campus High School in Harlem. Two years later, he transferred to Bronx Science.

“I thought that I could do something useful and productive in the world” by becoming a teacher, Kagan said in an interview with Chalkbeat.

Mamdani is not Kagan’s first brush with a high-profile government figure. His sister is U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, a connection he largely avoided mentioning with his students because he felt it would be a distraction.

After nearly a decade in the classroom, Kagan retired from the city’s public schools in 2014 and went on to earn a doctorate in history from the CUNY Graduate Center; he now teaches as an adjunct professor at CUNY.

Chalkbeat recently caught up with Kagan about his impressions of the teenage Mamdani, a noteworthy interaction with Mamdani’s father during a parent conference, and his favorite history lesson. Here are six takeaways from that conversation.

Mamdani’s father worried about his son’s (very high) marks

When Mamdani was a student in Kagan’s 10th grade global history course, his father, Mahmood Mamdani, arrived at a parent conference frustrated with his son’s performance.

“He was grousing [that] Zohran was getting just a 95,” Kagan recalled. “Like, ‘Why isn’t he working harder? He could be doing better than this.’”

Kagan chalked up the concern about Mamdani’s grades to an immigrant family “striving for their child to do well at Bronx Science and to do well in life.” At the time, he didn’t know that Mahmood Mamdani was a professor at Columbia University who was known for his scholarship on post-colonialism.

Kagan tried to reassure the dad that Mamdani was deeply engaged with the coursework.

“I told him, ‘Never mind about the grade because the wheels are spinning in your son’s head,’” Kagan said. “And that was like the perfect answer … and he just kind of floated out of the room.”

Kagan saw echoes of the teenage Mamdani during the mayoral primary campaign

Kagan said he was impressed with Mamdani’s energetic mayoral campaign and was unsurprised that Mamdani appealed to so many voters during the Democratic primary. The democratic socialist candidate became known for distilling his platform down to easy-to-remember slogans centered on affordability — including free child care and bus service.

“I think you can see that wheel spinning in his head in the current-day Zohran,” Kagan said, echoing what he told the elder Mamdani years earlier.“ He was able to articulate the issues that he wanted to articulate in a way that people grasp and could understand and identify with.”

Although Mamdani unsuccessfully ran for student body vice president at Bronx Science, Kagan said he had little inkling that the teen would one day have big political aspirations.

He thinks the teachers union should take a stronger stand against Trump

When the United Federation of Teachers endorsed Mamdani for the November general election, Kagan tried to use the moment to push the union to be more proactive in countering the Trump administration. He tried to introduce an amendment that would require the union to hold a meeting about the issue.

“I look around even at the anti-Trump demonstrations that have occurred in New York, and I don’t really see the UFT there,” he said. “I’m not sure that I know exactly what they should be doing, but I know we’re not doing much.”

Michael Mulgrew, the union president, ruled Kagan out of order before he could introduce the amendment because the retired teacher had already spoken on the topic, Kagan said.

UFT spokesperson Alison Gendar countered that the union is pushing back against Trump.

“The UFT is fighting the overreach of the Trump administration in the courts and in the streets,” Gendar wrote in an email. “Protests, legal action, and union solidarity are the tools the UFT and its state and national affiliates have used seeking to block and dismantle the White House’s attacks on public education, workers, and immigrant students. “

He bristles at accusations that Mamdani’s criticism of Israel is antisemitic

Mamdani has long been a critic of Israel and supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, which calls for cutting financial ties to the country due to its unequal treatment of Palestinians. During the primary campaign, Mandani responded to questions about whether Israel has a right to exist as a Jewish state by saying it has a right to exist “as a state with equal rights.” He also characterized Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip as a genocide.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who lost to Mamdani in the Democratic primary and is now running as an independent, attempted to link Mamdani’s positions on Israel to antisemitism. And in the wake of the union’s decision to endorse Mamdani in the general election, some Jewish educators threatened to withhold their dues over the decision. (Mamdani has vowed to vigorously fight antisemitism if elected.)

Asked what his message is to educators who are skeptical of Mamdani’s positions on Israel, Kagan was blunt.

“There are people in New York City, in the UFT, that believe … criticism of Israel is antisemitic,” Kagan said. “They’re wrong.”

A favorite lesson probes the tradeoffs of civilization

In a unit focused on societies like the Iroquois and Maya and how they developed before European settlers arrived in the Americas, Kagan set up a debate about how students would structure society if it was up to them.

The unit “was a really interesting couple of days because people had to grapple with this idea of what is civilization? What do I like about it? What don’t I like about it?” he said. Kagan said his students often advocated for adopting current societal structures, not because they worried about access to iPhones or video games but because they worried about being conquered by other civilizations with more modern technology. Those arguments often surprised him.

“We’re just going to become victims of civilizations,” he said his students argued. “So we have to do it almost as a method of self-protection, rather than as something we necessarily want to fully embrace.”

Teachers should have more opportunities to learn from each other

At the beginning of his teaching career at Bronx Science, Kagan said he got some of his most valuable insights about the craft from informal conversations with other educators in the social studies department.

“I just sat at their feet and picked their brains and learned so much,” Kagan said.

The Education Department has made some efforts over the years to create opportunities for teacher mentorship and share best practices across schools, but Kagan said his main piece of policy advice would be for the system to deepen those efforts by giving teachers time to reflect and talk with each other by lightening their course loads after a couple years.

There is often little time to ask questions such as “What am I doing well? What am I not doing well? What can I teach to others?” he said. “It’s just hard to do that when you’re teaching 170 students.”

Alex Zimmerman is a reporter for Chalkbeat New York, covering NYC public schools. Contact Alex at azimmerman@chalkbeat.org.

Why this Newark teacher loves teaching fourth grade

2025-08-20T16:51:50+00:00

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Leer en español.

Fourth grade is an exciting time for students. Middle school is within sight, and they can start to practice more autonomy with support and guidance from trusted adults.

That’s what Carl Thomas, fourth grade lead math teacher at KIPP SPARK Academy in Newark, loves most about the grade level he teaches.

“It’s the sweet spot of a child beginning to come into themselves and becoming more independent,” Thomas said.

Several years ago, Thomas transitioned from a corporate office job to working in the classroom. He’s now been an educator for six years, heading into his third year at his current school this fall.

The first day of school for most 6,000-plus KIPP students in Newark is Aug. 25, with entry grades of kindergarten, fifth, and ninth grades starting days earlier. One way Thomas and his co-teacher are preparing is by looking over their new cohort of students’ performance data from last school year to see “where we need to meet them academically and what resources we can provide them with.”

Mostly, Thomas added, he’s looking forward to helping his students become the best version of themselves, academically and socially.

“Often, the majority of scholars struggle with confidence in self, which tends to impact other areas,” Thomas said. “As a teacher, it is our job to help build it and positively pour into them as much as we can.”

Thomas talked to Chalkbeat about why he decided to switch careers to education, how he supports his students when events outside of the classroom affect them, and the ways his own mixed experience with school informs his work today.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

Before teaching, I was in my fourth year of working in corporate America as a compliance analyst in Manhattan. Teaching was something that always resonated with me, but it had always been at the back of my mind. Growing up in Maplewood, New Jersey, in my teenage years, I worked as a camp counselor for many summers. During college, I interned with the Office of Youth Services in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Carl Thomas, lead fourth grade math teacher at KIPP SPARK Academy.

Throughout those experiences, I was always teaching and forging relationships with the kids and their families. I loved that part of the work.

Teaching started to creep to the forefront of my mind when my then-girlfriend (now wife) was working as a teacher in Newark. When we talked about our days, the stories she shared often reflected my experiences as a child attending schools in East Orange and Newark. I said to myself, ‘I could do that.’ I began to realize that teaching was the ideal way to utilize my time to make a meaningful impact. My own education journey was rocky, so there was always a love/hate relationship that existed before teaching. Once I began my journey as an educator, I hit the ground running, and the rest is still being written. It’s safe to say my relationship with education now has shifted to all love.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

This is a tricky question to answer. I enjoy teaching anything I can to my students. I’m always taking all lessons or materials and making connections to the real world. For example, when teaching students fundamental geometry, such as parallel and perpendicular lines, I reference the neighborhood that the school is in. Many of the students live nearby, so it offers a real-life connection to understand what parallel and perpendicular lines are when discussing their streets and how they intersect or don’t intersect. I teach math, but I have experience with literacy as well. Being well-rounded has helped me tremendously to understand students’ struggles and effectively address them. I simply love and enjoy teaching.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom?

I teach in Newark’s Central Ward. My students come from all different types of backgrounds and situations. There’s not one thing that affects what goes on inside my classroom, but many — some positive, others negative. For example, on a given day, one student might be anticipating a new addition to their family, while another scholar could be joining us in the middle of the school year from a different country.

Last school year, one of my scholars lost her older brother to gun violence. I supported her by hosting lunches with her and some chosen friends, offering ‘brain breaks’ during instruction, and checking in with her frequently to help her feel safe and cared for. She wound up finishing the year strong, both academically and in her attendance. This reminded me that no matter what’s going on outside of the classroom and in our community, creating safe spaces where students thrive emotionally, socially, and academically is really important.

How do you approach news events in your classroom?

When there is big news, more times than not, it’s something I have the night before to prepare for and decide how or when I can discuss it with my students. I incorporate the news into our morning meetings to start our day or at our end-of-day meeting. This past school year, after the elections, we carefully, respectfully, and briefly discussed the results of the presidential elections and what that meant for our country. My co-teacher and I created a brave space for scholars and adults to express themselves.

What’s something that stands out about teaching fourth graders?

I love teaching fourth grade. This is the foundation-setting year before they transition to middle school. Setting the tone for social and emotional development is where I thrive. Teaching kids how to be more independent, socially and emotionally aware, advocate for themselves, and take pride in themselves and their work are things that stand out about teaching fourth graders.

Seeing the genuine growth at the end of the school year is a wonderful feeling. Knowing you genuinely and positively impacted your students’ lives forever is something I live for. Truly a great feeling.

Carl Thomas, the fourth grade lead math teacher at KIPP SPARK Academy, with his students at a recent masquerade party held for fourth graders headed to fifth grade in the fall. The students in front of him, from left to right, are John, Michadio, Amari, Layla, Zakhi, Chasity, Sydai, Jordynn, and Xavier.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

Well, as I mentioned earlier, my relationship with school was tough. Academically, I did well. Behaviorally, school was difficult for me. As I look back at my educational experiences, I use them as a sort of guide to help mold me into being the best teacher that I can be. Teachers and administrators never took the time to understand the root cause of my problems. They usually ruled with an iron fist, which resulted in suspension and expulsion as the first choice of discipline. I am an educator who takes the time to understand the root cause of an issue that a troubled scholar may be having. If I can’t successfully address the issue, I will find a peer who can, as one of the ways to avoid suspension as an outcome.

From K-12, I had only one teacher who took the time to see me for being more than just a troubled child. Her name was Mrs. Kunzman — may she rest in heavenly peace. She put forth the effort in getting to know me personally. She saw that I needed guidance and found ways to provide that. She took on the responsibility of being my mentor.

I am an educator who sees every student that crosses my path for who they truly are and what they can be. I foster genuine relationships with them and their families. Kids tend to give one-word answers and move on, but I make it my business to make it a conversation. This allows students to truly open up and become comfortable, which translates to taking risks academically, building confidence, and being better than they were the day before.

What are some of your hobbies, and how do you relate them to the classroom?

As a huge fan of football and basketball, I bring those passions into my classroom to keep students engaged and motivated. My classroom is Georgetown Hoyas-themed, and we use a small basketball or football during lessons that students catch when answering questions and earn prizes for correct answers or giving good effort.

I also created the first after-school flag football program at our school, which led many students to sign up for local tackle football teams. These sports help me connect with students, give them healthy outlets for their energy, and build strong relationships rooted in teamwork and discipline.

A translation of this story was provided by The Latino Spirit, in partnership with Montclair State University’s Center for Cooperative Media and is supported financially by the NJ Civic Information Consortium. The story was republished under a special content-sharing agreement through NJ News Commons’ Spanish Translation News Service.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Border agents detained this Vermont superintendent. This is his story.

2025-07-29T10:00:00+00:00

Wilmer Chavarria was 5 when he began selling bread with his mom on the streets of Ocotal, Nicaragua, in the country’s northern mountains.

“We tried to do whatever we could do to survive,” said Chavarria, whose family had been displaced during Nicaragua’s bloody civil conflict. “That’s how I grew up. So when I think about the communities we are trying to protect now, to me, they’re not hypothetical.”

Chavarria, now 36, leads the Winooski School District in Winooski, Vermont, near Burlington. The district serves about 800 students, including many immigrant families who fled war, persecution, and poverty in their countries of origin.

Last week, Chavarria, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was traveling back from visiting his family in Nicaragua when he says federal agents detained him without explanation for hours at Houston’s international airport. Officials separated Chavarria from his husband and demanded access to his personal and district-issued devices.

Chavarria granted them permission to review his personal data — emails, texts, and photos — but explained that federal law prohibits him from releasing student information without a judicial order or a guardian’s consent. He also cited Winooski’s new sanctuary district policy, which limits federal agents’ access to school buildings and student data.

To gain entry to his devices, “They threatened me with sending me to the FBI, with making me lose my job, with tainting my record, so I would never get another job. They threatened me with extended detention,” he said.

Chavarria said he did not grant agents permission to review district files, but he fears student information may have been compromised while they searched his devices.

A spokesperson with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP, did not respond to questions about why Chavarria was detained and whether or not agents agreed not to access student data on his devices. In an emailed statement, the spokesperson said that inspections at ports of entry help combat serious crimes and that travelers are treated with dignity.

“All travelers entering the United States are subject to inspection, a process that can take time depending on the circumstances,” he said. “These essential inspections safeguard national security. CBP cannot disclose information that could compromise law enforcement intelligence.”

In an interview, Chavarria told Chalkbeat about his recent ordeal, why he pushed for Winooski’s sanctuary district declaration earlier this year, and how his detention will change his advice for immigrant families.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Why was it important to you to make Winooski a sanctuary school district?

It only made sense for a school district that is the most diverse in the state to also be the one advancing policies that tell our families that we got their backs. And we’re not going to break the law by any means, but we’re not going to willingly compromise their information and their rights.

Not everyone in the community was on board, though. What kinds of pushback did you hear?

There were multiple things, the first one being, “Why are you calling attention to yourself? You’re just going to get Trump angry, and he’s going to take away funding from you.” Our response was, “He’s going to take funding away from us anyway.” So we’re not going to comply in advance. We’re not going to be cowards just because we want to keep the money.

The second argument was that this was not really a problem, that there’s already a law that protects student privacy. They said talking about this only causes more fear.

The whole point of being a different school district is to affirm how our students are unique and make policy and create practices based on that uniqueness. There are things we have to say out loud. And when you say, “You’re just going to create fear,” I’m like, “The people I’m talking to right here in my office are already terrified,” and the least we can do is send a message that we are with you.

You travel to Nicaragua to see your family regularly. What was different this time around?

I usually go through the Global Entry line because for years I’ve had Global Entry. You go for interviews and submit documentation, so I’ve always been a low-risk traveler and have never had to spend more than a few seconds at a port of entry. I didn’t expect anything different, especially being a U.S. citizen and doing this trip multiple times a year.

But this time, they stopped me in the line and called for someone to escort me into an interrogation area. [It seemed] clear that I was in the system before I even got there, but they didn’t disclose the reason.

They start separating me from my spouse, and my husband is saying, “We are married; we should not be separated unless he is being charged with something.” And the officer looks at us like he doesn’t believe us, like with a face of disgust.

I was sent into detention with no access to a phone call, no access to lawyers, no access to communications with anyone, and no access to any of my electronic devices. My husband was sent outside the airport, and every time he tried to come back to look for answers, he was met with extreme verbal aggression and intimidation. He just waited in the baggage claim area for four to five hours with no communication from me, no idea what was going on. That is the definition of psychological terror.

What were your worst fears in that moment?

My family has survived war, survived the worst that humans can do to other people. So being disappeared is not a new thought to me. And so I was less afraid about my physical safety and being disappeared than I was about what would happen to my family and to my spouse, who is outside, terrified, not knowing what’s happening to me. I was afraid of what this would mean for my mother. And I was afraid of what this would mean for the families and the students whose information might be compromised.

You said the officers who detained you tried to access your personal and district-issued devices with protected information on them. What did you tell them?

I continued to say, “I am consenting for you to search through my personal data, from texts to pictures to files to emails. You may not do that for our district data. You may not look through family or student information.”

Did they end up looking through your devices?

They did get access to the devices. They were the ones who finally said, “We promise you we’re not going to look through district files.” So I thought they were going to look through my devices, and I was going to see what they were looking through, but no. They took the devices away, and when they came back, maybe an hour later, I just had to take their word for it. … I’m not going to assume that they didn’t look through district data.

Did you tell your school community about a possible exposure?

After I was released, that same night, I wrote a lengthy letter to the school board, letting them know what had just happened, that the district information may have been tampered with. As soon as I arrived back to Vermont, I began to change my passwords.

The community has been informed … and is rightly very much concerned. The school district is calling on the different authorities to investigate this and to take very seriously the fact that student and family information may have been compromised and accessed illegally, when there was at no point consent for that to be the case.

Will your detention change what you tell your students?

I’m now finding out that my high school students knew better than I did because before this happened to me, I would have students in my office saying, “My family or myself, we’re thinking of traveling, but not sure. What do you advise us?” They saw me as someone who knows about immigration things, because I am an immigrant.

I would say, “Do you have a U.S. passport?” If they said yes, I would tell them, “You have nothing to worry about. You have constitutional rights, and you may not be denied entry into the United States, so please don’t worry so much.” My advice to students is definitely going to have to change because I have nothing but conviction now that having a U.S. passport and being a U.S. citizen doesn’t guarantee you rights.

Can you tell me about what brought many of your immigrant students and their families to Winooki?

We do have a high percentage of immigrant communities who are refugees from areas of conflict, who have gone through political situations that make it no longer safe for them to be in their home country. We have students from multiple African countries that have been or are going through terrible things. We have families from Syria. We have families from Nepal or Bhutan, who may be stateless. We have people from Latin America, fleeing persecution or extreme poverty. We also have people of privilege in their home countries who decided they want to immigrate to the United States and now live in Winooski. So it’s as diverse as it comes.

I know many school districts are doing Know Your Rights workshops for immigrant families. Are you planning anything like that this coming school year?

We’ve done multiple Know Your Rights workshops. We have an education station in the lobby of the district [office] with Know Your Rights materials in all the languages we serve. We have a home visiting program where we send a liaison who knows about rights to people’s homes to have conversations with them. There’s so much that we’ve been doing the past eight months or so that other districts, both in the state and across the nation, reach out to us for advice.

Last month [before I was detained], we were already preparing the agenda for the staff convocation for the opening of the school year. And the main thing, instead of bringing in a speaker, what we are doing is bringing students from different migrant communities to talk about the background of our communities and what geopolitical dynamics brought them here. Every staff member will be asked to rotate through two different language communities and learn about the history of those communities here in Winooski.

As someone who chose to immigrate to the U.S., to make your life here, to make your career here, how are you processing what happened to you last week?

I feel sad because I do not feel safe here. Every chance some people get to tell me that I don’t belong here and that I’m not wanted, they use it. But I feel even more saddened for the country as a whole, even people who are not immigrants, because we’re already in new territory where the character of the nation has been compromised, and where this country is almost unrecognizable. I think it’s not going to be too long until it’s too late to fix.

Gabrielle Birkner is the features editor and fellowship director at Chalkbeat. Email her at gbirkner@chalkbeat.org.

She teaches college-level math in a diverse Colorado high school. This is her favorite lesson.

2025-07-18T23:25:28+00:00

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During Gayathri Ramkumar’s favorite lesson — a sort of mathematical guessing game — she’ll hear her students asking their partners things like, “Can you tell me the degree of the polynomial?”

Gayathri Ramkumar.

Not only does the back-and-forth get the high-schoolers talking precisely about mathematical problems, but it helps English learners boost their language skills without forcing them to talk in front of the whole class.

Ramkumar is a math and computer science teacher at Aurora Central High School, one of Colorado’s most diverse schools, where about half of the students are learning English.

She is also one of 22 Colorado educators named a semifinalist for the state’s 2026 Teacher of the Year award. The winner will be announced in October.

Ramkumar talked to Chalkbeat about why she switched careers, how she incorporates educational influences from India and America into her lessons, and what advice she gives to college-bound students.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

My journey into teaching wasn’t one of those stories where I always knew I wanted to be an educator. In fact, 25 years ago, fresh out of high school, I never would have imagined myself in a classroom. It was only after stepping away from engineering work to raise my kids that I unexpectedly discovered a love for teaching. Teaching them reading and math before they started school wasn’t just a responsibility; it became something I genuinely enjoyed. That experience sparked a passion in me, one I hadn’t realized was there, and it ultimately led me down the path to becoming a licensed teacher.

How did your own experience in school influence your approach to teaching?

I completed both my high school and bachelor’s degree in India, where the teaching style was very traditional. From an early age, I was used to taking extensive notes and doing a large volume of homework. Teaching in the U.S. has given me the opportunity to reflect on and compare both educational systems. I strive to integrate the best aspects of each into my own teaching approach. For example, when planning a math lesson, I draw inspiration from problem-based U.S. curricula such as Illustrative Mathematics and Desmos, which I’ve come to truly appreciate and enjoy. At the same time, I firmly believe in the value of practice, and I incorporate worksheets that I’ve found effective from my own experience as a math student in India.

Tell us about a favorite lesson to teach.

As a concurrent enrollment math teacher at the high school level, I strive to maintain the academic rigor of college-level math while also making it accessible, engaging, and developmentally appropriate for high school students. I always try to create lessons where students are engaging in content through exploration, discovery, and collaboration long before formal definitions or procedures are introduced.

One such lesson, adapted from Illustrative Math, was called “Info Gap.” The format supports precise mathematical communication and problem-solving. The lesson’s purpose was for students to put together what they have learned about sketching graphs of polynomials in factored form and factoring polynomials using division. Students worked in pairs, each receiving one of two card types. One student had the problem card with the problem that needed to be solved but lacked certain key details, such as its degree, intercepts, or end behavior. The other student held the data card containing the missing data, but they were not allowed to simply hand over the answers. Instead, the student with the problem card had to ask thoughtful, specific questions and explain their reasoning for needing that information to solve the problem.

One of the most powerful outcomes was the lesson’s support for multilingual learners. In whole-class settings, these students often hesitate to participate due to limited confidence with academic English. However, they had the chance to use vocabulary like “zeros,” “multiplicity,” and “degree” in a low-pressure context. This dialogue supported both math learning and language development.

There was not a dull moment in the classroom. Students were engaged in meaningful dialogue, constructing knowledge collectively, and supporting each other’s understanding. It was a moment that reaffirmed my belief in student-centered learning.

You help guide first-generation students through the college application process. What is your most important piece of advice for them?

I always encourage my students to take full advantage of Colorado’s Free Application Days by applying to all in-state public universities, even if they’re planning to go out of state. Plans can change unexpectedly, and having solid backup options can reduce stress later on. I also advise them to answer every question on the college application thoroughly, including those marked optional.

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective or approach.

One memorable moment that really shifted my perspective was when I received a message from my student’s mother after I was selected as a semifinalist for Teacher of the Year. She congratulated me warmly and said she was proud to see someone from the immigrant community being recognized. She also told me she would be sharing the news in parent group chats to celebrate the accomplishment.

That message meant a great deal to me. It reminded me that the work I do doesn’t go unnoticed. It helped me realize that beyond academics, I’m serving as a role model and a source of representation for families in our school community. It was a humbling moment that gave me a deeper sense of purpose and a renewed commitment to advocacy, especially for students and families who may not always feel seen or heard.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on in your classroom?

One thing that deeply influences my classroom is the current political climate and the emotional toll it takes on our community, especially immigrant families and first-generation college students. Many of my students are navigating fear, financial instability, and uncertainty about their futures, all while trying to succeed academically. These pressures create setbacks in the classroom, but not because of a lack of ability or motivation.

As an educator, my role extends beyond academics. I advocate for my students by helping connect them with school counselors, former students, and college access programs. I collaborate with families to ensure they feel informed and supported. I also offer extra academic support through flexible office hours, tutoring sessions, and culturally responsive teaching strategies that validate students’ identities. My ultimate goal is to help students not just survive, but thrive, and to remind them that college and long-term success are within their reach, even when the path feels uncertain.

What was your biggest misconception that you initially brought to teaching?

When I first started my licensure process, I didn’t realize how much advocacy teachers do for their students, their colleagues, and the community in general. Teachers are constantly and relentlessly advocating for better and equitable school policies and systemic structure in addition to teaching the content that they are actually hired for.

What are you reading for enjoyment?

I enjoy reading historical fiction books, specifically by Ken Follett. Recently, I have been enjoying fantasy fiction.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Longtime Newark principal reflects on parent engagement, supporting undocumented families

2025-07-17T10:00:01+00:00

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Michael Mann became a principal at North Star Academy Charter School in 2005. To mark 20 years in that position, Mann reflected recently on the winding road that led him to a career in education.

“I entered education accidentally,” said Mann, who now serves as head of school at Washington Park High School, part of the North Star Academy system in Newark.

After graduating magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1991, Mann pursued a career in foreign service in the U.S. State Department. He had been interested in working in government and studied Chinese languages for years. He quickly realized, however, that foreign service wasn’t the path for him.

“I left government work with the goal of living in Asia, but the only way I could afford it was to teach English,” Mann said. “That experience changed my life.”

The turning point led to a 32-year career in education, including two decades as a principal at North Star schools, one of the largest charter school systems in Newark.

“I really loved teaching and was good at it,” Mann recalled. “When I returned to the United States, I decided to apply to Teach for America because it seemed like the best way to create positive social change. I was right.”

The veteran educator recently shared with Chalkbeat some advice for early-career educators, his thoughts on education policy affecting his school community, ways he stays engaged with families, and more.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What was your first education job? What made you want to become a school leader?

I first taught in the District of Columbia Public Schools for three years. Then, I taught for two years at a charter school in Massachusetts. During that time, I worked with lots of great people, but I did not see good examples of leadership. After getting my master’s degree in teaching from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education in 1998, I wanted to get back into urban education.

I visited North Star Academy in Newark, even though I had never been to New Jersey. I met Jamey Verrilli and Norman Atkins, co-founders of North Star Academy, and knew that I was in the right place. I had never met such committed, honest, blunt, transparent leaders. They scared me and inspired me. After seven years of watching Jamey run our middle school, I offered to start our second middle school. That is now our Clinton Hill Middle School.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I did not have great teachers. Some of my teachers were charismatic narcissists, and I saw how ineffective and selfish they were. That has made me wary of teachers who want to be the center of attention. I don’t believe that those teachers are effective. From my experience, the best teachers are humble, nerdy, former athletes. They know how to work together, they understand perseverance, and they put the goal of student growth and achievement above other things.

Can you share an experience, recent or not, with a student that changed your perspective or approach to an issue?

I have control issues. I prefer order and structure because I think it promotes safety and success. But a few years ago, one of our senior class leaders asked to do a walkout to protest gun violence in schools. I tried to talk her out of it, but she was very determined. So, we planned it out. Almost the entire school participated in the walkout in Harriet Tubman Square by making signs, giving short speeches, releasing balloons, etc. The students organized all of it. I just watched, impressed. It was in the news. After it was done, we all walked back to the school and finished the day. Interestingly, the former senior class leader who organized most of it is now my colleague at Washington Park High School. She is an excellent special educator!

After 20-plus years in the field, what’s the best advice you have for educators starting out in their career?

Good intentions aren’t enough. In order to be an effective teacher, you need to spend time really preparing and paying attention to student work. Most teachers don’t spend enough time looking at student work.

What issue in education policy is having a big impact on your school right now? How are you addressing it?

We all need to do more to support undocumented students and their families. Schools need to communicate to all families that their children are safe at school and that we will do everything to protect them.

This spring, we did a project where we put up framed, permanent posters all around the school and at all of our entrances — in English and Spanish — to tell all students and families that they are valued and protected while at school. The posters also gave support information for families with questions or concerns. We put together “red cards” in four languages that we made available to staff, students, and parents at four of our schools. With these cards, undocumented students and parents could give them to police or federal agents in lieu of questioning. My son, who is 17 and goes to Verona High School, worked with our juniors on this project, to put up the posters, create the cards, and distribute them.

Our security teams already know that we will not allow federal agents into our buildings. We will only cooperate with local law enforcement.

Tell us about how you engage families to participate in your school community. Is there a common piece of feedback you get from families, and how do you respond to it?

I am outside at dismissal every day — rain, snow, or shine. Parents know this, so they will sometimes use this as an opportunity to give me feedback, ask questions, lobby for a cause, or give me information. When they are upset, they let me know. For a while, the parents of transfer students complained that we did not do enough to support them. They were right. We ended up changing our approach. Now we provide a lot of math tutoring for transfer students.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

Well, I take care of myself at work, too. I have an excellent staff. I don’t try to do everything. At home, I have three sons and a great wife, who is also a teacher. We are usually at a soccer game, traveling to a tournament, or watching the Premier League!

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

How two brothers landed as neighboring principals in their hometown district

2025-07-16T18:41:26+00:00

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If Belzer Middle School Principal Victor Bush needs insight from a fellow school leader, all he has to do is walk across 56th Street.

That’s where his younger brother, Franklyn Bush, serves as principal of Lawrence Central High School.

“It’s great to have someone that you know will never lead you in the wrong direction right across the street,” Victor Bush said. “More importantly, it’s great to have someone that I can look up to as a building leader and call him my little brother.”

Raised by a single mother and a grandmother who deeply valued education, the brothers embarked on almost identical journeys steeped in the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township. They graduated seven years apart, Victor in 1989 and Franklyn in 1996, from Lawrence North High School. From there, they attended the Indiana Institute of Technology, where they both pursued degrees in business and finance and played basketball. But it was their experience in Lawrence Township schools that nudged them toward careers in education.

“Moving to Lawrence was one of the best decisions my mother ever made,” Franklyn Bush said. “Our childhood molded us in a lot of ways, but the opportunity, exposure, access, and excellence of Lawrence Township helped us envision things we probably didn’t see previously.”

Franklyn credits two Lawrence Township teachers — Mrs. Swan at Crestview Elementary and Mrs. Witzerman at Lawrence North — for inspiring him to pursue teaching.

“They both were very hard on me, but spent a lot of time with me outside of their required classroom time,” he said. “They truly showed me the value of investing time and positive energy into people through support and accountability.”

Franklyn Bush, center, and Victor Bush, right, with their cousin Nicole Wilson at their grandmother's kitchen table on West 34th St. "We are all college graduates in professional fields, serving in leadership," Victor Bush said.

Victor Bush, meanwhile, was drawn to teaching in part by his experience as an instructional assistant at Lawrence North in 1993. His main role, he said, was to work with a young man with physical and cognitive impairments.

“It was my responsibility to be his champion and teach him how to use his exceptionalities to develop a sense of independence and confidence,” he said.

Now, the brothers lead two schools in the same district from which they and their children have graduated. Together, they’ve aimed to build up these schools, which they refer to as the “Pride of East 56th Street.”

The brothers spoke to Chalkbeat about their childhood, the power of listening to student feedback, why seventh and eighth grade are “wonder years,” and how they approach school leadership.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

To what extent has your brother’s career impacted your own?

Victor: Through our growing pains, we leaned on each other a great deal, especially when our parents decided to divorce. That experience alone caused our relationship to look different because, as the new “man of the house,” I had to step up and help take care of my baby brother — not realizing that he was watching every little thing that I was doing.

Since the day that I arrived at Belzer, Frank has been nothing but super supportive of me and the entire Belzer family. I often call him or simply walk across the street to gain valuable insight or share what’s on my mind.

Franklyn: If you really look at our paths, I’ve copied his journey in so many ways. So his impact has been major! He was the man of the house for as long as I can remember, so his influence and impact are shown throughout my journey.

What’s the most challenging part of being a principal?

Victor: The most challenging part of being a principal is wanting 100% of my students to achieve excellence in all fields of human endeavor, but not being in complete control of the outcomes. As a principal, I put a great deal of pressure on myself and tend to be my own worst critic. There are times when I need to celebrate the small wins that add up and eventually make a huge impact, instead of being down about not hitting a home run every time that we step up to the plate.

Franklyn: Things change every year, so learning and keeping all stakeholders and staff informed, updated, and prepared has its challenges. Also, some of the things that truly should measure the success of a school are overlooked.

What interaction with a student changed your outlook on being an administrator?

Franklyn: My first year as principal, I had an interaction with a great student named Bri. In a very positive way, she challenged the thought process and focus on the leadership team I inherited, and she requested some changes that would allow our students to show more pride and have more opportunities. I listened, reviewed, and implemented some changes that helped us take steps in the right direction. It was a great reminder that it should truly be a community with feedback, collaboration, process, and communication. Sometimes I have to say no, but at least we’ve gone through proper steps.

Victor: My interactions and willingness to support my own kids as they navigated through school and life have had a major impact on my leadership value system. As a parent, I had high expectations as well as high levels of support for both of my children when they attended Belzer and Lawrence Central. So why wouldn’t I have those same levels of support and high expectations for all of my children — every single scholar?

What’s your philosophy on preparing your students for a successful high school experience across the street?

Victor: I often refer to middle school as “the wonder years.” Meaning that during their seventh and eighth grade years, students are transitioning through life in search of their purpose, likes, and dislikes. They tend to want care, connection, and control. Therefore, our school community has to be committed to providing our students with a great sense of belonging, exposure to excellence, and experiences that will help them decide their future aspirations.

Victor, second from right, and Franklyn Bush, right, pose with their cousin Nicole Wilson and grandmother Alice Wills.

What’s the best advice you’ve received from someone about leading a school?

Franklyn: If it’s not good enough for your own kids, it’s not good enough for anyone’s kids!

How did you prepare yourself for the transition from teacher to principal?

Franklyn: A lot of learning, watching, reading, and interning. I was blessed to have so many great mentors and assistant principals and principals that helped me along the way!

Victor: I believe that both of our leadership journeys began with the influence of a teacher that raised us from boys to young men – our mother, Mrs. Carmen Glass. To this day, my mother is 72 years young and competes with me on a daily basis when it comes to who has the strongest work ethic. She is literally at work, sitting at her desk, during our daily morning conversations when I’m in my car on the way. My mom never said “never” and always found a way to [ensure we were] taken care of. She has always been supportive of Franklyn and me in everything that we do and has continued that trend as a proud grandparent. She leads by example and has instilled the importance of being servant leaders, family-oriented, and great fathers to our children.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

How small group instruction transformed an East Harlem high school math program

2025-07-16T12:00:00+00:00

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Park East High School was deemed a “School In Need of Improvement” on a state list and in danger of closing when Lauren Brady started teaching math there 20 years ago.

Among the reasons the state flagged the school: its abysmal math Regents scores.

Brady accepted the challenge, eyes wide open, and immediately dug into the data.

Brady suggested trying something different — small group instruction for students at risk of failing. She piloted the program, refining it over time. Those efforts resulted in a 100% passing rate.

Two decades later, Brady’s approach continues to produce strong results, and Park East High School, in Manhattan’s East Harlem, is no longer threatened with closure. Brady, who teaches small group instruction for ninth grade algebra as well as 12th grade statistics, was recently recognized by Math for America with the prestigious Muller Award for Professional Influence in Education, which comes with $20,000 in prize money for the winning teacher and $5,000 for their school.

Brady is a highly decorated educator. She won a 2014 Sloan Award for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics, is a master teacher through the NYC Teacher Career Pathways, and is a four-time Math for America master teacher. Brady’s statistics lessons have been published by the U.S. Census Bureau, her teaching strategies appear in a book by the educator Doug Lemov, and she’s also an accomplished spoken word poet.

She credits her own teaching style to her favorite math teacher from high school, Ms. Young, for whom Brady acted as a “teaching assistant.” Ms. Young advised Brady to teach through questioning instead of directly telling students how to solve problems.

“During small group instruction, questions are practically my only form of communication,” Brady said. “I radically embraced this strategy, which has profoundly impacted my instructional approach.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

At 14, I penned a plan to teach ninth-grade math in Harlem. Early experiences like tutoring for Athletes Helping Athletes, under Mr. Rosen, reinforced teaching was the right fit. At 16, I started a tutoring business; guidance counselors referred students preparing to retake Regents exams. During college, I participated in community research on high school dropout rates and taught an adult GED course.

I wavered between [studying] psychology and teaching math, and enrolled in NYU’s Psychology Ph.D. program. It took all of six days to realize I was more invested in my teaching assistantship lecturing graduate statistics than in my psychology research and coursework.

I immediately withdrew and, per my plan from age 14, started teaching ninth-grade math in Harlem in the middle of the school year. Twenty years later, I’m still at the same school: Park East High School.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

I love teaching election decision methods in statistics. Students are presented with a set of completed ranked-choice ballots and asked who they think should be elected. Many rationales emerge from ‘the one with the most first-place votes’ to ‘the least hated.’ We examine various election decision methods (e.g., plurality, types of run-offs, Borda count, Condorcet) and determine who would win using each. It turns out a different winner emerges with each election decision method, raising larger questions about how to count ballots.

A gerrymandering lesson in the same unit is also a favorite. Students draw boundaries to create districts in a hypothetical region. They’re shocked when they discover how to rig the party with less votes overall to win the majority of the districts. What I love about these lessons is they bring together concepts and procedures in a real-world context.

I know you’ve talked about how math acts as a gatekeeper at two critical times: with having to complete Algebra I by ninth grade to take upper-level math courses, and requiring college math courses for some post-secondary degrees. Can you tell me a bit about how you’re addressing these issues in your classroom?

The majority of Algebra I students at my school enter below grade level, so we invest in small group instruction. Ninety-eight to 100% consistently pass the Algebra I course and Regents by ninth grade, ensuring three years of upper-level math.

The small group instruction model is really quite simple and works if a few core elements are in place. At-risk students (identified by data) are pulled from math class twice a week in groups of four. They solve the same problems as the larger class, but with oral questioning and prompts tailored to the needs of each individual. It’s really a tutoring model: one teacher with four students.

Lauren Brady, pictured with Park East High School students.

Seniors at Park East are given a choice, with guidance based on career goals, of statistics, pre-calculus, or calculus. I find it tough to prepare my statistics students for core curriculum requirements in college. I encourage them to reflect on their mathematical strengths in considering whether to satisfy core requirements via algebra- or statistics-based pathways. We talk about how some colleges may automatically enroll them in algebra, so they should self-advocate if they prefer statistics. And we address how some colleges, unfortunately, won’t offer a choice at all. I spoke at Critical Issues in Mathematics Education [an annual workshop series] on this issue, as the work here is really to advocate for colleges to expand options.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom or your school?

For over a decade, my statistics students have been writing letters to the U.S. Census Bureau, advocating for changes to the race and ethnic origin questions. Once, the Census Bureau’s Associate Director and chief of the Racial Statistics Branch responded in person with a visit to my classes. Finally, in 2020, the Census Bureau addressed my students’ most significant complaint: “Negro” was removed as an answer choice. They continue to advocate for revisions, such as a combined race and ethnic origin question and the option to identify with more than one ethnicity.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I began kindergarten in the Malverne [Long Island] school district 22 years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke there and led a march in support of its desegregation. It was the first school district in New York to be given a state-level desegregation order, which was upheld after multiple appeals, including a challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court. I received an excellent K-12 education there, both with respect to academics and community. The experience also compelled me to grapple with systemic racial bias in education and face my own privilege. It instilled a value of racial equity in education, which influenced my decision to teach public school in New York City and to serve on the equity teams at my school and Math for America.

I also attended New College of Florida, a tiny, unconventional school that championed student choice and innovation. Classes were small and rigorous. Students regularly initiated independent study and conducted original research. And there were no required core classes or grades. This unique experience influenced me to value intrinsic motivation and create space for students to conduct original research in my statistics course. Unfortunately, the educational freedoms signature to New College are being dismantled. I hope they will be restored one day.

What are some of your hobbies, and how do you relate them to the classroom?

A hobby of mine is spoken word poetry. I was a member of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe’s National Slam Team. My work has appeared in an international film festival, an Off-Broadway play, and a motion picture. At Math for America, I facilitate a writing workshop for STEM teachers. I also taught a poetry elective at my school. Students generated writing and audio recordings, plus spoken word poets performed live for the class each week. After school, I hosted schoolwide open mics and brought some students to record tracks in the studio.

Amy Zimmer is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat New York. Contact Amy atazimmer@chalkbeat.org.

Meet Terita Walker, the Denver principal up for a national award

2025-06-16T23:16:08+00:00

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When Terita Walker was a middle schooler at Beasley Academic Center in Chicago, she remembers watching in awe as her principal, Ollie McLemore, hosted Bill Clinton at the school during his first presidential campaign in 1992.

When McLemore presented Clinton with a bright green Beasley Bees sweatshirt, the candidate quickly jettisoned his suit jacket and put it on, drawing an explosion of cheers from students, parents, and teachers. The future president described the K-8 magnet school as “a model for what we wish all schools would be.” He later invited McLemore to inauguration events as one of “50 Faces of Hope,” a group of inspiring people he’d met on the campaign trail.

Today, Walker is principal of Denver’s East High School, which serves about 2,300 students in one of the district’s grandest old buildings. She looks back on McLemore and the other educators who molded her as exemplars of educational leadership.

East High School Principal Terita Walker

“These were individuals who did not just lead — they inspired, they nurtured, and they expected the very best from us,” Walker said.

Today, she aims to follow in their footsteps.

Along with principals from Medford, New Jersey, and Ogden, Utah, Walker was recently named one of three finalists for the National High School Principal of the Year award from the National Association of Secondary School Principals. The winner will be announced on July 9.

Walker, who is also president-elect of the Colorado Association of Secondary School Principals, talked to Chalkbeat about why she changed careers, what she learned from a patient mother, and how she thinks about school safety after two deans were shot by an East High student in 2023.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What was your first education job, and what sparked your interest in the field?

Education was actually a second career for me. After spending time in the corporate world, I realized I wasn’t fully inspired by the work. While in the midst of “figuring it out,” someone suggested that I try substitute teaching.

That suggestion led me back to a very familiar and special place: my alma mater, Beasley Academic Center, a K-8 magnet school. Beasley had given me some of the most memorable and meaningful moments of my life, and experiencing it as an educator sparked something in me.

I wanted to be just like the educators who shaped me. One of those incredible individuals was my 8th grade teacher from 1993, Barbara Lanair, who later became my teacher supervisor during graduate school.

How did your own school experiences impact you and shape your approach to being a principal?

I had great school experiences in the Chicago Public School system, and those experiences shaped my approach to being a principal.

All of my school principals were strong, intelligent, powerful, caring, and nurturing Black women. Many of my teachers were as well. They weren’t just educators; they were role models who embodied excellence in everything they did. They could command a room within seconds and hold the attention of students, staff, parents, and community members alike.

As a principal today, I try to embody that same visibility, advocacy, and connection with students, staff, and the community.

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective or approach.

One memorable experience that really shifted my perspective happened during a meeting with a student and his mother. During our conversation, the student kept asking his mom, “Why? But why not?” To my surprise, she patiently responded to every single question. I remember sitting there thinking, “That is so disrespectful!”

Based on how I was raised, questioning an adult — especially asking “why” — was often seen as defiant. So in the moment, I jokingly said to the mom, “Whatever happened to the good old-fashioned answer from a parent of...‘Because I said so!’” She just gave a small shrug and left the building.

Later, a colleague who overheard the exchange pulled me aside, and we had a thoughtful conversation that completely changed the way I saw that moment. We talked about how important it is for students to feel empowered to ask questions, to be curious, and to seek understanding. Those “why” questions are not about being disrespectful — they’re about learning how to think critically, form opinions, and challenge what doesn’t align with their values.

That conversation led me to call the student’s mother — not just to apologize, but to thank her. I told her how much I admired the way she calmly engaged with her child’s questions, and how her approach taught me something important about the kind of learners we’re trying to cultivate.

Since then, I’ve learned not to take it personally when students don’t simply accept what I say at face value. Of course, there’s always room for respect and boundaries, but now I see inquisitiveness and curiosity as strengths.

The East High community went through a lot in 2023, with multiple shootings on or near campus. How do you make students and staff feel safe?

Safety is a shared responsibility at East. Teachers, administrators, and staff members actively monitor transitions, manage hallway and outdoor movement, and stay vigilant throughout the day. Our safety team treats every report with urgency and care.

Following the incredibly difficult events of 2023, our commitment to safety has only deepened. One of the most important things we’ve learned is that safety is not just about procedures or physical security; it’s about trust, communication, and shared responsibility. That’s why we involve our entire school community in safety conversations before implementing new measures.

We’ve increased the number of campus safety officers in the building to ensure a visible presence and maintain consistent coverage throughout the hallways and around the perimeter of the school. We’ve also strengthened our relationship with the two Student Resource Officers. Our goal is for these officers to be trusted members of our school community who students and staff feel comfortable approaching.

You host monthly coffee chats with parents and students. What’s an example of something you learned from those discussions, and how you addressed it?

These monthly chats give me a chance to hear directly from students and families about what’s working and what isn’t. I want everyone to love our school, because why not? It’s an amazing place to be! But I also understand how important it is to remain open, reflective, and committed to growth.

One specific example came up first semester when parents expressed frustration over a lack of direct communication regarding student absences. The district had recently introduced a new electronic absence reporting system, but it wasn’t meeting all of our families’ needs.

After that coffee chat, we reached out to more families to better understand the issue. As a result, we hired a new attendance support staff member to bring back the human element. This person is now a direct point of contact for parents who need to report absences, ask questions, or resolve issues. Since making that shift, we’ve received positive feedback about the improved clarity and responsiveness of our attendance process.

What issue in the education policy realm is having a big impact on your school right now? How are you addressing it?

One of the most pressing issues impacting our school is the growing need to support student mental health and well-being. At East High School, we recognize that mental health support is not a luxury — it is a necessity.

Despite significant efforts and investments, the need continues to outpace available support. East High has the largest school counseling team in the district, yet our counselors still carry caseloads larger than the national average. We also have four full-time psychologists and three social workers on staff, and we regularly collaborate with outside agencies, like WellPower and Denver Health.

In the face of recent funding cuts, East made a deliberate decision to retain a full-time prevention and therapeutic specialist. This individual educates students on the effects of drugs and alcohol and leads both preventative programming and intervention workshops as part of a restorative disciplinary approach.

What’s the best advice about educational leadership that you ever received?

The best advice didn’t come in the form of a direct conversation. It came during one of the most challenging periods of my career: the post-COVID era. My leadership team and I were exploring the implementation of an advisory period. After countless hours of research and brainstorming, we found ourselves overwhelmed and exhausted.

Then, almost by accident, I stumbled across a graphic that simply read: “Everything is Figureoutable.”

At the time, it felt more like wishful thinking than truth. But that phrase stuck with me. I later discovered it was the title of a book by Marie Forleo. Her message is simple but profound: with enough effort, determination, and creativity, any problem can be solved.

What are you reading for enjoyment?

I’m finishing “The Let Them Theory” by Mel Robbins, and I’ve also started listening to the accompanying podcast. The book and podcast have really inspired me with their constant reminders about the importance of choosing joy and staying grounded.

One of my favorite quotes from Mel Robbins is: “There will always be someone who can’t see your worth. Don’t let it be you.” It’s a powerful reminder to stay true to myself, to lead with confidence, and to never lose sight of my own value — especially in a profession like education, where we pour so much of ourselves into others.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

On the road: This Illinois teacher spent a year asking educators what belonging means to them

2025-06-16T20:38:57+00:00

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Rachael Mahmood has been on the road for the past year asking educators across Illinois about what belonging means to them and what school districts can do to support educators.

Mahmood, a veteran elementary school teacher at Indian Prairie School District 204, was named Illinois Teacher of the Year in 2024. One of the perks of the title is being able to take a year off to pursue professional development. Mahmood decided to spend the year traveling around the state facilitating conversations about belonging, known as World Cafes, with educators and school communities.

As a student of color growing up in a predominantly white suburb outside of Chicago, Mahmood always felt like an outsider and has been on a search to figure out how to ensure students and educators feel like they belong.

“Right now, a lot of people are talking about how do we attract teachers to the field, how do we attract students to become teachers, and how do we retain teachers,” said Mahmood regarding the idea behind her project. “And so I kind of married that need right now in the community with this idea of belonging.”

Throughout the year, Mahmood organized about 50 meetings across Illinois, which attracted crowds ranging from 30 to 600 people. All told, thousands came to the gatherings, held at schools, colleges, and education conferences. About 2,500 of them took a post-workshop survey, and almost 2,000 of the respondents work in schools. The meetings were open to educators, students, and families. Mahmood traveled all over the state, visiting school communities in rural, suburban, and urban areas.

Mahmood would ask participants to sit in small groups, and she would provide them with discussion topics, such as how they define belonging, what their schools strengths and challenges are when it comes to making people feel like they belong, and what action steps they want to see their school take to increase a sense of belonging. Right after, she would survey the groups.

Mahmood took the data she received from participants and ran it through an artificial intelligence program that helped her understand what participants wanted. She found that many of the teachers’ answers differed based on their racial or ethnic background and their years of service.

In an interview with Chalkbeat Chicago, Mahmood shared her findings and what educators told her about their experiences at these World Cafes.

This story has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How did educators define belonging in the meetings?

So the first thing I learned about defining belonging is that it’s deeply personal, and it’s different for everybody. School districts need to know how their educators define belonging, how their students define belonging, and how their students’ families define belonging. And the only way to find that out is to ask them, right? Because school districts can be taking many well-intentioned steps towards inclusion, but it’s ultimately our feelings of belonging which show them those steps have actually landed. No matter what demographic you came from, safety and security were a big theme that came out of how we define belonging.

Were there differences between how teachers defined belonging?

Hispanic participants did have a priority on safe and secure environments. They were emphasizing more words that involve psychological safety and being free from judgment. African American participants predominantly defined belonging through school culture and community. They were emphasizing words like “authenticity,” “affirmation,” and “visibility,” and they referred to the school being like a home. White educators tended to mirror the overall trend about safe environments, empathy, and voice. Asian American educators frequently named empathy and team connection — looking at interpersonal relations, like warmth, knowing each other’s name, greeting each other, those types of one-to-one kind of connections.

Our early career educators, those with between one to five years [in the classroom], prioritize safe and secure environments and school culture, but they had a heavy influence on belonging and celebrating diverse cultures. But those who are mid and later career educators had a stronger emphasis on hearing all stakeholders’ voices in the way they define belonging.

What did teachers say when you asked them what their greatest strengths were when it comes to creating a space of belonging at school?

The greatest strength that educators talked about was basically this idea of being empathetic and responsive to each other. They really named their colleagues as their greatest strengths. They said things like “My colleagues are supportive. My colleagues are welcoming. My school is welcoming. My colleagues are kind. We take care of each other.” This idea of trust and teacher care.

What were the barriers to belonging in schools for teachers?

The most frequently expressed barriers, this is ironic, was the way staff engages with each other. Our greatest strength is our colleagues; we have the power to lift each other up and support each other, and that means a lot to us as educators. But at the same time, we have to be careful with each other’s hearts. We have to know each other’s stories.

Black teachers said staff diversity was their dominant concern. They talked about diversity in the sense of themselves being from a diverse background, as well as how we treat students. Hispanic educators focused more on staff engagement, how we talk to each other, how we treat each other. But they talked about how we treat them as Hispanic teachers, and they talked a lot about how we treat and support families. Asian American staff members frequently cited a lack of cultural knowledge about students and families, which is not surprising, because Asia has so many different cultures and languages and traditions and religions. For white staff, their biggest challenge was barriers to feeling included, but they were mostly talking about barriers that their students and families face.

What actions did educators suggest to make teachers, students, and families feel like they belong?

Staff engagement again. A lot of actions around building teacher trust and care. Even some actions around how do we empower students, and how do we increase communication? Those were kind of the four themes.

What were some takeaways you had from the conversations that you hosted so far?

What’s most important is if we want people to feel a sense of belonging, we gotta ask them what belonging means to them. We have to honor what it means to them, and we have to strive and align our actions towards those outcomes. Otherwise, we may be doing many things to help people feel [a sense of] belonging, but they may not be feeling it because that’s not the way they define it, or it may not be landing in the ways we’re hoping that it would land.

How did educators feel about the meetings?

Once I started sharing my story, the vulnerability in the way that I share my story, it primed the conversation in a way that everyone was an engaged participant. They left affirmed in the whole experience. People were coming up afterwards and saying, ‘This was the most amazing professional development we’ve done all year. This was the best institute day we had all year. We should start every year with an activity like this.’ People felt heard.

With all the information that you gathered through these conversations, what do you plan to do now?

I’m working on writing a book right now. Well, I don’t know if it’s gonna be a book, but, like, a manual/light reading book that talks about what I learned from this experience. I’m going to talk about the need to center educator voices in spaces where educators are impacted. The need to center the voices of our community, having more community-driven definitions, and community-driven actions.

Correction: June 20, 2025: A previous version of this reported that about 2,500 attended Mahmood’s World Cafes. This story has been updated to reflect that about 2,500 participants took a post-workshop survey.

Samantha Smylie is the state education reporter for Chalkbeat Chicago, covering school districts across the state, legislation, special education, and the state board of education. Contact Samantha at ssmylie@chalkbeat.org.

This historian believes teaching Jewish American history in NYC schools can combat antisemitism

2025-06-16T12:00:00+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free monthly newsletter How I Teach to get inspiration, news, and advice for — and from — educators.

In late 2023, New York City Education Department officials approached historian Natalia Mehlman Petrzela to be the lead scholar on a new curriculum focused on Jewish American history. The project would be part of the city’s Hidden Voices initiative, centering diverse historical figures left out of typical textbooks.

Petrzela, a history professor at the New School, was initially surprised. Though a historian of American politics and culture — her book, “Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America’s Exercise Obsession,” is being turned into a documentary — Jewish studies is not her primary field of study. But the more she understood the goals of the Hidden Voices project, the more she realized how well-suited she was for the task.

“The work of amplifying ‘hidden voices’ who may not be central to conventional historical narratives is core to what I do as a teacher and a scholar,” said Petrzela, who began her career as a New York City classroom teacher. “Also, much of my scholarship has been about the teaching of divisive issues in K-12, particularly around identity, and the controversy that often follows.”

Education Department officials said the materials will be available to all students next school year. They are also piloting the resource in five New York City districts that will provide feedback on the lessons. City schools already have access to Hidden Voices materials focused on LGBTQ history, Asian American history, the African diaspora, and Americans with disabilities.

Officials had announced the Jewish American materials were forthcoming as well as materials focused on Muslim Americans after a rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents increased following the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel and devastating war in Gaza that followed. Lessons on the Latino community are expected to be completed by the end of the school year.

Petrzela hopes that students and teachers will not only learn about a series of important individuals but also be inspired to ask new questions about the nation’s past and present. The project was also especially meaningful for Petrzela post Oct. 7.

“As a Jew, in addition to my professional roles, I have been speaking up when I think appropriate to address the unfortunate polarization that I see taking hold in many educational environments and our culture,” she said, noting that education is a critical way to get beyond this. “I hope that learning about Jewish experiences and identity across history — and not just in regards to the Israel/Hamas war — will take the temperature down on some of those conversations, and make them more informed and empathetic.”

Petrzela spoke recently with Chalkbeat New York.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Why did it feel so important to take this project on?

It was disappointing, if not totally surprising, to me that the New York City schools did not already have a coherent set of materials to teach Jewish American history, given how important Jews are in New York City history and vice versa. For me, witnessing the disturbing aftermath of Oct. 7 in many educational environments, including, but not limited to, New York City, infused real energy into addressing that omission. That is, I think the antisemitism that we have seen flare is due, at least in some part, to ignorance.

I was horrified and depressed to see false claims and antisemitic tropes circulating unchallenged at schools and colleges, supposed bastions of enlightenment and inclusion, but I realized that despairing or engaging in an endless game of what I describe as “antisemitism whack-a-mole” was depleting and unproductive.

I remain idealistic that education can be an important part of the solution to this situation, and leading Jewish American Hidden Voices, or JAHV, feels like a valuable way to make a proactive and unique contribution.

It’s hard to discuss this project in isolation from what’s been happening in some New York City public schools since Oct. 7, not only with the high-profile incidents, like the Hillcrest High School teacher targeted by students over her support of Israel, but also a broader rise of antisemitism in schools. We recently saw the chancellor issue apologies for “offensive” communications that went out to educators and families. How do you hope the Hidden Voices materials can combat some of what’s been happening in schools?

I hope that it contributes to reducing the antisemitism that has been on display not only in NYC but in many other places, as it will be freely available online. I think JAHV adds something really important to two existing approaches to teaching about Jewish experiences: Holocaust and antisemitism education, the former is required in many states, and the latter is often introduced as the result of an incident.

Hidden Voices is complementary but very different, as it introduces Jewish-American experiences as intertwined with the long span of U.S. history, and widens the lens beyond incidents of antisemitism and the specific and seismic trauma of the Holocaust, although it of course addresses both as well.

Can you tell us about your process? How long have you been working on it? Where did your research take you? How did you decide what to keep and what to cut?

After I accepted this offer, we set about brainstorming two lists: of individuals to include as profiles and of experts we hoped would write for us. The hardest part was cutting both of those down and finessing them to be representative in a range of ways.

The idea of Hidden Voices is to highlight individuals in an identity group that has often been overlooked in history, and also to teach about people who are not only the most famous figures in a given group. So, yes, there are profiles of luminaries such as Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis and poet Emma Lazarus, but also of fascinating figures, such as Harry Lender, the entrepreneur who made frozen bagels a supermarket staple, and Nancy Lieberman, the basketball star and women’s sports trailblazer.

One way we distilled the list was to focus on people whose stories illuminated aspects of Jewish American identity and that allow teachers to make fruitful connections to broader historical themes, both to deepen and challenge them. While this is a project of the NYC schools, and New York City is clearly such an important site in American Jewish life, we also really tried to select individuals whose lives and careers took them all over the country, itself an effort to challenge the stereotype of the “New York Jew.”

As for what we decided to keep in or cut, it was important to me that we explain, in every profile, how a figure’s Jewishness related to their life. For some of the figures we profile, being Jewish is a major part of their identity and career; for others, it can feel almost incidental. To us, that difference in itself is important in understanding the different ways Jews have inhabited their identity throughout U.S. history.

We kept in mind that it was especially important to resist any simplification of figures to heroes or villains, especially if there was a risk of perpetuating stereotypes. Our contributors did a great job with this.

What were some of the most surprising things you learned while doing the research?

I am not sure about surprised, but as challenging as this sprawling project is, I was gratified at how easy it was to illuminate so many diverse realms of American culture through the experiences of Jews in this country. This tiny minority — about 2.4% of the United States population today — has made incredible contributions, from the arts to athletics to organizing to industry, and it was not all that difficult to convey this range and diversity through our materials. Now people just have to use them!

Are there any figures that you’re especially excited for students — and teachers — to learn about?

Don’t make me choose — they are all so good! But since I absolutely love using pop culture to get at deeper historical themes, I am biased to be especially excited about profiles like that of Gold Rush entrepreneur Levi Strauss, who gave us denim as we know it, and of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the Holocaust survivor who got a generation of Americans talking openly about sex.

I’m wondering if you have thoughts about teaching Holocaust history in a post-survivor world?

When I was growing up, it was almost commonplace to learn about the Holocaust through survivors who would generously give talks at all kinds of venues, including schools. I remember their bracing accounts like it was yesterday. That era is all but over, and I think Hidden Voices will be one resource valuable in teaching about some of that history that too many people are ignorant of, or even deny. While [Jewish American Hidden Voices] is not organized around the Holocaust, this tragedy is so central to understanding modern Jewish experiences that, of course, it is addressed across our materials.

In general, what is your hope for how students and educators engage with these materials?

On the broadest level, I hope that these materials push educators and students to think about who identity-based curricula are for. Yes, of course, it is important for minority groups to “see themselves” represented in curricula, but I think that ambition is far too parochial for our current reality. We should all be curious about each other’s experiences, because when we turn inward and away from each other, we are left with an incomplete and inaccurate picture of the past and are ill-equipped to engage in our complicated present. Because Jews are such a tiny minority, I hope a curriculum like this sparks people to think about this question and invigorates them to commit to a pluralism and universalism that I personally think is the beating heart of a healthy community, in the classroom or beyond.

Amy Zimmer is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat New York. Contact Amy atazimmer@chalkbeat.org.

How this Indiana teacher prepares her students now for college success

2025-05-15T19:35:01+00:00

As new graduation requirements go into effect in Indiana, more students will likely take college and career courses to prepare for life after high school. But making sure students can access these classes — and succeed in them — takes some patience and creativity.

When Sheridan High School teacher Jill Cali noticed her students struggling with the longer deadlines and open-ended questions typical of college assignments, she began to teach them how to break tasks into more manageable steps. Soon, her students were reaping the benefits.

Other roadblocks to students’ success in college courses, especially in rural communities like Sheridan, a town of 3,000 people in northwest Hamilton County, include accessing these credits and paying for them.

Cali said being part of the Rural Early College Network, sponsored by the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning at the University of Indianapolis, allows her students to earn college credits for free. The network also serves as a source of support, allowing her to exchange ideas with teachers at other schools.

“The struggles that students typically have in early college courses are some of the same things that prevent many students from being confident that they will find success in college,” Cali told Chalkbeat. “When students believe they don’t have the ability to be successful in completing college-level work, their first instinct is to shy away from it.”

Read on to learn more about how Cali approaches her early college classes.

This interview has been lightly edited for length.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I decided to become a teacher during my sophomore year of college when I realized that I was not meant to be an accountant! I had always loved working with kids and had a natural talent in Spanish, so becoming a [Spanish] teacher seemed like a good fit. The longer I teach, the more sure I am that this was the right path for me. I was made to be a teacher.

What was the process like to become a dual-credit instructor?

Our superintendent suggested I pursue a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction so I would be able to teach the dual-credit Education Professions courses. During our conversation, he convinced me that the degree program would be flexible enough to work with my busy single parenting and teaching schedule and that I would see the return on my investment very quickly. He was right.

The following week, at the age of 42, I enrolled in a program to complete my master’s degree online, working at my own pace. I finished in six months, after working tirelessly to make sure that I only had to pay for one term.

In order to be approved as a dual-credit instructor, I had to coordinate with my high school’s higher education partner, Ivy Tech Community College. This involved submitting my [college and grad school] transcripts, along with a proposed syllabus for each of the courses I planned to teach. The process was honestly pretty quick and painless.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

In my Principles of Teaching class, the introduction to teaching course, I teach about differentiation and making accommodations for students with special needs. My very favorite lesson to teach is the one in which I give students various tasks, but each has a different limitation. Their reactions, creative thinking, and “aha moments” are the reason it is my favorite lesson. During that lesson, my students realize that some of the most basic tasks can be entirely impossible with just one small limitation. Their internalization of how frustrating learning can be for some of our students really helps us to move forward with the unit of study in a productive manner.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

Throughout my childhood and into adulthood, I was a student who strived for excellence in every subject. Realizing that I finally understood a concept I had been trying to grasp or persevering through a tough problem to find an answer always gave me immense satisfaction. I loved the “light bulb moments” as a student, but I enjoy them even more now that I am the teacher. A natural lifelong learner myself, it has always been my goal to inspire my students to be inquisitive and curious investigators of anything that interests them.

How is your early college classroom different from a standard high school classroom?

At a glance, my classroom looks a bit more like a college classroom than many high school classrooms. I was fortunate enough to be able to use grant money to furnish the room with flexible seating options. What you can’t see is that my early college students work with elementary students, getting experience in the field. The flexible seating allows them to move seamlessly between working independently and cooperating and creating with their peers.

How do you help students adjust to those expectations?

Students in early college learn that when something feels overwhelming or difficult, they have the tools to tackle it on their own. This doesn’t mean that they can’t ask for help or guidance. It means that before asking for help, students should make sure they have exhausted all options for figuring it out on their own.

I send a letter to each student and one home to their caregivers prior to the start of school in the fall, explaining what dual-credit means and what the expectations will look like in my early college class. This ensures that there is no confusion about what will be expected of early college students and also opens the lines of communication with students and families.

Having taught these courses for a few years, I’ve found that students struggle with a course that has larger assignments and more time between deadlines. The first thing I do to support them in addressing this is to show them how they can break larger assignments and projects into smaller tasks on their own. Many students are used to having teachers do this for them. I show them how they can establish their own, smaller deadlines based on what they know about their personal schedule, how fast they tend to work, and the support they think they might need.

Students also find it challenging to write nearly everything for their dual-credit courses using a formal tone with proper grammar and spelling. In addition, students tend to have trouble answering multi-part questions … particularly when they are higher-level thinking questions. I spend a full class period — more, if needed — showing them and having them practice how to appropriately respond to the types of writing prompts and questions they will typically see in their early college courses.

Another area where students tend to struggle is with attendance and deadlines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools insisted that students be shown grace in both of those areas. Unfortunately, this instilled in them the idea that as long as they completed all graded assignments, it didn’t matter whether they participated in class or how late assignments were submitted. Though their learning is always my primary focus, much of what my students learn builds on itself. In addition, much of the learning takes place through class discussions.

“I loved the ‘light bulb moments’ as a student, but I enjoy them even more now that I am the teacher.”

What are some barriers your students face to postsecondary opportunities, and how does the Rural Early College Network help you help them overcome those?

The greatest barrier to postsecondary opportunities for students in my school is the financial barrier. The dual-credit courses we offer are all free to our students, so when they successfully complete those courses, the number of semesters that will be required for them to complete their degree can be reduced. This translates to money saved for the student and makes their postsecondary options more affordable and attainable.

Rural Early College Network schools meet throughout the school year to share ideas and support each other in building programs that provide our students with the tools they need to be successful in our classrooms, in college, and beyond.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

The best advice I have ever received with regard to teaching is, “Student behavior and choices are almost never personal attacks against the teacher.” It was the great reminder that my teenage students’ brains are not fully developed. When they make poor choices or when they act out, it nearly never has anything to do with how they feel about me or anything even relating to me. Letting that go and remembering to see their behaviors as something completely separate from me has really made it much easier to create consequences when appropriate, support my students when needed, and establish a welcoming environment in which every student starts fresh every day.

Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.

This Brooklyn mentor understands why students don’t show up. He was once in their shoes.

2025-05-07T21:49:33+00:00

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As a success mentor at Brooklyn’s A-Tech High School, Keiron Darnley helps students at risk of being chronically absent.

A big reason he clicks so well with them: He was in their shoes less than a decade ago.

Darnley, who graduated from Brooklyn Collegiate in 2018, had a complicated relationship with school. Though he was passing his classes, he didn’t really see the point in showing up, he said. He typically stayed home one or two times a week, watching TV, playing video games, or sleeping. When he did attend, he’d often arrive late.

“The idea of going to school was like a fulfillment to make sure my parents don’t have any issues,” he said, “or that it’s just a placeholder in my day.”

After a school counselor’s check-ins with Darnley fell flat, he connected Darnley with a colleague who changed his trajectory. This staffer, from Counseling in Schools, a nonprofit that provides counselors to dozens of New York City public schools, made Darnley feel that school was “worth it.” She would greet him at the school’s front door. He’d go to her office during lunch to do schoolwork.

Eventually, the counselor got him a high school internship that put him on his current path as a Counseling in Schools success mentor at A-Tech, where he’s worked the past five years.

As the school, formerly known as Automotive, has been transforming in various ways, moving beyond car mechanics into digital design and business, its gender balance is slowly shifting. This year’s freshman class enrolled the most girls it’s ever had, Darnley said. The school was 89% male last year.

That shift is changing the school’s vibe — and possibly helping boost attendance as well, Darnely believes.

At the end of Darnley’s first year at A-Tech, the chronic absenteeism rate was 49%. This school year to date, it’s about 15%, according to data obtained by Chalkbeat. The school has leaned heavily on data to pinpoint whether students are on the cusp of being chronically absent — defined as missing at least 10% of the school year — enabling staffers to target interventions, including credit recovery programs and mentors, like Darnley.

“It takes time, but it’s definitely worth it to build that relationship, because some of them very well need it, and kind of just need to know there’s somebody here who cares,” said Darnely, who is also studying to be a nurse.

Chalkbeat spoke recently with Darnley.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How did you decide to become a success mentor?

It’s always so funny how life works out. I was never really like a ‘school person.’ I never saw myself working at a school working with kids, but when I was in high school, I interned for my counselor and mentor, and she got me an internship with Counseling in Schools, so I’ve kind of been on and off with them. One day, she reached out to me after I graduated and was like, “Hey, I have a job opportunity.”

Are there any anecdotes you can tell me about a particular student who, like yourself, didn’t want to come to school, and how you got that student to come to school?

I work with the idea of, hey, I’m trying to get them not to be like me.

Last year, when one of my old students graduated, he was telling how much it really meant to him and how much of a difference it really made. All I really did was the same thing somebody did for me. I was there when he was in the building. First thing he saw in the morning was a ”good morning,” a good smile. Like, “Hey, how are you doing?” When he was late, I would text him like, “Hey, what’s up?” or “Where are you at? Are you coming to school today?”

[When he was absent], I would get his work for him. I’d make sure he was staying on top of what he has to do, even though he’s not in the building, because being online now, more than ever, things are a lot more accessible, so they can still do their work.

I even went to the extreme because he loved to tell me that he slept through his alarm. So I used to take his phone, set all his alarms for him, and know when they go off, so I used to call him after his alarm goes off, because I know kids love to hit their snooze button. So their 8 a.m. alarm turns into a 10 a.m. alarm.

For some students, if they’re not going to school, the further behind they fall. That makes them even less likely to want to go to school because there’s the stress of having to catch up. How do you address that?

I’ve had a lot of students who felt like there was no point in even coming anymore, because they’re like, “I’m missing credits, I’m failing the class. I don’t have the motivation to do it. It’s too much work.” And I’m just like, “It’s too much work, but you can have help doing the work.”

What I’ve noticed, specifically in this school, is that they have so many methods to catch up, whether it’s through after-school tutoring, somebody like me, or even just the teachers themselves willing to stay back past their hours. Even over the breaks, they’ll all log in, and they’ll do online work together. The teachers will push back some of the due dates.

It sounds like you’re really able to connect with the students. Can you tell me more about that?

They very well see me as a student myself.

Maybe it’s because of the dialect, or how young they think I look. And the same issues they went through, I went through. So it’s easy to connect to them and understand, “Hey, I’ve been there. I know what’s going on. So let me just help you.” And I think, when they see you from the first minute they walk into the building to their lunch period to the end of the day, they’re like, “Hey, this is somebody I can trust and talk to.”

And we have a wellness room where they come and they do their work at lunch, or if they just want to come and hang out. One of their key moments of the day is their lunch period because this is their decompress period. They get to come here, [and] they don’t have to worry about the pressure of education, or their grades, or their teachers.

And I think just being able to relate to somebody like me who can talk to them outside of their teacher [makes them] feel comfortable opening up about their problems, about their education issues, or just how school in general makes them feel.

I know you’re also working toward a nursing degree. Why nursing?

My goal has kind of always been to help people. I think that’s why I clicked so well with this job — kind of helping people who are like me. At first, I wanted to be a doctor, but being how much I don’t like school, I can’t see myself doing all those years in school, medical and residency, so I’d rather start with nursing and kind of work my way through. As long as I’m in a profession where I’m giving more than I’m getting, I think I’ll be happy,

Amy Zimmer is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat New York. Contact Amy at azimmer@chalkbeat.org.

This Philly principal overcame bullying and wants to create a safe haven for her students

2025-04-24T10:00:00+00:00

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There’s nothing Philadelphia Principal Nichole Polk dislikes more than a blank, beige wall.

One of her first priorities when she became principal of North Philly’s Potter-Thomas School in 2019 was to fill her hallways with vibrant colors, positive affirmations (”be kind — all are welcome here”), and towering murals of basketballs, paint tubes, open books, and chemistry flasks.

Polk said she wanted every student and every staff member to get excited about being in the building. Because growing up in Philly, Polk’s own school experience did not make her feel welcome.

Polk said she was made fun of by her classmates and teacher when she developed a stutter in fifth grade. She became terrified to speak and withdrew within herself, suffocating the part of her that liked to pull pranks on her younger sisters and joke around with her friends.

“I didn’t necessarily want to be there, but I knew that I had to be,” Polk said of her time in school. Her mom, Alfreda, placed a lot of importance on all three of her daughters getting a good education and insisted that Polk be held back a year to get speech services.

“I really didn’t see myself going to college, because my relationship with school wasn’t good,” she said.

Potter-Thomas School Principal Nichole Polk wanted to cover her beige school walls with colorful murals and positive messages.

Prior to becoming an educator, Polk tried out nursing, did a stint at TV Guide, and held other odd jobs around the city. It wasn’t until she had her first daughter that something clicked: “I need a life with purpose, because now I’m about to be a mom.” she said.

She found her way back to education as a therapeutic support staff member working with an eighth grader at another district school. It was there that Polk said she noticed some of the same behaviors from students and teachers that so upset her during her own time in school.

“I was like, wow, this is not good for these children,” she said.

From there, Polk became a literacy intern teacher, then a classroom teacher, school-based teacher leader, assistant principal, and eventually took her place at the helm of Potter-Thomas as principal.

Now, she said her goal is to create a safe haven for all her students, more than 100 of whom are learning English and may need extra support to speak up for themselves, just like she did.

Her work earned her a coveted Lindback Distinguished Principal Award this year, and the honor came with $20,000 to be used for her school community.

Among Polk’s favorite phrases on her school walls is one about embracing the “power of yet” and the bright future that she said all of her students (and staff members) contain within them.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What was your own experience with school growing up in Philly?

I never saw myself as an educator because of my own educational journey, it wasn’t a good one. It was good up until fifth grade. In fifth grade I developed a stutter. Back then, we did round-robin reading, and just knowing that my turn was coming up — I knew that the anxiety makes my stutter more challenging. No matter how much I try to prepare, I would stutter. I was made fun of, unfortunately, by my classmates and my teacher, and it silenced me for the year. I just showed up to school every day and didn’t say anything. I didn’t participate. No one came over to me to say, “Hey, is everything okay?”

I got F’s all the way through, and when it was time for promotion, my mom said, “Absolutely not.” I was left back. My mom got me speech [therapy]. I stayed in speech up until about 10th, 11th grade. I learned how to [emotionally] regulate, and I was also becoming more secure in myself — that made it a little easier dealing with the stutter.

I always felt like my mother, my parents, kept me safe and that I could go to them, but at the same time, I didn’t know how to articulate that and bring that to her to say, “Mom, I’m going to school and not talking because the teacher is making fun of me.”

Adults are supposed to make me feel loved, and like this is a safe environment for me. So how can I say this is not safe? I was really confused.

One of Potter-Thomas school's mottos is "we achieve as one team, one goal, no excuses."

How do you think your experience with school impacted the leader you are now?

Looking back on it, it was unfortunate, but it was such a blessing because without the experience, I wouldn’t be where I am right now.

My leadership “why” is to ensure that every staff member, student, parent, and community member who comes in this building feels safe, loved, and is always learning.

To have a growth mindset, I have to feel safe and loved in the space in order to do that, and I have to feel safe within myself. Once that happens, it’s like the sky’s the limit.

I have seen children coming into school for the first time or coming into Potter-Thomas for the first time and not knowing that this is a safe space. Because they think, “Hey, I don’t know you. You don’t know me. I need more than a hug on this first time to know that I feel loved and feel safe.” At first, they’re going against, they’re crying. They don’t want to be here. Then, as they see what our school is about, it’s like wow, look at them. It’s a beautiful thing.

We also love up on our teachers in the same way. I’m still learning and growing. I also show up as an example to say, “I’m here to coach you, but here, this coach is here to coach me because I’m learning and growing, too.” You’re not going to be ridiculed for not knowing. You’re not going to be looked down upon for not knowing. You’re going to be supported through not knowing until you know.

Is there anything in the outside community that impacts what goes on at Potter-Thomas?

For a brief moment, the ICE situation had impacted us. Students and families were afraid. Families were afraid to send their students to school. They were afraid to walk them to school because they didn’t know what was going to happen when they got here. Fortunately, that has subsided.

Our parents sometimes have bad experiences too. So we love up on them consistently, so they can drop their barriers and know that this is a safe space for their children and also for them.

Although there is a lot going on out there, we have come a long way for our community to see that that’s out there, but in here, it’s something different. It’s a haven.

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

Be self-reflective. That is very important and is something I do every day, because it keeps me grounded. It also keeps pushing me to learn and grow. One of the best ways to self-improve is to make the decision. If it’s good, you can learn from that. Taking that chance, being a risk-taker, by making the decision and having a good turnout, that’s great. On the flip side, if it didn’t work out, what do you need to do to make it better?

You can go back and forth, you can think the worst, you can even go around calling a bunch of people for feedback, but it’s like, just do it. You’ll be proud of yourself afterwards.

What advice would you give to your younger self in school if you could?

I wonder if I would have known that I was enough earlier on and that I did deserve a seat at the table, what I would’ve realized about my fifth grade experience. Would I have shared what was going on?

Life, we’re living it, so as you continue to move and grow in your journey, how can you do things differently, and then how can you support others along the way?

Carly Sitrin is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Philadelphia. Contact Carly at csitrin@chalkbeat.org.

This Chicago teacher supports immigrant students, even teaching them calculus on Saturday

2025-04-16T16:43:00+00:00

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Math teacher Victor Hurtado knows what it’s like to enter high school as a recently arrived immigrant.

After growing up in Durango, Mexico, he moved to Chicago as a teenager and enrolled in Schurz High School, which had an English-Spanish bilingual program at that time.

Now, Hurtado serves as the math department chair teaching advanced algebra and AP Calculus at Schurz, which is now one of three dual-language high schools in Chicago Public Schools.

“I’m very passionate about my bilingual background,” Hurtado said. “I love my newcomers, and it’s a blessing to serve them.”

Victor Hurtado was a recent finalist for the 2025 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching.

Hurtado was honored earlier this month as a finalist for the Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching. Chalkbeat spoke with him about supporting bilingual students, his favorite math lesson to teach, and what it’s like to navigate the current political climate around immigration.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How did you decide to become a teacher?

I was working on my undergraduate degree at Northeastern University after I graduated from Wright College with an associate’s degree. While at Northeastern, I met this professor from Colombia, a wonderful man. I took computer science with him and he really inspired me to finish up my degree and work as a teacher. He founded a school that was for adults and he recruited me to help in the evenings teach adults mainly from Latino backgrounds. The school helped them to get their high school diploma, not the GED. It was such a wonderful experience that I will never forget. For nine months, every Thursday night, we’d volunteer. It was awesome.

Right after Northeastern, I got a job at Chicago’s Foreman High School as a bilingual math teacher, and while I was there, I eventually got my master’s degree at DePaul University. I was at Forman for 10 and a half years before coming to Schurz for the last seven.

What is your favorite lesson to teach, and why?

Being in the classroom for 17 years, there are so many great lessons in math that I could pick. This is my second year teaching AP Calculus, and I’ve always wanted to teach that class.

My favorite lesson is Riemann sums. It’s a method by a German professor, last name Riemann. It’s one of those AP Calculus topics that is a good introduction to derivatives. And kids discover and make connections between the formula and applying the geometry skills.

It is one of those topics that it’s very satisfying to see how the kids are able to sketch trapezoids, how they sketch rectangles. It’s all hands-on and they do explore, and it’s more like a discovery method for them to understand a much bigger theorem in calculus.

Chicago has enrolled many recent immigrants in the past three years. How has that impacted your school and your teaching?

Ever since the results of the political elections, in our community, you see a lot of increasing anxiety among Latino families with ICE deportations taking place.

Thankfully, Chicago is a great city. We are a sanctuary city. We welcome people of all sorts of backgrounds. I do feel like I was welcome in Chicago and I think our newcomers, they do feel welcome. There’s a lot of support in place for them to kind of get accustomed.

Right now at the classroom level, particularly for our bilingual and ESL classrooms, we see an increase in the high levels of stress because it’s all over the news. I do try to talk about it when they ask, if they ask. We explain to the student, “Listen, don’t panic. Take a deep breath. ICE cannot come to your school without a [judicial] warrant.”

I openly had two conversations with the students recently, and the kids were very curious. They were very open. They were very polite. They were very reflective. Obviously, they were afraid of those things, and we tried to ease their concerns and guide them.

Our local school council conducted a wonderful legal clinic last Saturday. People are doing great things at Schurz advocating for our families.

Talk a little more about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I’m a proud Schurz alumni. I’m very grateful for my bilingual background, and I feel very strongly about promoting dual language and bilingualism in our communities. I feel like Schurz was the place that I needed to be at the moment that I was here.

At Schurz, we have a great group of people who are doing a great job for our dual-language students. They’re very passionate about dual language and bilingualism. The educators do generally care about our students, and even our principal, Dr. Moran, she’s bilingual.

As for myself, I was in bilingual classes, but I was never offered the chance to take an advanced class in mathematics, and I understood why. Obviously, I didn’t have the skills to be in an advanced class. But now, this is what I advocate for my students.

I just did a workshop recently at a dual-language elementary school. I was presenting on how to build rigorous courses for our Latino and underprivileged students. It was truly an honor to be speaking about it and bringing in things that I’ve done in the classroom, based on my own experience, based on how I want to advocate for the students.

In my AP Calculus class, I recruited about nine bilingual students. I’m conducting Saturday review sessions. I’m doing this because I want to do it and the kids are showing up on a Saturday morning, nine in the morning until noon, just to talk about problems.

This is their third year in the United States. So they’re getting used to writing their responses in English, completely in English, and their writing has gotten much better. They’re so motivated. It has been such a powerful, empowering experience that I feel honored to be part of.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received as a teacher, and how do you put it into practice?

I’ll go back to my years at Schurz. One of the best pieces of advice that I received was to go to a community college and start my education there. They offer a good bridge program for the students like myself, and they have a very affordable tuition, right? And now, they do offer the Chicago Star Scholarship, which is for students who excel, who have a 3.0 GPA, and it also applies undocumented students. Back when I was in school, they didn’t offer those things. So I’m so glad that they’re doing it now.

Mr. Sanchez, my high school social studies teacher, encouraged me to go to community college and get a degree. I’m so glad that he was able to inspire me. I try to do the exact same thing for the students today. I talked to them about going to see the college and career counselor; let’s see what scholarships are available to you.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

I’m a sports fan, and I love playing volleyball. I played in high school, and now, I play with my friends, guys I’ve known for the past 20 years. So I play whenever I have a chance. This helps my mental health. People have to have something outside your job that is going to help [you] cope with the stress.

My two daughters got into volleyball, and this year, we’ve been doing travel team with them. They have played volleyball for the past three years. It’s one of the greatest experiences that I ever experienced as a father. Those girls are so passionate about the sport. They dive, they hit, they spike, they do a lot of things already that I was never able to do at a young age. It’s such a wonderful thing to see, and that really fills me with joy. That has been a blessing for them and for the family.

Correction 9/16/25: This story has been updated to clarify that Schurz High School had a Spanish-English bilingual program when Hurtado was enrolled, but was not a dual-language school until he started teaching there. It also corrected that the school hosted a legal clinic last Saturday, but is not hosting them every Saturday.

Becky Vevea is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Chicago. Contact Becky at bvevea@chalkbeat.org.

This Detroit principal has unique ties to the children he serves

2025-04-15T21:45:39+00:00

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Mario Lemons leads a school in the same westside Detroit neighborhood where he grew up, and just a block away from the high school from which he graduated.

“I know the students, families, and teachers,” said Lemons, the head of school at Detroit Achievement Academy, a charter on West Outer Drive. “I know them figuratively because they are a product of this community, just like I am, so there’s a strong cultural and communal connection and understanding that can only come from a shared lived experience.”

It doesn’t end there, though. Lemons said many of the teachers at the academy “are people who I literally grew up with, and many of the students at DAA are children of parents who I also grew up with.”

Lemons is one of 10 Detroit educators (see full list below) who were recently honored as a 2025 Skillman Visionary by the Skillman Foundation. The annual awards program recognizes education changemakers. (The Skillman Foundation is a Chalkbeat funder.) Winners include people ranging from a foster care advocate to a teacher leader and curriculum designer.

Lemons, who, growing up, attended Paul Robeson Academy, Detroit Open School, and Renaissance High School, has been the head of school at DAA for six years and prior to that was the school’s behavior interventionist. He began his career as a teacher.

As a child, Lemons was involved with the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, an experience that shaped his love of the arts. It’s something he’s worked to instill in the students he serves.

“The arts are such a unique opportunity for students to express themselves, strengthen their confidence and identity, as well as draw parallels to core academic content.”

Growing up, he said, “the theater arts undeniably strengthened my reading, writing, and speaking skills. Music and visual arts helped me make strong connections to mathematical concepts such as fractions and geometry.”

Lemons spoke with Chalkbeat about his experience with school, empowering young people, fostering teacher morale, and how he started learning American Sign Language.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What led you to a career in education?

I felt led to go into education during my senior year in high school while walking to school and praying about my future. I wanted to do something that would make a difference in the lives of young people the way that adults in my community impacted my life growing up.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I grew up in a community where everyone believed in the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child.” So I was educated by every adult that I interacted with in school, church, and [Mosaic] youth theater company, etc. My elementary school was an Afrocentric school where that philosophy was embedded into how I viewed elders and their roles in inspiring me to reach my highest potential for the greater good of the community. This affects my work today because I instill that same “village” mindset into our school community. It takes all of us to educate our children — school staff, students’ families, experts in the community, and neighborhood leaders to produce the best outcomes for students. So I leverage all stakeholders as best I can.

Mario Lemons is the head of school at Detroit Achievement Academy.

I often tell my staff, “If we do this right, our students will grow up to be the community members who keep our neighborhoods and society safe, creative, cooperative, and productive. That’s how powerful our role is in the community! Don’t ever take that lightly at all.”

What’s the best advice you ever received — and how have you put it into action?

The best advice I ever received was early in my education career, and it was “Forgive yourself every night; and rededicate yourself every morning.” I still use that advice on my toughest days as a school leader. Not everything will always go as planned, but as long as I give it my best, I can sleep at night, and try again with renewed energy and purpose in the morning.

What’s one thing you’ve read that has made you a better educator?

I have been so inspired by the work of [educator and writer] Elena Aguilar. I have read almost all of her books, and her work on cultivating emotional resilience has allowed me to be stronger in my presence and efforts in education each day. But it also gives me an awareness of how to more effectively interact with staff, students and families no matter what state of being they are in.

In recent years, many students have faced mental health challenges. How has your team helped support them at this time?

As a district, we have continued to prioritize having a full-time school social worker in our buildings every day throughout the school year. We also have contracted a clinical therapist to assist our students who need more intensive mental and social-emotional support than what a school social worker has the capacity to provide.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

Over the years, I have established and maintained clear and inflexible boundaries between work and my personal life. This has helped me to have a sustainable balance between the two. I prioritize doing things that bring me joy, like roller skating every Monday night, volunteering at my church as a singer and a sign language interpreter for the deaf members, being involved in the vibrant arts community in Detroit, and traveling periodically as a vacation. This allows me to fill my “personal bucket” so that I can have the energy to continue doing the hard but great work of leading our school community day to day.

Your bio notes that you’ve dedicated yourself to empowering young people in creative spaces. What does that look like?

I have a background in theater and the performing arts. So I weave that into just about everything that I do — and I support, promote, and help to cultivate creativity with our young people in many different ways. We hired and retained a full-time dance teacher, a full-time art teacher, and a part-time instrumental music teacher. Over the years at DAA, I also have taught drama/theater during and after school; and I taught American Sign Language, where students learned sign language and were able to perform a song in ASL. I have coached students on creative writing and speech. Outside of school, I have taught youth theater classes, produced theatrical productions, directed plays, and consulted for arts organizations that gave young people opportunities to express themselves creatively. No matter what I am doing, my natural inclination is to incorporate and foster students’ creative talents as well.

What do you do to improve teacher morale? How do you address your own morale?

I am a “people first” kind of person, so improving teacher morale starts with acknowledging them as human beings first. I listen, and I lead firmly but with compassion. I am able to connect with my teachers on a personal level to inspire them to stay positive easily because I establish and maintain a meaningful relationship with them every single day throughout the school year. As I model this type of relationship with my staff, I create opportunities for staff to model it amongst their peers during staff meetings, professional development, and whole-school assemblies and events.

We also ensure that staff have everything they need to do their jobs well — supplies, competitive salaries, snacks in the staff lounge, consistent instructional coaching, ample amount of prep and planning time, student behavior support, positive public and private praise and appreciation, and clear and consistent communication from leadership. All of that makes for a wonderful teacher working environment, and seeing my staff joyful and excited to be at work boosts my morale as well!

How long have you used American Sign Language, and how did you learn it?

I learned ASL when I was about 12 years old by simply sitting in the front row at church watching the sign language interpreter interpret during the Sunday morning services. After a few weeks of me talking to the interpreter after church about the vocabulary that I was learning, she started to teach me more words so I can practice interpreting the songs. As the years went on, I learned enough vocabulary to be confident to interpret the pastor’s sermon and, in some cases, the entire church service. I have continued to hone that skill over time and found joy in interpreting at churches around the city for the past 20-plus years.

I used ASL when I was a classroom teacher as a fun way for students to memorize their spelling words. An activity they would do would be to spell their words using ASL. Oftentimes, if I am explaining a concept or a hard academic word and I realize that, in ASL, visually, it looks like the meaning of the word, then I would teach the sign for it to help students understand the meaning of the word. I also use it to teach students how to greet one another in sign language — Good morning/afternoon. How are you? Good. Happy. Sad. One year, I had a non-verbal student at our school, and I would interpret for her when necessary.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit, and writes about Detroit schools. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

This Newark teacher helps his students apply the ‘universal language’ of math to the real world

2025-03-20T10:00:01+00:00

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El Houcin Houssam was always fascinated by mathematics and thought he would take his number skills into the financial services industry.

But it turned out it wasn’t the business of numbers that fascinated him.

“I realized that what truly motivated me wasn’t working with numbers in a business setting,” said Houssam, a math teacher at West Side High School in Newark. “It was helping others understand and appreciate math.”

Now in his sixth year of teaching, Houssam has been named the 2024-25 Essex County Teacher of the Year, cited for helping his students pursue careers in science, engineering, and math.

Houssam’s recognition was celebrated on Feb. 28 at the Montclair State University College for Education and Engaged Learning’s annual Evening of Gratitude Dinner. In addition to teaching Algebra 2 and AP Calculus AB, Houssam serves as an advisor for the school’s debate club, where he encourages students to “embrace challenges” and build empathy.

He recently spoke with Chalkbeat about the personal finance lesson he loves to teach, his own experience as an English language learner, and his advice for high school debaters.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What was your reaction to being named the 2024-25 Essex County Teacher of the Year? What does this recognition mean to you?

It was a mix of excitement, gratitude, and a little disbelief. Teaching is something I put my heart into every day, so to be recognized in this way felt really special.

This recognition means a lot to me, not just as a personal achievement, but because it highlights the hard work of all teachers who go above and beyond for their students. It’s a reminder that the impact we make in the classroom is seen and valued. More than anything, it motivates me to continue growing as an educator and to use this platform to advocate for my students and fellow teachers.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher? What interested you about mathematics?

I didn’t always know I wanted to be a teacher. In fact, my journey into education wasn’t a straight path. I originally studied Mathematics of Finance, thinking I would go into the financial industry. But over time, I realized that what truly motivated me wasn’t working with numbers in a business setting — it was helping others understand and appreciate math.

The turning point came when I started tutoring at Essex County College. That’s where I realized the joy and impact of helping students truly understand difficult concepts. I saw how much of a difference I could make in someone’s confidence and understanding. That’s when I decided to pursue teaching and earned my Master of Arts in Teaching.

Mathematics has always fascinated me because it’s like a universal language. It’s logical, structured, and yet, so creative. I love how math connects to real life, from the patterns in nature to the way businesses operate. But what really drew me in was the challenge — there’s always a problem to solve, and I enjoy guiding students to find solutions in their own way.

What is your favorite lesson to teach and why?

One of my favorite lessons to teach is exponential functions, especially when exploring compound interest. I love this lesson because it connects math to real-life situations that students can relate to, like saving money, investing, and understanding how loans work.

It’s always rewarding to see students realize how powerful math is beyond the classroom. When they grasp how small investments can grow over time or how interest rates affect debt, it sparks curiosity and deeper discussions about financial responsibility. Plus, I enjoy showing them that math isn’t just about numbers — it’s about making informed decisions that impact their future.

As the debate club advisor, what advice do you have for your students?

As the debate club advisor, my biggest advice to my students is to always be prepared, stay open-minded, and listen just as much as they speak. A strong debater isn’t just someone who argues well but someone who understands different perspectives and responds with logic, evidence, and confidence.

I also encourage them to embrace challenges. Some debates will be tough, and they might have to argue a position they don’t personally agree with — that’s where real growth happens. It teaches critical thinking, empathy, and the ability to adapt under pressure.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

As a student, I faced challenges, especially learning in a new language after moving to the U.S. from Morocco. My native language is Arabic, and I also speak French. Learning English as my third language was definitely a challenge, but it also gave me a unique perspective on the struggles that many students face when learning something new.

I know what it’s like to struggle, to feel out of place, and to work hard to catch up. But I also know the impact of great teachers — those who saw my potential, believed in me, and pushed me to succeed.

That experience drives me to be that kind of teacher for my students. I focus on building relationships, creating a supportive classroom, and making math accessible to all learners. I want my students to know that challenges don’t define them. Their effort, resilience, and willingness to learn do.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom?

Many of my students face obstacles like food insecurity, housing instability, and limited access to academic resources outside of school, which impact their focus, attendance, and engagement in learning.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

I take care of myself by staying active and spending time outdoors. I love playing soccer and going on hikes — it helps me clear my mind and stay energized. Traveling is also a big part of my life because it allows me to experience new cultures and perspectives, which I bring back into my teaching.

Beyond that, I make time for family and friends, which keeps me grounded. Teaching can be demanding, so I try to find balance by doing things that bring me joy and help me recharge.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Being a first-year teacher is famously difficult. Miss MacNulty gets real about it in this podcast.

2025-03-17T11:00:00+00:00

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Jenna MacNulty woke up at 3:30 a.m. on a Tuesday morning with a 102-degree fever and chills. She’d need to take her first sick day as a teacher, but it wasn’t just a matter of sending a quick email and crawling back into bed. So MacNulty, then a third grade teacher at Hamilton Heights Elementary School in Arcadia, got up and typed out detailed instructions for a substitute.

“As an elementary school teacher, your sub plans are, like, seven pages long, because you’re teaching eight subjects and also you’re with the same kids all day. So you know exactly how those kids work, who’s in charge of what, and who does what when,” she told Year One, a podcast documenting MacNulty’s first year in the classroom in Indiana.

Each episode explores a different issue MacNulty encountered during the 2023-24 school year, her first year on the job. In addition to sick days and substitutes, Year One tackles budgeting on a teacher’s salary, supporting students with IEPs, and managing challenging classroom behaviors.

When the curriculum and ed tech company Carnegie Learning, which produces Year One, approached MacNulty about podcasting through her first year, she was nervous. She decided to share her story anyway to help other new educators through their own challenging firsts. “I hope that they take away that it is okay to not be a perfect teacher,” she told Chalkbeat. “In fact, there is no such thing as a perfect teacher. As much as your students are learning year after year, you are learning year after year, too.”

This school year is MacNulty’s second in the classroom, and she’s teaching fifth grade math at Zionsville West Middle School in Whitestown.

The Year One podcast premiered in August, and new episodes, which MacNulty recorded in real-time last school year, drop every few weeks. The next one, on spring challenges, comes out on April 8. MacNulty’s experiences are the focus of the entire season, but the podcast, which is hosted by the journalist Kanika Chadda-Gupta, also features topical interviews with other educators.

MacNulty spoke recently with Chalkbeat about how COVID restrictions affected her teacher training, classroom learning curves that were steep and surprising, and how podcast listeners are responding to Year One.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I’ve wanted to teach for as long as I can remember. I was the kid who would beg to go to school. When I was at home, I would “play school” with my stuffed animals and print out worksheets for them to do. My mom was an educator, and she played a big role in sparking that interest in me.

Majoring in education in college was tough because it was during COVID. A lot of my student teaching and observation opportunities were stripped because of COVID, when my peers and I were not allowed to enter schools or schools were shut down in the first place. Luckily, by the time I was a senior, ready for my official student teaching placement, I was able to experience the full classroom in all its glory. While that showed me what being a teacher was really going to be like — which scared me a little, I won’t lie — it also affirmed my lifelong passion for teaching.

Why did you agree to document your first year in the classroom in a podcast?

I wanted to share my journey as a first-year teacher to document not only the rewarding moments of my first year in the classroom but also the challenges. I felt compelled to break the facade that I saw so much on social media that teaching is just colorful classroom decor and perfectly curated lesson plans. I hope to showcase the realities of being a teacher so educators like me can feel less alone.

Last school year, Jenna MacNulty taught third grade at Hamilton Heights Elementary School in Arcadia, Indiana.

What proved to be your biggest learning curve during your first year in the classroom? What was the most unexpected learning curve?

Behavior challenges. Learning what management strategies work for various groups of students feels like endless trial and error and can be exhausting at times! The most unexpected learning curve, though, was learning how to teach using my school’s curriculum. You really only feel comfortable using whatever your student teaching placement had you use, so to learn a whole new curriculum was an unexpected hurdle. I had to take extra unplanned time to understand how they wanted me to teach it.

The podcast tackles so many of your firsts. How did you choose what topics to cover?

As I was recording the podcast in real-time throughout my first year, certain milestones and topics kept coming up that would raise alarm bells to me as something I wasn’t necessarily fully prepared for coming into teaching. I knew that other new teachers would want to know how a real teacher tackled those things.

For example, I talked about state testing a lot on the podcast — helping students feel prepared while also providing social-emotional support. If the school you’re at emphasizes state testing, then especially as a third grade teacher, it’s going to take up a lot of your time and brain space.

What has been the audience response so far?

I knew it would resonate because it’s what I would’ve wanted as a first-year teacher. It lets new teachers take a peek into my diary, essentially, and so many new teachers are reaching out to me telling me how much the podcast has helped them feel prepared to enter the field. What did surprise me is how many veteran teachers have also been loving the podcast. Many told me that it has taken them back to their early years of teaching and reignited their spark for teaching.

I felt compelled to break the facade that I saw so much on social media...

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

This year, my favorite lesson to teach has been how to find common denominators while working with fractions. I was able to use storytelling as a teaching strategy, so the idea of making the denominators match really stuck with them. The story I told was about going out on a dinner date and not matching outfits with the person you are going with. Think of denominators as the pants you are wearing, and think of numerators as the shirts. You’re not ready to go out to dinner if you’re wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt and your date is wearing a ski suit! You both need to change to match your fancy restaurant’s dress code.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

The best advice I’ve ever received for teaching is that it’s still going to be there tomorrow. That huge stack of papers to grade, that parent email, that extra data form you need to fill out — it all will be there tomorrow. It is OK if your to-do list isn’t all the way completed by the time you leave school at the end of the day. There are literally only seven hours in your school day. You are human and can only do so much! It took me a couple of months of teaching to understand this advice and truly let myself live it out, but boy has it changed my perception of teaching and the workload it brings!

Gabrielle Birkner is the features editor and fellowship director at Chalkbeat. Email her at gbirkner@chalkbeat.org.

Correction: A previous version of this piece spelled MacNulty’s last name incorrectly. It is MacNulty, not McNulty.

This teacher traded in-person instruction for NYC’s growing virtual learning program

2025-03-14T19:04:19+00:00

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After two decades of teaching, Stephen Lazar suffered an injury that made it difficult to teach in a classroom. A career he loved was suddenly in jeopardy.

After a semester-long sabbatical two years ago to take care of his health, Lazar was determined to keep practicing his craft.

He applied to New York City’s Virtual Learning Classrooms program, which allows students to sign up for advanced classes that are taught remotely. The program, known as VLC, is designed to address a longstanding inequity: Small schools often struggle to pay for a wide range of classes because funding is tied to headcount, leaving students with limited access to advanced coursework.

As the number of small schools has more than doubled since 2016 due to declining enrollment, the virtual teaching program has surged in popularity. Its 42 courses serve about 2,500 middle and high school students from 70 schools.

Lazar traded his lively high school classroom for a drab Education Department building in Downtown Brooklyn where he teaches Advanced Placement courses alongside other VLC educators. The experience has been positive — nothing like hastily planned pandemic-era instruction, he said — and the coursework is setting his students up for life after high school.

“Online environments [will] be central parts of their college and work experiences in the future,” Lazar said.

Chalkbeat recently caught up with Lazar about his experience teaching virtually.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What’s the goal of the virtual teaching program?

VLC was created before the pandemic to help give students equity and access to advanced courses and early college credit opportunities. We offer courses to students whose schools either don’t have enough students to offer a class or don’t have a teacher trained to do it.

This means I have some classes that are a mix of students from different schools and others where I am teaching a full section at one school. My first-period class has students from schools in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. One is part of a network of schools that serve recent immigrant students. And another is screened, which means the school’s admissions process takes students’ academic records into account.

In the country’s most segregated school district, it’s a pretty remarkable thing to bring such diverse students together.

How similar is the experience to teaching during the pandemic?

The only real commonality is that we’re on Zoom. Because I only teach during the traditional school day, all of my students are in a classroom in their school with a teacher there to support them. This means there is a different type of accountability for students with this model than what many students experienced during the pandemic.

While students being together presents some more classroom management challenges than when students were at home, it also makes it much easier to do collaborative work and projects.

What are your favorite advanced classes to teach?

AP Seminar and AP Research are particularly valuable offerings. These courses are both content-agnostic and help students develop research, writing, and presentation skills on topics that they choose. These are uniquely challenging for schools to offer as they’re the only APs that require teachers to attend a week-long training.

Last year, I asked my AP Seminar students, all of whom were 10th and 11th graders, what the longest paper they had written in other classes. The vast majority said it was four or five paragraphs. In AP Seminar, they write a 1,200- and 2,000-word paper. In AP Research, they write a 4,000-word paper whose demands are higher than anything I did as an undergrad.

What are the drawbacks of the virtual teaching program?

I lose 5-10 minutes of class every day to students logging on and putting away computers at the end of class. There are days when the internet is down. I don’t overhear side conversations students are having while they’re working. What I offer students, however, far outweighs these drawbacks.

How do you build a learning community given that the students in your classes may come from multiple schools?

While it takes more time to do it, what creates community and engagement isn’t different. Just like in the classroom, I build community with students by asking them questions and really listening to them. They build relationships with each other by working and talking together. While I might not notice as quickly if a student is not engaged, my onsite partner in the classroom will and will let me know so I can reach out to that student.

How do you approach classroom management?

The rare times that significant things happen, the approach to them will depend on how my onsite partner wants to handle things. I have partners who want to take care of everything on their own without involving me; I have others who let me know what’s happening and want me to be the one to address them. I’m fine either way and both work well.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom?

The day after the election, I went to teach my U.S. History classes in person [nearly all of the students in those classes attended the same schools]. I asked students what, if anything, they were most worried about. About half of my students wrote that they were worried that friends, family members, or themselves could face deportation. There is real fear and unease right now.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

When I was student teaching, a math teacher at the school suggested that I create a “Happy Folder” filled with thank you’s, work from challenging students who finally got it, and those letters teachers get from students years after leaving their classrooms about how they finally got a lesson.

He told me this was his most valuable possession and that if his house was ever on fire, it would be the first thing he would save after his kids. I followed that advice and started my own folder, which continues to grow each year. The folder has saved me from the depths of despair more times than I can count.

Alex Zimmerman is a reporter for Chalkbeat New York, covering NYC public schools. Contact Alex at azimmerman@chalkbeat.org.

This Michigan teacher spent years making his computer science class more gender-inclusive

2025-02-19T00:53:44+00:00

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Shannon Houtrouw admits he first started recruiting more girls to join his elective computer science classes out of necessity.

“When it was majority boys taking the electives, the collective maturity of the class would drop,” he said.

Having more girls in the classes helped bring focus to the lessons, according to the Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center teacher. But in the early 2010s, as recruiting more women and girls into the sciences and technology fields gained traction, Houtrouw fully realized the importance and necessity of making his classes more gender-inclusive.

“Everyone has something unique to bring to table,” he said. “When that’s not happening, we lose.”

By that time, the National Center for Women & Information Technology, or NCWIT, had been formed. Joanne McGrath Cohoon of the University of Virginia also started Tapestry workshops to teach educators how to attract more diverse students to high school computer science classes.

Having years of experience recruiting more girls into his courses, Houtrouw volunteered the strategies that worked at his school.

In 2014, the teacher decided to take only female students to Michigan State University’s high school programming contest.

“These young ladies didn’t just win the contest — they demolished their male competitors,” he said. “And then they went on to place first in the U.S. at the American Computer Science League international invitational.”

Shannon Houtrouw

Since then, Houtrouw said dozens of his female students have been recognized by NCWIT, including six national winners. The school also has one of the highest rates of girls taking and passing the Advanced Placement Computer Science-A exam in the nation, the teacher said.

Houtrouw’s own daughters took his classes and brought home state coding titles.

“I’m glad that my kids could be a part of that,” he said.

The teacher said he wants all of his students to learn what an empowering skillset computer science is, whether or not they go into the technology field as a career path.

“Solving problems with a computer is a superpower,” he said. “You’ll be able to think critically no matter what field you go into.”

Houtrouw, who has taught coding at the same school since 1998, recently received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. He was the 2021 winner. (The recipients are announced every four years.) He recently spoke with Chalkbeat.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher? What made you want to teach computer science?

I was hired by the first college I attended to work as a tutor in a lab, and as a teacher aide for a math teacher at a local high school. It was not uncommon to find me leading unofficial study groups in the dorm before big exams. But it never dawned on me to pursue teaching. I knew from high school that I loved mathematics. I didn’t know what I wanted to do for a living, but I knew math was going to be part of it.

Computer science, or CS, was a booming field back in the mid to late ’70s and early ’80s. I liked the analytical and logical nature of CS. I liked solving problems and making a computer do my bidding. I loved the relationship between mathematics and computer science. So, I decided to pursue a Bachelor of Science in CS. What I didn’t realize until much later was that I also loved trying to help my classmates figure out how to master the logic of coding.

It wasn’t until I was working for Electronic Data Systems and General Motors that I realized I was happiest when I was mentoring new employees, giving presentations, or doing things of a pedagogical nature. At that same time, I got very involved with the youth group at church back in Detroit/Southfield. I began coaching them in something called Bible Bowl. We started winning everything right from the get-go. I realized I loved working in education with young people and adults. Especially if competition is involved.

After I got married, I decided to get my first of three graduate degrees in mathematics education. My CS degree and experience opened the door for me to get a teaching assistantship. I went straight into teaching CS and math in higher education and loved it. Eventually, I landed in Kalamazoo. The Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center gave me the freedom to build a computer science program nearly from the ground up.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

I don’t know if I have a favorite lesson, but I do have a favorite activity that I like to use in all my classes. My students are all involved in our CS teams — something I have been volunteering to coach/advise since my second year at the school. From time to time, I divide the students up into trios or pairs, and I give them a few challenging programming problems to solve together during class. They look forward to this. I try to do it at least once a month in my elective courses. It’s fun, and the kids enjoy working together. We often use these activities to prepare for monthly competitions with the American Computer Science League or the USA Computing Olympiad, or to prepare for any of the high school programming contests that are hosted annually by universities in the Midwest.

Can you tell us about your experience coaching your students for coding competitions? How do the competitions help motivate their learning?

The competitions have been the driving force behind the computer science program.

I created a whole extra job for myself by volunteering to be the advisor and coach of our computer science teams. I have never received any kind of compensation for it. But infusing fun and enthusiasm into hard work, and finding ways to get the kids a lot of recognition and accolades, has been the key to motivating them to learn something hard. Sometimes I feel like Tom Sawyer getting a bunch of his friends excited about whitewashing a fence. If I can get the kids to attend a high school programming contest early in the school year, it empowers them to develop themselves.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I ran cross country and track in high school. I learned that it really helps to meet the bigger goals you set for yourself by having a lot of smaller goals or milestones to achieve along the way. I also realized that my dedication during the off-seasons made all the difference if I wanted to develop myself into a top competitor. The same is true of computer science. If you walk into my classroom today, you would see dozens of CS Team awards on the walls and team t-shirts from nearly three decades hanging from the ceilings. The same for the hallway outside the classroom. Whatever the event, we always try to get a team photo with matching CS shirts. Getting the students recognized for their hard work provides even more motivation to keep going.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

I have to go with President Theodore Roosevelt’s quote, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” My wife is also a teacher-professor. She and I try to take it to the next level. We want our students to know that we love them. I know I haven’t always been the best at that, but that’s still the daily goal.

What’s one thing you’ve read that has made you a better educator?

Honestly, I have to go with the Bible on that one. Not only does it contain the teachings of the best teacher who ever lived — Jesus Christ — but it also has a strong supporting cast with the writings of Solomon, David, Moses, Daniel, Isaiah, and so many others who have shaped generations for thousands of years.

How did it feel to learn you won the presidential recognition for your teaching?

I first applied [for the Presidential Award] in 2015 and was a state finalist. I applied again in 2017 as we can only apply every other year. Finalist again. Not a winner. My colleague from Ann Arbor won the award in 2019. He is one of my best friends and someone I mentored many years ago when he first started teaching CS. So that was a vicarious victory for me. When I got state finalist in 2021, I started wondering, “Always a bridesmaid, never a bride?” Or perhaps, this is what it feels like to get a number of Academy Award nominations but never win? So it really was a huge sense of relief to get the recognition after first applying 10 years ago. It took a little while for it to sink in. I guess it really hit me when I thought about my dad. He passed away less than a year ago. I know he was proud of me, but it would have been cool if he were around long enough to see it.

Nevertheless, receiving the award at this point feels like a huge affirmation to my teaching career. The measure of success is in what we are able to accomplish with our students. But a favorable nod from the White House is really great too!

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Early childhood is ‘magic’ for this Philadelphia school leader

2025-02-18T20:30:08+00:00

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There are days when Patricia Houston comes home exhausted and emotionally drained from her job as Director of Children’s Community School, a nonprofit preschool and early childhood education center in a racially diverse but rapidly gentrifying neighborhood of West Philadelphia.

Then, she’ll reach into her pocket and find … a random piece of cheese. And the stress melts away.

“Every day you go home with some weird stuff in your pocket,” Houston said. “There are so many rewards and so much magic in it.”

Houston has been working in the early childhood and early intervention field for some 27 years at different schools and in different roles. She’s been a babysitter, nanny, teacher, assistant director, and now a director. She approaches her job with a focus on nurturing children’s social-emotional development.

Paying attention to that social-emotional development has taken on a new urgency in recent weeks. Houston said her school community comprises many LGBTQ+ families who are watching the new Trump administration attempt to remake education to reflect conservative values and target anything under the umbrella of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

For Houston, maintaining her school as a safe haven for her students became paramount.

Post-COVID, Houston said a lot of her fellow educators and even the school’s leadership were burnt out and wanted to leave the field. Houston briefly considered stepping away herself but then she got asked to consider staying on as the new director.

“I didn’t say absolutely. I was hesitant,” Houston said.

If she had it her way, Houston would be an anthropologist, traveling around the world to study how different cultures nurture their children. But these days, she’s found there’s a lot to learn in her own backyard.

As a Black woman serving a mostly white student body, Houston said, “It’s actually felt somewhat empowering to be in a community where we could have these conversations,” about race and equity in a way that is productive and not “shame-y,” she said.

Patricia Houston is the director of Children's Community School in West Philly.

And she is endlessly inspired by the educators around her who are also working to build a stable home in a rapidly changing society.

“How invested the teachers are is something that is really rare, and it’s really special,” she said. “It’s really powerful to see that in action. That’s what kept me here.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What has your experience been like as a director of a school?

I never in my life thought about being a director of a school. I just love working with kids and being in the classroom and playing with them and engaging them.

The school was in a transitional phase following COVID. This has been pretty typical in [early childhood education], where a lot of a lot of veterans in the field said “Oh, I’m going to go explore somewhere else a little bit.” COVID was a big burnout for a lot of people. One thing that motivated me to stay during that turnover period was how important it is to keep quality preschools open, to build and empower educators to be inspired to fight for this basic right of children to have access to safe havens that offer quality care.

Part of what also motivated me to stay is that it was something familiar. I grew up in a very large family, and my parents died when I was younger, and so from the time I was a teen, I was co-raising my siblings with my other siblings. My siblings are doing so great now, so I know that there’s an outcome [for all kids], and it’s far away, but it’s not so far.

How is your school community doing? Especially in light of the Trump administration’s executive orders targeting “gender ideology” and any school subjects they deem “woke.”

I just have this really strong belief in this community. Everybody’s been working together, putting their resources together. I think it’s a really beautiful thing.

[The executive orders] are on our minds. We’ve talked about it loosely as far as what the next steps might be to protect the space for children and families. We’ve already begun making steps to plan to ensure everyone’s safety. I think it is something else that’s motivating each of us to push harder to make sure that our space is stabilized so that no matter what happens, we can keep coming together as a community.

Some things that we have done that are going to help with this are creating more clear channels of communication in the school, working together as a team to do a lot of reparative and [restorative] work, just making sure we’re mentally prepared, and we have plans in place. There’s only so much we can control.

The school’s neighborhood in West Philly is also rapidly gentrifying. What have conversations been like about how the community is changing?

The school is predominantly white, and we’re trying to diversify. It’s interesting because we have a school around the corner that’s predominantly Black, and they’re working on diversifying the opposite way.

Myself and their director, we’ve met and have tentatively planned some events where we’re sharing a yard together, or the kids from here are going on a field trip to their school and vice versa.

I’m not sure if this is specific to West Philly, but I think that it is something that has a West Philly vibe, is that some of the parenting styles are a little bit more permissive, free, and less structured, in a sense. The children are given more autonomy.

What’s been interesting about it, and how it links to social-emotional development, is that for some of these children, when they’re coming into school, I notice “Oh, this child is actually seeking some boundaries.” I’ve observed that many of the children need a bit more scaffolding to understand how to be in community with others. So we try to keep our classrooms more free and open and play-based, but also recognize we need to set a firm boundary there. That is why their behavior is escalating, because they need to know, this is where you can stop. There’s a balance of what each of those children need, and we try to keep both of those worlds available in the same classroom.

Have you noticed behavioral changes since COVID? We’ve heard many pandemic babies and toddlers are having a hard time adjusting to social settings.

Most of the children need a lot more social-emotional support than pre-COVID. There’s a lot more anxiety behaviors. Children are going to feed off of the energy of what’s around them.

We do work really hard to make sure we’re noticing how kids are internalizing the world around them and any events that are happening. We’ll send out information to the families saying, “So this event just happened, and this is how you can talk about this with your child.”

When Trump was elected, some people were not happy about that. And so some kids were like, “Now, a bad guy is running our country?” And so having conversations with the kids about, well, what is a bad guy? Explaining that nobody’s really a bad guy, but people can make decisions where they’re not thinking about others.

We say there’s a lot of people who are going to protest, and they’re going to say, “We don’t like that decision that you made. We have a different idea. Listen to our different idea.” And the person might listen or they might not. We just try to break things down to their level. We want to make sure that they don’t think that they’re living in an unsafe world.

During COVID, we talked about so many things with the kids about what was going on in the world, and helping them internalize it. It’s a lot that they’re taking in, and it is forming how they’re thinking about the world.

What brings you joy during turbulent times?

I’m an outdoor person. I love to be outdoors. I hike a lot. I go on hiking and camping trips quite often. I always spend time in nature. I hula hoop. And I reflect a lot. I always think it’s important to be aware of the emotional tolls of what you’re doing and to be able to name them and realize what the origin of some of the stress is and come up with a plan for how you’re going to navigate it. And really knowing what my values are and what I’m grounded in.

The work is so rewarding, and to me, it feels like the most important work in the world. I do focus on that. When you help a child through a very complex behavior or challenging behavior, you’re guiding a kid through something to get an outcome, and then seeing that outcome and the rewards that it has for the child and the family and a child’s social interactions with their peers. There’s just something so great about that because I know that that is going to help change their life forever. As an ECE teacher, you don’t see the kids when they’re grown up. You don’t always know the impact that you might have had on a child.

There’s so much magic in this field. If you’re taking little kids on walks, or you’re going outside with them as a grownup, you rediscover the world every day. You’re constantly reminded as you’re showing it to them, like, this is amazing. This is cool. That is awesome, how the clouds are doing that.

Is there anything you would change or improve about the early childhood space?

One thing in this field is that you don’t really get paid much, and that is a huge emotional toll. I remember a long time ago, having a workshop through school where somebody came in and said, “You don’t get paid a lot in this field, and here’s some ways that you can budget your money, and here’s some tips to help you.” And I think that’s something that would be helpful for early childhood educators to have a little bit more of.

There’s been times throughout the years where financially, I’m like, this is just not sustainable. But my heart is just in it. I just know it’s my purpose to be in this field.

Carly Sitrin is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Philadelphia. Contact Carly at csitrin@chalkbeat.org.

This Indianapolis art teacher teaches life lessons alongside drawing lessons

2025-02-14T12:00:00+00:00

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It’s “fun Friday” in Makeba Averitte’s art class at Liberty Grove Schools, a K-6 Innovation charter school on the northwest side of Indianapolis.

Fourth graders file in, and he tells them to start by taking two Valentine’s Day coloring sheets and two Black History Month coloring sheets. When they are done, Averitte will hang the latter set in the school’s hallways, but the valentines are for students to give to family, he said.

Averitte’s classroom is filled with color and art from the paint buckets hanging from the ceiling to artwork, including his own, on the walls and cabinets. But it’s also filled with supplies for life: shelves of clothes and a “care cabinet” of hygiene items for students in need. Positive affirmations adorn the walls for students to recite in corresponding King and Queen mirrors. Averitte even keeps hair clippers in his desk for students in need of a haircut.

He fuses history and language lessons with art and talks to students about their emotions, too. Averitte does this all with a big smile and sometimes a dance.

Growing up, Averitte said his teachers didn’t understand what he was going through at home, and how he used humor to distract from his pain. But now, as a teacher himself, he aims to boost students’ self-confidence and open their minds to new ideas. It’s being a part of their village.

“A village means that everyone is doing their part, everybody’s got a role, everybody plays a part,” he said. “It’s a better world.”

A bulletin board in Makeba Averitte's classroom emphasizes the impact that mindset has on a student.

Averitte spoke to Chalkbeat Indiana about merging art with life lessons, building a village, how his mom learned to read as an adult, and the best advice he’s received.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

It never dawned on me, but I always understood the importance of the village. I enrolled my child as a kindergartener at what was then Ignite Achievement Academy (in the same building that Liberty Grove is in now), and when the school held community discussions on the importance of the village, I shared my story. Someone saw something in me, and in 2017, I was hired as an assistant PE teacher, initially. Then, I started offering art as enrichment classes. The rest is history. I’ve been teaching art at Liberty Grove Schools for three years.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

Actually, I love art and social-emotional teaching. I love art because it allows children to see what I saw in art as a kid and currently. You can take a blank piece of paper and turn it into life.

Sometimes students aren’t sure they can create something. Then, I help them see the art in their name, like how the letter A in a name can be the roof of a house. Then, when I see a child turn that letter A into a Christmas tree or something else, it’s amazing. I love seeing their reaction to something they’ve created as well as the confidence they gain when they see they’ve created something amazing.

I also love teaching life skills and coping skills. Bottled-up feelings affect our growth and development all around. It can affect our confidence, our dreams, and more. The same is true for children, and we can help them understand that it directly helps their growth and development. Plus, I really enjoy teaching life skills to students and mentoring others — students and parents, even. For families, we are all on a journey, and I want to remind them that they are not alone. It really is all connected. The village. And that’s how we help prepare students in the classroom, in life, and beyond.

How has your role as the president of the school’s parent advisory council impacted you and your work?

My target is to work with parents and children. That’s how we — the village — help students achieve academically and thrive in life. They are the future. They are making changes in this life, right now, just like the youth of our history who were game changers. We have a role in this life to encourage them every step of the way. This position allows me to share who I am, where I’ve been, and where I am going and encourage them. I want to build up parents on that journey, especially as I reflect on my life and my parent — my mother.

For example, my mother used Indy Reads, and seeing her grow because of it and other times she persevered inspires me. So I share my journey, connections, and resources, like Indy Reads, with families. It really is all connected.

I heard you like to help students work toward their dreams for future careers. How do you do that?

This is a part of my every day. For example, I created a class assignment where I asked students to create their own business logo. They did an amazing job. I saw their excitement and then I encouraged their dreams further by creating flyers for students that showcased the dreams they’ve shared. I have future brain surgeons, hair stylists, nail techs, a photographer, and more in my classes!

Sometimes, I’ve even purchased things to coincide with those dreams, like a stethoscope or scrubs, a camera, and more. My job is to help students dream big and believe in themselves. And when they do, students lock in and work towards those goals in different ways.

Liberty Grove art teacher Makeba Averitte shows how he explains to students the impact that their mindset has on their lives and how education can help change it for the better.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

My mom shows how she never gave up on my brother and I, despite her struggles in life. One major dilemma was that she was illiterate. Through my mother’s action and sacrifice, she took it upon herself to seek help to better her education with Indy Reads’ adult literacy program. In her journey as a single mother, she proved to my brother and I that you can do anything that you set your mind to, no matter what you’ve been through. My mother received multiple awards from Indy Reads, including awards for leadership, achievement, and student of the year.

When I was a kid, my mom owned a neighborhood candy store, and she told the kids in the neighborhood if they showed her their report card with good grades, she will give them a bag of free candy. My mom showed me what the saying, “It takes a whole village,” looks like, as well as the saying “All hands on deck.”

It was less of what someone said and more of what they did. My mother showed me a lot, and I am grateful for her. She showed me that, no matter what, you got to stick it out when it comes to learning. She did that.

To me, that’s what helps students go far — the resilience, the push through, the knowledge and academics, and the know-how regarding how to apply it as they dream big and reach for their goals. The students are already amazing. I am grateful for the opportunity to help them see that so they can tap in and shine even more.

This story has been updated to clarify which school Averitte’s daughter first attended.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Teacher, bestselling author, and social media star: It’s all in a day’s work for this Utah educator.

2025-01-24T00:09:47+00:00

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A husband, father, and middle school teacher, Marc J. Gregson had a lot on his plate even before adding a second career into the mix. He has taught English language arts at Eastmont Middle School in Sandy, Utah, for the past seven years. In 2024, his dark, dystopian debut novel “Sky’s End” was published to wide acclaim. “Sky’s End,” about a teen named Conrad who lives on an island floating above toxic clouds and under constant threat from sky serpents, made the New York Times Best Sellers list, and a film adaptation of the book is in the works.

Gregson’s second novel “Among Serpents” — part of his young adult trilogy “Above the Black” — hit bookstores this month. The educator and author recently spoke with Chalkbeat about balancing teaching and writing on deadline, the tearful moment that made him something of a social media star, and how he teaches students to find their voice and write without anxiety.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

The cover of the fantasy novel "Among Serpents" by Marc J. Gregson

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

In college, I planned on going into video game design, but I took some adolescent literature courses because I enjoyed them. The professor made us do a lot of public speaking. I was terrified of public speaking, but after I started presenting before the class, my professor pulled me aside and said, “You’re going to make an excellent teacher.” That perplexed me because, for one, I wasn’t taking the class to become a teacher, and, for two, I hated public speaking. However, her encouraging words put a spark in my head that only grew and grew.

And what compelled you to start writing fiction?

When I was in junior high, I was assigned a spooky Halloween short story project. I started writing a story about a killer squirrel that ripped people’s throats out and started the zombie apocalypse. Ha!

Surprisingly, I found myself getting excited about the class because, back then, I didn’t like writing — especially essays — but something about creative writing left me squirming with excitement. Every day, I hurried to class so we could go to the computer lab and I could continue working on the world I was creating. I discovered that writing was incredibly empowering, and my love for writing and fiction blossomed from there.

How do you teach writing to your students?

This year, we’re practicing generative writing, meaning that we do four-minute “quick writes” to start class on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. These generative writing sessions are not about quality, but quantity. I tell my students not to worry about grammar or punctuation. This takes the pressure off of them. Each quick write day, I give my students a variety of prompts, from finishing a story, their reaction to an image, or teaching me about something. I’ve found the more students get to practice writing without the pressure of being perfect, the more it helps them find their writer voice.

We also practice learning how to organize essays, including writing thesis statements, topic sentences, and how to elaborate on evidence. One of my favorite projects is our argumentative take-a-stand essays. Students get the freedom to self-select their topic and then create a six-paragraph essay including a counterargument. The topics they choose are always fascinating. I even received one essay where a student argued about which was the best airline!

You went viral when the cover art for your first book was unveiled in front of your students. It was an emotional moment — as the kids cheered, and you teared up. What were you feeling standing up there?

Honestly, it was really terrifying, and I was running on just a few hours of sleep because I was so anxious. When I went onto the stage and the whole school started the countdown, my heart really started hammering. What if I hated the cover?

When I saw the cover and Conrad with his harpoon launcher, everything became real. My book was real. I just lost it. The art was so dang cool! [Artist] Amir Zand did a tremendous job of creating “a living sky,” which is something I asked for, but he also created an image that showed just how big Conrad’s obstacles were in the book.

I’ve always been fascinated with dystopian stories. I’m intrigued by what happens when humanity must rebuild after a disaster.

Your books are dark and dystopian. What inspires these stories?

I’ve always been fascinated with dystopian stories. I’m intrigued by what happens when humanity must rebuild after a disaster. With “Sky’s End” and “Among Serpents,” I was inspired by the idea of an isolated sky. A world of floating islands, but I didn’t want a big mass of land visible beneath them. Only sky. So, I set out to discover why the islands were floating, why there were black clouds below them, and why there were giant monsters. I was also very interested to explore what kind of society would exist under the threat of these giant monsters and above toxic, black clouds.

Let’s talk logistics. How do you balance teaching and writing fiction? Any tips for writers who work a full-time job in another field?

This is tough. I’ve had to really be stringent with my scheduling because now as a published author with contracts, I have deadlines to meet. Plus, I never want to let anyone down with a poorly written book, so I need to dedicate as much time as I can to make my books the best I can.

Last school year, I worked full-time while being a husband and father and also launching my debut novel. I was teaching during the day, often doing author events on the weekends, and writing during the morning and evening. I was exhausted! Creating a routine really helped. I’d wake up at about 5:30 a.m., I’d write for an hour, then head to school at 6:30 a.m I’d try to get grading or lesson plans done before school started so I wouldn’t have to stay late in the building after school. Then, I’d eat an early dinner, and write until 7 or 8 p.m. This schedule was intense, but it let me spend some time with my children before they went to bed. This year, I went part-time teaching, so I come in during the afternoons. This has really helped me have a better work/life balance.

Here’s some advice for anyone pursuing traditional publishing: Set some soft deadlines for yourself, just to see how you handle working under those pressures, because once you’ve signed a contract, those deadlines get serious!

What lessons do you want your students to take from your publishing journey?

When I was getting close to landing an agent, I started telling my students about my journey as a writer trying to get published. I told my students about my rejections because I wanted to show them the power of perseverance. After I landed an agent, I got an email that changed my life while I was teaching seventh period. It was the offer for “Sky’s End.” I started crying, and my students were worried someone said something mean to me.

When I told them that “Sky’s End” was going to be published, the class erupted in cheers. Since then, I’ve visited the high school where many of those students are and they still remember the moment vividly. I hope that moment continues to stick with them while they’re chasing their own dreams.

What’s your vision for the movie adaptation of “Sky’s End,” which is now in the works?

I’m hopeful the film can capture the youthful toughness of Conrad, his duality of being caught between his parents, the horrific roars of the gorgantauns, and the robust personalities of the side characters. The book really played out like a movie in my head as I wrote it, and there are certain scenes in particular that stand out so vividly to me, so I cannot wait to see what the filmmakers cook up!

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

I try to follow the advice that you can’t please everyone. This is true in everything for me, from writing to teaching. For example, in my classroom, we have a fun testing review game I created called the Whiteboard Wars. It’s a huge hit, and kids are always excited to play it. My former students still talk about it. But there are always one or one or two students who groan. I’m pretty sure the only thing that would make them happy is if I had Minecraft loaded up for them! When it comes to writing, it helps me to look up the reviews of my favorite books by other authors. All of my favorite books have their fair share of one-star reviews. Those are great books, but again, you can’t please everyone.

Gabrielle Birkner is the features editor and fellowship director at Chalkbeat. Email her at gbirkner@chalkbeat.org.

This award-winning school librarian uses murder mysteries to teach research skills

2025-01-04T00:11:58+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free monthly newsletter How I Teach to get inspiration, news, and advice for — and from — educators.

Tobye Ertelt wants people to know that, contrary to popular opinion, being a school librarian is about a lot more than shelving books and reading.

At the school where she works, Oberon Middle School in Arvada, Colorado, she co-teaches history and language arts lessons, helps students learn research skills, and oversees a dozen student teaching assistants.

Tobye Ertelt is a teacher librarian in Colorado's Jeffco school district.

“I believe the library and the librarian are the heart and backbone of the school,” said Ertelt.

A former high school English teacher who is now a “digital teacher librarian,” Ertelt won the 2024 Distinction in School Library Services Award from the Colorado Association of Libraries.

She talked to Chalkbeat about how her murder mystery obsession inspired a lesson on research skills, how she handles library book challenges, and what she’s noticed about middle schoolers’ reading habits in recent years.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher librarian?

I was teaching high school English, and I was in year five of teaching. I had several administrators and other teachers suggest that I start a master’s program in curriculum development or administration. But as I was thinking about where my passion was, I realized I absolutely loved collaborating with our school librarian. I applied for a master’s program in educational technology with an emphasis on library science that December.

How did your own experience in school influence your approach to teaching?

I was a rule-follower and overachiever who took failure very hard. When I was in fifth grade, I was called to complete the math problem on the board and did it wrong. A boy in the class started laughing and making fun of me. I ran off crying. My math teacher found me a little later and told me failure wasn’t a bad thing. Failure helps us find the right path. She also told me to be confident — confident when I succeeded, and to fail confidently also.

I later found out that she had the boy in class go up to the board and asked him how he would like it if she started laughing and mocking him. That was when I started realizing that being perfect wasn’t the goal. Learning and growing was the goal. When I started teaching, I always had high standards for my students, but also made sure they understood that learning is the goal, and failure is completely OK.

Tell us about a favorite lesson to teach. Where did the idea come from?

My favorite lesson is the “Murder Mystery Research Project.” It focuses on research skills, which is hard to teach because it can be a dry subject for middle schoolers. We introduce research skills in sixth grade and dive deeper in seventh grade. We cover four main areas of information, including whether it’s from a credible and trustworthy authority, whether it contains various types of bias, what the purpose of the content is, and the date it was published. Then, we stage a “murder” in the library with three sources of evidence: the crime scene, eyewitness statements, and suspect statements. The students use their research skills to “investigate” the crime. At the end, they make accusations and give their evidence. The students are always so engaged, and it really helps bring home the importance of authority, bias, content, and date and helps them understand the importance of evaluating what they read, listen to, see, watch.

The idea came from me being a true crime junkie. I was trying to revamp my research unit, and one day while watching a true crime show, I thought, “Why can’t I use a mystery to teach research?”

School library book challenges are becoming more common. How do you approach this issue?

I’m extremely passionate about intellectual and academic freedom. Being a librarian means wanting students to love reading and have access to materials. When a book is challenged, it feels like a personal attack, but I constantly remind myself that it isn’t. That really helps me keep perspective and stay calm.

If a book is challenged, the parent or community member comes to the teacher lIbrarian first. I always explain how we vet our books according to district policy. I’ll show them there are at least two positive reviews for middle school — from publications like the School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Publisher’s Weekly, or Booklist. That is what the district requires for it to be in the library.

If the challenger questions the book’s appropriateness because it goes against their values or beliefs, I listen to their objections. Then I explain that I understand their position, however, I have other families and students whose values and beliefs are different, and my role is to ensure that all values and beliefs are present in this space. I also try to emphasize that we tell students that they and their families can choose what is appropriate for them to read, but that every person is different, and we don’t choose for others.

If the issue isn’t resolved, the challenger meets with the teacher librarian and school principal. If the challenge continues, the principal contacts the community superintendent and there is a district book challenge form that needs to be completed. The district then sends it to the appropriate Book Review Committee for review, and their recommendation is sent to the superintendent.

What is the biggest misconception about the role of school librarians?

The biggest misconception is that school librarians just shelve books and read. School librarians are a robust part of school ecology. We do so much more than read books. We co-teach lessons about research, literacy, and history. Most of the time, we are also digital experts, which means we are teaching or creating lessons focused on good citizenship online.

In our district, we participate in the “Battle of the Books” competition, which encourages students to team up and read to become district champions. Many librarians run homework and tutoring programs, and help students with technology and college readiness.

How have middle schoolers’ reading habits changed over the years, especially with the growth of social media?

Interestingly, I’ve seen a growth in student reading since COVID, even with the growth of social media. I have more students who want to check out books, or who are grabbing our ebooks and audiobooks online. I’m not sure what the nationwide trend looks like, but I’ve been surprised at how many of my students check books out.

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective or approach.

I had a student with extreme social anxiety who the counselors originally put in my class as a study hall. I soon realized she thought she was going to be one of my teacher assistants. So, I asked her to do some training with my other TAs and we transitioned her to my actual TA. I didn’t think much of it, but at parent conferences, her mother came to see me and told me that her daughter loved being a TA and that I was her favorite teacher. She told me that sometimes my class was the only reason her daughter came to school. That was an earth-moving moment for me.

All educators try to build relationships with students, but sometimes we don’t realize how small the gesture needs to be to build that connection. After this experience, I make sure to ask my TAs every day about their days, I learn their outside-of-school interests and keep up on their events. I always ask how those events went. I want students to see the library as a safe space and doing the little things is important.

What are you reading for enjoyment?

”Drop Dead Sisters” by Amelia Diane Coombs and ”Even If We Break” by Marieke Nijkamp.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Many LGBTQ kids need support following Trump’s reelection. This Kentucky school librarian has advice

2025-01-03T12:00:00+00:00

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When Amber Faris was studying to be a journalist, a visit to a high school classroom for a college assignment prompted a pivot. She became an English teacher instead.

“This is the energy that I am looking for,” Faris recalls thinking to herself as she observed the class. “I always felt very passionate about journalism and speaking truth to power. But I was like: I could do that with young people.”

After two decades of teaching, Faris switched it up again last year, this time to become the library media specialist at her Lexington, Kentucky, high school, which is part of Fayette County Public Schools.

One of Amber Faris' favorite book displays this year featured the singer Chappell Roan.

Now Faris is recommending books on Dunbar High School’s morning news, hosting reading challenges for students and staff — like last year’s 24 for 2024 — and crafting elaborate displays to entice teens to check out new titles. In recent months, that’s included an homage to the singer Chappell Roan and a collection of banned books draped in yellow caution tape.

Her community hasn’t seen the kinds of book challenges happening elsewhere in Kentucky, but Faris keeps tabs on them in case she ever needs to defend her catalog.

“That’s the hill I’ll die on,’” she said. “I’m a huge supporter of: We have to have books to support all of our children’s identities and perspectives. It builds empathy, it builds character. … This library is seen as the safe space, and I want to keep it that way.”

Amber Faris uses creative book displays, like this one of banned books, to get students interested in new titles.

Faris has also been the sponsor of Dunbar’s Gay-Straight Alliance, or GSA, for nearly two decades, a position that gives her insight into how support for LGBTQ students in Kentucky has improved — and come under fire.

Her district, for example, is working to make sure each high school and middle school has its own GSA, and GSAs get funding so they can pay for activities like guest speakers and field trips. GSA sponsors meet monthly, and there’s a district official who oversees LGBTQ equity issues.

“Having people at your district show up and say: ‘This is the right thing to do,’” really matters, Faris said.

But there are limits. Last school year, when LGBTQ high schoolers tried to gather to voice how their schools could better protect them from harassment and discrimination, the district canceled the forum. That was likely due to a 2023 Kentucky law that prohibits instruction and presentations about gender identity and sexual orientation.

Instead, students attended a voluntary event with their parents’ permission. It was hosted at Dunbar. At the time, Faris told her school’s student newspaper she felt like “our LGBTQ+ students are just kind of being brushed aside and treated like second-class citizens.”

Chalkbeat talked with Faris over the course of two interviews — one in mid-November and another in mid-December — about how the students in her school’s GSA are responding to Donald Trump’s reelection, how she helps teens figure out what they might want to read, and what’s on her holiday reading list.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Why did you make the switch from teaching English to being a school librarian?

The library had always been my place. It was just kind of a natural progression.

I love doing research. I’ve always, even with my freshman, taught [students] how to do a database search, how to cite, and how to back up your thesis with evidence. I knew that that was really transferable to the library.

I’ve always been a massive proponent of reading for pleasure and trying to read what high school students read. I read between 125 and 150 books a year. I had outside reading as a part of my class. I don’t care what it is. We would read together, every day, for 15 minutes, and I would read with them.

I always tell people: Scroll less, read more.

How do you approach student requests for book recommendations?

I do a lot of what I call ‘five-minute manias’ with them. [Those are] like book tastings. I put out a bunch of different books from a bunch of different genres and authors. I’ll just have them grab a book that looks interesting and read the title. Does that look interesting? Okay, read the back cover. Do you still like it? Okay, read the inside cover. Read the first sentence, and then have them share why they either liked it or they didn’t. And then have them read the first page.

School librarian Amber Faris hosts reading challenges and book clubs to get students interested in reading diverse books.

A lot of times, that’s all they needed to know that that was something that they could actually get into, which helps them find books.

How are students in your GSA responding to Trump’s reelection? How are you helping staff to support LGBTQ students?

The day after the election, I did a: ‘Hey, I know some of you all may be feeling not so great, so I’m here if you want to talk about it.’ They were all just so happy to have that space.

I just let them vent. Of course, there’s a lot of venting about not feeling safe. We have some kids at our school that are trans, that are definitely wondering how their health care is going to move forward or if it’s going to be stalled.

There’s a lot of fear and frustration. But we have each other. They know they have people at school who care about them.

Part of my job is to make sure that everybody in our school is thinking about the LGBTQ kids and how we can help them. I sent an email [the week after the election] about being aware that this can be really hard for these kids, and to watch out for them, because they’re already at such a high [risk] for suicide and depression.

I shared an article from The Washington Post about how calls to crisis lines [from LGBTQ youth] were up like 700% [after the presidential election]. I’m just reminding people: We have a GSA, it’s Mondays after school, they can contact me. And I reiterated at GSA that we have two mental health specialists. I’m like: It’s okay to go talk to your therapist or the mental health specialist about your feelings, because your feelings are valid, and I know you’re afraid, and that’s okay.

It’s hard in a district like ours, where we definitely live in a pretty blue dot in a red state. A few of them may live in purple neighborhoods, but for the most part, we’re pretty accepting. We’re a college town. They know that they have options to go to colleges that have accepting housing and programs.

I have not heard them say anything just yet like: ‘We want to do X [in response to the election].’ But I feel like the younger ones, it’s been more of: ‘I can’t wait to vote. I can’t wait to be able to have my voice heard.’

What are some of your favorite books to introduce students to and why?

This is a holiday one that I’ve recommended, and it’s called “Finding My Elf.” It’s by David Valdes. It’s a male-to-male queer book.

It’s [about] a high school kid who went to NYU to be the theater major and has come home from college, and is just flunking out. Small-town kid that thinks New York is gonna change them, and then they’re just floundering. And they’re trying to tell their single dad that things aren’t going well, and they might lose their scholarship. Then he gets this job as an elf — if you imagine like Santaland Diaries.

It’s definitely kind of an enemies-to-lovers, not-everything-is-what-it-seems [story]. I love how it dealt with mental health and expectations of your parents and first-generation [college-going] type stuff.

We want to spread Black joy and queer joy. And yes, there’s tons of books out there that have awful things happening in them that kids need to read, too. But books like what I’m talking about: It’s an easy read, it’s short, but it’s funny, and it’s sweet, and it deals with realistic issues in a meaningful way without it being cheesy. Those are the types of books that I’m looking for.

Kalyn Belsha is a senior national education reporter based in Chicago. Contact her at kbelsha@chalkbeat.org.

How this Newark third grade teacher uses news to engage her students on DEI topics

2024-12-18T14:40:26+00:00

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As a student, Nia Freeman was highly involved in school — whether it was varsity sports, honor societies, or the morning announcements broadcasting crew.

As a teacher, Freeman applies the same level of school spirit. She’s the co-chair of the diversity, equity, and inclusion committee, and spearheads a monthly student-led newscast, all while studying for her master’s degree.

Freeman, a third grade teacher at North Star Academy’s Liberty Elementary School, draws inspiration from her educational experience to create similar positive learning environments for her students in Newark, more than 800 miles from where she grew up in Atlanta.

Teaching at Liberty Elementary, Freeman said, is reminiscent of the schools she went to as a kid “where almost all of the teachers and students looked like me.”

“I never felt othered as a darker-skinned, Black American and Caribbean girl,” Freeman said. She added that “it brings me joy” to now teach in “classrooms full of Black and brown kids, similar to the ones that I grew up in.”

Her role as diversity, equity, and inclusion committee co-chair, she said, is “about advocating for everyone to feel seen and heard, teachers and students alike.”

With the support of her school principal, Freeman guided the start of a student-led newscast using Zoom that airs across her school and focuses on sharing information about various cultures and identities. She drew some inspiration from her time doing news broadcasting in elementary school.

“I feel responsible for providing everyone in our school with ‘mirrors’ and ‘windows,’” meaning that “everyone should have a chance to see their reflection and feel represented and seen,” she said. “But they should also have an opportunity to look out at other cultures and circumstances and better understand those who are different from them.”

Now in her fifth year of teaching, Freeman is studying to obtain a master’s in social work. Freeman spoke with Chalkbeat Newark about her teaching journey, how she engages students on DEI topics through delivering the news, and more.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

Going into undergrad, I knew that I wanted to go into a helping field, but I wasn’t sure which discipline would best fit me. I just knew that I was passionate about working with children and supporting communities of Black and brown kids, but I was hesitant about education. I ended up studying human development and family science. I started to take classes about children and schools, and I also began volunteering at an after-school program as a mentor. By my senior year of college, I was an executive director of that same after-school program and the family engagement intern at the elementary school that many of my students attended. I had also interned in North Star Academy schools through the Uncommon Schools Summer Teaching Fellowship. These experiences made it clear to me that I belonged working in schools! I then decided to become a teacher, with the goal of eventually pursuing school social work.

What was your experience with school, and how does it inform your teaching?

I was a very involved student. In elementary school, I was on the step team, in Junior Beta Club, and in the art club. I was also on the morning announcements broadcast team! I helped to work the camera while two student reporters discussed the words of the day, the weather, and any major announcements. In my fifth grade year, I got to teach younger students how to work the camera so they could take my position when I went to middle school, and I also filled in on camera if a reporter was absent. These experiences in elementary school set me up to be a very involved student in middle and high school. I did everything from varsity sports, to honor societies, to school broadcasting.

You launched a news program for students at your school. What inspired you to start this project, and how have you seen it impact students?

The DEI committee wanted to be creative and engage our students in developmentally appropriate DEI conversations. My principal suggested a Zoom broadcast, and we took the idea and ran with it! My co-chair planned a Zoom cooking show for Hispanic Heritage Month, and I sent teachers follow-up activities to honor Hispanic and Latinx heritage. After that, we scripted student-led newscasts where they covered topics such as Native American traditions during Native American History Month, activism during Black History Month, and inclusion during Autism Awareness Month. We’ve now had several cohorts of third graders delivering the weather, fourth graders as newscasters, and a few students on technology support. I plan news segments alongside my current DEI co-chair, Caitlyn Dill.

This is my fourth year working on the news so I’ve seen students go from viewers to newscasters who are then ready to train other students. By participating in the news, students practice expressive, fluent reading and public speaking. It builds their confidence and leadership skills. They also walk away with increased tolerance and understanding of different cultures and circumstances. The news often leads to conversations about different holidays, traditions, languages, foods, etc. It gives all students, even those who are just viewers, a chance to share about their families’ traditions and values, but also to learn about others.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your school?

I started teaching at my current school in the fall of 2020, so I’ve only ever taught students who were quite young when COVID hit. For many of them, that means that their elementary and/or preschool experience was cut short or modified. Schools serving mostly students of color or low-income communities have always faced inequality, but it became glaring during COVID.

Ever since we fully returned to the building in 2021, I’ve felt the impact of COVID. Students struggle to socialize and problem-solve with peers. A large part of my teaching is influenced by my undergrad studies of human development and family science because I can bring in my understanding of how students’ socialization, mental health, and family structures might have been impacted during COVID, and how that then impacts how they show up in the classroom.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

I take care of myself by sleeping! But also by spending time with friends and loved ones, reading fiction books, working out, listening to music, and taking walks.

Catherine Carrera is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Newark. Contact Catherine at ccarrera@chalkbeat.org.

Joshua Long has led Chicago Public Schools’ disability office for a year. What has changed?

2024-12-17T19:03:10+00:00

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On a chilly December morning, Joshua Long, Chief of Chicago Public Schools’ Office for Students with Disabilities, went to South Shore Fine Arts Academy to watch a few students play in the school’s newest sensory classroom.

The classroom was a partnership between Chicago Public Schools and the Special Children’s Charities to bring sensory rooms to 22 schools around the city; the charity donated $1.3 million for the project. Throughout the morning, Long watched as students played with therapeutic equipment that can help prevent students from becoming overwhelmed or mitigate the effects of feeling overwhelmed.

A student at South Shore Fine Arts Academy, plays in the schools' newest sensory classroom on Mon., Dec. 9, 2024 in Chicago Illinois.

It’s been a year since Long became the head of the district’s special education department. He has worked in the district for over 20 years, beginning as a speech pathologist and then becoming a principal at Southside Occupational Academy High School, a school for students with disabilities. Now as chief, he helps shape the policies that impact students with disabilities on a daily basis.

Long said this past year has been exciting, a bit of a blur, and has entailed a ton of work, but “I’m extremely motivated to keep doing the job that we’re doing and just trying to make things better for our kids.”

Before Long took on this role, the district’s disabilities office faced significant challenges. During the early days of the pandemic, schools struggled to provide new Individualized Education Programs to students and to update existing plans. The district has also struggled to transport students with disabilities to schools, and advocates have filed several complaints with the Illinois State Board of Education for lack of busing and long transportation times. In 2023, the state found that the district’s restraint and time-out practices were putting students at risk.

Speaking to Chalkbeat Chicago, Long reflected on the past year, shared what he’s working on, and opened up about his ideas for the future even as Chicago Public Schools even with tight budgets.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How has the Office for Students with Disabilities worked with parents throughout the year?

A lot of those structures were already in place. We have a weekly consultation with the state board of education. We have a Family Advisory Board. We have a joint stakeholder meeting with advocates, we have another meeting with the unions, and we have the board of education special education advisory committee. The way that I approach all of those groups is that it’s an opportunity to let people know what we’re doing. Being very candid and straightforward about the initiatives that we are embarking on, being honest about the struggles that we’re seeing, and engaging everyone as partners in the work and to ask for their ideas.

In Chicago Public Schools, and even nationally, there has been an increase in the number of students who have been identified as having disabilities. What has the office been doing to address these needs? What are the growing pains?

We’re over 60,000 students with disabilities, which includes students with 504 plans and students with IEPs. Much like across the nation, especially after COVID, we’re seeing a lot of students identified with disabilities. We have to consider the resources that students with disabilities need in order to make the educational gains that we expect. We’ve talked a lot about budgetary issues that we’re facing here in the city. We also have staffing shortages with our paraprofessionals, special education teachers, and related service providers. As the number of students has continued to grow, we need more people to service them.

Since there are staffing shortages, what is your office doing to fill those positions?

We work with our talent office and have a number of pipeline programs. For example, we have one that promotes current paraprofessionals who are interested in becoming special education teachers. We work with them to obtain bachelor’s and/or master’s degrees and to become teachers. We try to be creative and think about how we promote from within. What’s great about paraprofessionals is they have the experiential knowledge of working with students with disabilities. Take that information, and couple that with classes and evidence-based approaches on how to educate students with disabilities. It’s a win-win.

Across Illinois and in Chicago Public Schools, chronic absenteeism is high. The rate of chronically absent students is even higher among students with disabilities. What have you all been doing to get students back into the classroom?

One thing that I noticed is that we’re really good as a district in talking about the educational gains. We’ve made some impressive gains with students in both reading and math just this past year. But we didn’t talk about what those gains looked like for students with disabilities. As we’ve reflected on those academic gains in addition to the chronic absenteeism, the numbers are not great.

I can point to the district’s new five-year strategic plan. You’ll notice there is a strategy for students with disabilities. The concept that we’ve been using to guide our growth is a transformative approach called “rightful presence.” This approach moves beyond traditional practices of inclusion to really focus on dismantling systemic inequities on behalf of students with disabilities. So students have a true sense of belonging in all school environments. We believe that we will have the focus that we need to build out those instructional practices that all students need to succeed and then to start really seeing those academic gains and those improvements in chronic absenteeism.

During the pandemic, there was a delay in identifying students with disabilities and updating current students’ Individualized Education Programs. What has the Office for Students with Disabilities been doing to ensure that students are identified, have an updated IEP, and receive the services that they need?

I’ll be completely honest, we have systemic issues. Anytime we get a state complaint or a complaint from an advocate, I see that as an opportunity to really look at what they’re raising and to see if there is something that we’re missing. With those delays, we did build out new practices. We’ve built out new training. We’re monitoring deadlines and looking at compliance. When you start thinking about over 600 schools, close to 2,000 people just on my team, not to mention the special education teachers, paraprofessionals, and case managers, all of those individuals are focused on students with disabilities. It’s a lot of space to be in to establish consistency. It’s important to really think about not only are we able to establish our practices, but how do we ensure that they’re actually happening with fidelity on behalf of our students.

Some students with disabilities can go to public schools up to the age of 22. What has the district done or instructed schools to do to help students transition to adulthood?

Within our five-year strategic plan, there is a specific call to increase the number of students with disabilities in Career and Technical Education, International Baccalaureate programs, and Advanced Placement courses. We are focused on increasing those opportunities. We have college programs that we’ve been working on with the city colleges, and we are expanding those. We also are looking to increase awareness of the lack of funding for programs for adults with disabilities across the state of Illinois.

There are some concerns about the Chicago Public Schools budget in the future as the district faces budget deficits. What are you concerned about when it comes to the budget?

What I can tell you is that coming into this role, I was faced with the reality that we had budgetary issues. But CEO Pedro Martinez and Chief Education Officer Bogdana Chkoumbova have found the money to support students with disabilities because they understand that not only is this important, it’s a legally mandated service. They continue to pour millions of dollars into allowing us to build out the programming that we think students need. I opened 62 new cluster programs this year. I didn’t know that the district had money for that, but that’s what we needed to do for students with disabilities. There wasn’t a question of how do you do less or how do you do something different that would cost less. It was, “OK, if this is what you need, then we need to figure it out”.

How this Indianapolis teacher uses field trips to teach life skills to students with behavior challenges

2024-12-16T22:33:17+00:00

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Laura Hinz is all over the place.

On a random Wednesday, she may be at McDonald’s picking up lunch for one of her students as a reward. On Tuesdays, she takes her students on field trips for what’s known as “LONN Day” — experiences that expose students to life skills, occupational skills, nature, and nurturing environments. And three days a week, she drives one of her students to the Indianapolis International Airport, where he has an internship that she set up for him.

“I’m telling you: I love my job,” she said of her position as the high school diploma track teacher at Damar Charter Academy, a K-12 school on the southwest side of Indianapolis serving students with behavioral and developmental challenges. “There’s no other teaching positions that ever compare to the one that I have created, because I’ve created this role for myself. And if we didn’t have LONN days, then the class would just be like every other class.”

At Damar, Hinz oversees students’ online learning, done largely from inside the school building, to ensure they receive their high school diploma, which they have until age 22 to complete.

But Hinz also sees the value in learning “adulting,” or how to function as an adult in the real world. That’s why she started LONN days, which feature field trips to places such as the post office, the Statehouse, and the grocery store. This year, they traveled to local voting centers.

Her journey to this position began several years ago with one student at a different behavioral school, where she was tapped to serve as the temporary teacher in the middle of the school year.

The student had a behavioral issue every day, she said. That’s when she pitched a system: For every good day he had, they would write down the letter of a restaurant the student suggested. When they spelled out the restaurant, Hinz would buy the student lunch from that location.

“It was from then on that I never had any more behaviors out of him,” she said. “After that year was over, he went back to his regular school, and he was fine ever since. And that really opened my eyes — I wanted to be in a behavioral school so bad.”

Laura Hinz, bottom left, took her students to vote at two separate polling sites in Hendricks and Marion counties, Indiana, on Election Day this year. The trip was among her many hands-on field trips that teach students life skills.

At Damar, she still uses the lunch-buying tactic to entice her students to earn credits toward their diploma. Hinz spoke with Chalkbeat about her lesson plans, advice for those working with students with behavioral and developmental challenges, and more.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What is one of your more popular outings with students?

One of the favorite activities is comparing and contrasting grocery stores. We’ll make a whole recipe and we’ll go to Meijer or Kroger. We will price and write down everything that they need for their particular [recipe], and then we’ll do the same thing and we’ll go to Aldi. And they’ll see what it’s like between the different places. That’s always an eye-opener for them.

Students compare not just the cost of items but also analyze which items are available. They know that if they want to make certain stuff, Aldi doesn’t have all those certain things.

Tell us about a favorite lesson to teach. Where did the idea come from?

My favorite lessons are typically the impromptu ones where students are asking those questions to become more knowledgeable about what excites them. We have daily discussions after we watch CNN 10 in the afternoons. We learn so much about random subjects due to curiosity.

If I were to pick one particular lesson that is taught annually, it is the lesson of words with toothpaste. Students get their own new toothpaste tube, gloves, and a plate and race to see who can empty the tube the fastest. Then they are instructed to put it all back into the tube (nearly impossible). That is when we talk about words, how they can be very effective, hurtful, and amazing.

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student changed your perspective or approach.

I remember many years ago when a student was asking a very bland question that I just assumed they would know the answer to. I was wrong, and from that point forward, I remind myself and others that we, as educators, can not assume that a child knows anything. We have to set that positive example and teach them about the smallest to the most complex ideas or thoughts to the best of our ability.

Laura Hinz, at left, with her students at Eagle Creek Park earlier this school year.

What advice would you give to teachers working in special education who feel burnt out or discouraged?

Every day is a new day. A behavior is only worth its immediate time. Learn from it, and ask ‘What is it that you need?’

What was the biggest misconception that you initially brought to teaching?

“You have to be an expert to teach the subject.” This is completely false. I am not an expert at anything, but I am really good at behavior management. If you can manage behaviors in the classroom, you can teach anything!

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

NYC has a network of schools serving new immigrants. Here’s how they’re preparing for Trump.

2024-12-13T22:35:42+00:00

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Few New York City schools have more at stake in President-elect Donald Trump’s second term than those in the Internationals Network for Public Schools.

The nonprofit network helps operate 17 public schools across the five boroughs that cater exclusively to newly arrived immigrant students, serving as a national model for educating newcomers.

Over two decades, the network has weathered shifting immigration patterns and policies and played a central role in educating many of the estimated 48,000 newcomers who have enrolled in city schools since summer 2022.

Now, as Trump lays the groundwork for a promised “mass deportation,” and state and local officials scramble to respond, the network is watching closely and making its own preparations.

Local law and Education Department regulations prohibit non-city law enforcement from entering school buildings except under specific circumstances, and city officials are training district superintendents, principals, and NYPD school safety agents on those protocols, people familiar with the plans said.

But fears and lingering questions remain pervasive.

Trump is likely to roll back a longstanding internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, policy against making arrests at “sensitive locations” like schools, NBC News recently reported, though it wasn’t immediately clear how that would affect the city’s local provisions restricting federal agents from schools. Mayor Eric Adams, who met Thursday with Trump’s incoming “border czar” Tom Homan, told reporters after the meeting he’s looking into increasing the ability of local law enforcement to work with ICE to “go after those individuals who are repeatedly committing crimes in our city.” Adams said “law-abiding” immigrants should continue to use public services including education.

And even if immigration enforcement doesn’t take place at schools, the shockwaves are likely to reach students, who may face deportation cases themselves or see family members expelled from the country. The fear and uncertainty can also have their own corrosive effects by keeping kids and families away from schools and exacerbating attendance and enrollment challenges, educators said.

New York City’s Education Department officials reiterated its commitment in recent weeks to keeping schools safe zones from immigration enforcement.

“Our schools are safe harbors for our children and they will remain so,” Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos said at a recent meeting of the Panel for Educational Policy.

Leaders at the Internationals Network are trying to address families’ concerns while reining in some of the waves of fear they see gripping their communities.

“Our job is to keep hope alive for these students,” said Claire Sylvan, the founder and senior strategic director of the Internationals Network and a former teacher. “I’m not saying that things are going to be easy, but I’m saying that these are our children, and we are dedicated to ensuring that they are safe, welcome, and come to school.”

Chalkbeat spoke to Sylvan and Lara Evangelista, the network’s director and a former international school principal and deputy superintendent, about how they’re approaching the coming years, lessons they’ve learned, and what other educators can draw from their experiences.

The interview was edited for length and clarity.

Can you lay out what protections exist and some basics that schools and families should know?

Claire Sylvan: On the national level, there’s Plyler, which is a 1982 [U.S. Supreme Court] decision that says any student who’s eligible for K-12 education has a legal right to attend school at no cost, like any other resident.

There’s also, to date, protections around sensitive areas that Homeland Security issued.

New York City Public Schools has a very strong policy. They have already re-issued it with an incredibly strong email to all 1,600 principals. They followed up with training of superintendents. They’ve been incredibly collaborative with us and other immigrant organizations in terms of thinking through, ‘What do you need to do on the ground?’ They’re not only training the school personnel but the school safety agents, who technically are supervised by the Police Department.

They’ve been open to all of our conversations, and they’re providing contacts to schools in terms of community-based organizations. Our starting point is that schools need to be warm, welcoming, and supportive environments, and that’s still our priority, because that has to come first for students to learn. New York City has provided a framework that we can do that well within.

How do you balance being realistic about real concerns without overly causing fear that would keep people away from schools altogether?

Lara Evangelista: We’re realistic with families. We’re not hiding information. But we’re also sharing with them that there are policies that we will uphold that New York City has put in place to protect you.

Our community-based organizations support families with making sure their documents are in order, if they have something that’s expired, that they update it, that they understand what their rights are, that, if needed, they have accompaniment plans for their children if families are separated for some reason. We want to give them those tools to prepare them.

But we’re balancing, like you said. We don’t want to just feed into fear. We want to be realistic, but also continue to create supportive places for them. Because we want to take care of our young people emotionally. It’s how we’ve been set up from the beginning, so we’re really leaning into that to support our students and our families through this.

How does talking about an ‘accompaniment plan’ go with families?

LE: One of my first cases when I was a principal was I had a young person call us and say, ‘My parents were picked up selling clothes. What do I do? I have siblings.’And so we learned then that we needed to make sure our families were prepared.

We don’t take that on ourselves, but through legal partnerships and so on, we run workshops and let families know that like this is something they should have in place so that if people are separated, if the major earners in the family are gone and the children are left, what happens?

How much of what you’re doing now, or what you’ve done since the election, is standard procedure for you, and how much is different?

LE: We’ve always done this. I was a principal a long time. And we had situations in the Obama administration where families were just deported, and we had to manage that.

We’re lucky in that we have relationships with partners that we can lean into for these kinds of supports. We’ve always had legal screenings for families so that they can understand how to manage their paperwork. A legal organization will come and meet with families and students and, if they choose, can talk to them about their immigration situation.

CS: Some schools choose to do that on an open school night. You talk to your kid’s teacher, but you also go down the hall and have this conversation.

Can you talk about what you both saw during the first Trump administration and any lessons that you are taking from that and applying now?

LE: In the beginning, I remember some parents were afraid to come to a parent workshop, Open School Night, a parent teacher conference, because they were worried something would happen.

We had to really spend a lot of time communicating with families about our role, what the policies were, why they were going to be safe in our buildings, and really build relationships with families so that they did feel safe.

But I think the other thing was just how incredibly resilient our families and students were during that time. While we did have some students who dropped out or were discouraged, the vast majority of them, they just kept going. They were like, ‘Look, I’m here. I have dreams. This is what I want for me and my family.’ They continued to pursue those dreams in spite of all that, so that was really inspiring for us as educators.

At this point, what is your biggest fear? And on the flip side, are there things that you’re doing now that you feel most hopeful about? What would you like to see happen that might ease some of those concerns?

CS: I can’t tell you how many individuals and people have approached us as an organization or our schools or our leaders and said: “How can we help?” There is a community of people who care about our students.

LE: It’s really, really hard to predict what might happen. There’s a lot out there, and we don’t want to be in a situation where we’re just sharing all of this information that may or may not happen. We know what the situation is now, we know how to prepare from our work in the past, and that’s what we operate under. I don’t worry about students disappearing and not coming to school. There’s lots of rhetoric out there about what might happen in terms of deportation, but I try not to live in that space because our students do give us so much hope.

CS: I don’t have a crystal ball, but I know we have to keep our eye on the ball, and it’s going to move around the soccer field an awful lot.

Michael Elsen-Rooney is a reporter for Chalkbeat New York, covering NYC public schools. Contact Michael at melsen-rooney@chalkbeat.org

Why Michigan’s top educator is focused on keeping teachers in the classroom

2024-11-19T23:33:30+00:00

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Kelley Cusmano teaches a student leadership class at Rochester High School in suburban Detroit, and those leadership skills may come in handy as she embarks on an effort to address teacher retention in Michigan.

Cusmano was named Michigan Teacher of the Year in May, and she and the other nine finalists for the top teacher honor in the state got together and decided as a group to focus on retention issues, for some crucial reasons.

“The state has invested millions of dollars in confronting the teacher shortage, but we need teachers to remain in the classroom in order for that investment to pay off,” said Cusmano, who also teaches English language arts at Rochester High.

They’ll have a platform to address the issue. Cusmano and one of the finalists present before the State Board of Education monthly. During the October meeting, she and Molly Dunham, a third grade teacher in the Kingsley Area Schools district, spoke about the value of mentorship programs for new teachers.

Kelley Cusmano was named Michigan Teacher of the Year in May. She teaches student leadership and English language arts at Rochester High School in Michigan.

Part of addressing teacher retention will be changing the narrative “that teachers, and in particular, teachers that belong to a union, have different priorities than the families we serve,” Cusmano told Chalkbeat.

“Teachers are concerned that the respect for the profession and the partnership with families is being fractured, and it is crucial that the stories of all the amazing educators I get to see every day are told to a larger audience.”

She spoke with Chalkbeat about retention, teacher morale, student leadership, and the teacher classes she and her twin sister, a fellow Michigan educator, held as children.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

From a young age, I knew that I wanted to work with kids. I was inspired by spending a lot of time in my mom’s classroom — she taught kindergarten in Concord, Michigan — and my identical twin sister and I would spend hours reading books to kids, playing on the playground with them, etc. However, as I got older, I actually became interested in writing/journalism as a career, so I entered Michigan State University as a journalism major. I knew I still wanted to work with kids, so I blended both of my loves and decided to become a high school English teacher.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

I like any lesson that makes a student take a step back and realize that the world is a much bigger place than what they think. Books have that power, and a really transformative text can take a student to a greater understanding of society. Right now, “Fahrenheit 451″ has a lot of modern-day parallels to our society, so I love teaching that text and letting students know that [Ray] Bradbury had a lot of predictions in the 1950s about the direction of our current society.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom?

I think any event happening in the community will have ripple effects in the classroom. For example, we just recently experienced the presidential election, and there are passionate individuals for both parties. Obviously, those feelings are going to come up any time we talk about a social issue that can be seen in a text. However, as an English teacher, I really try to focus my students’ understanding on the world as a whole, not just political talking points.

How do you approach news events in your classroom? Please provide an example.

With caution, thoughtfulness, and care. For example, our district is in close proximity to the town of Oxford, which experienced a school shooting in 2021. Obviously, we were rocked by the event, and many staff members and families had people in their lives that were impacted by the tragedy. As a staff, we provided students and other staff members with the emotional support that was needed, but we also made sure that other students, who may not have been directly impacted, were instructed on how we were going to handle academic work for the short-term and long-term.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I had some amazing teachers. Some of my favorites were my high school English teachers, which led me to my career today. I grew up outside of Jackson, Michigan. My seventh grade English teacher, Mrs. Short, was absolutely transformative to me. She allowed me to read books beyond what was assigned in class and sent me to a high school writing camp as a middle schooler. Basically, she told me that I was a talented writer, and I believed her. That type of belief in kids is how I try to connect with my students today. In addition, I loved the events of school — the dances, the assemblies, the service — and so as a student leadership teacher, I love being able to advise students on how to be leaders in their school.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

I love spending time with my husband and my two daughters; Annabel is 13 and Mia is 11. When I’m not with them, I’m snuggling with our rescue pittie, Bonnie, or talking on the phone to my twin sister, Sarah. She is also in education, so she is the perfect sounding board for me. I also love to listen to true-crime podcasts and travel.

In Michigan, teacher morale has been an issue. What do you think can be done to address it?

I think it gets started with taking any issue with a teacher or class off of social media. Our society has used social media as a sounding board, and all that does is paint a one-sided picture of a complex issue. Families and educators need to be able to have in-person conversations again. We need to stop thinking of schools and teachers as faceless entities but as living, breathing humans who deserve to be respected and treated fairly. Also, I think teachers need to be compensated according to the difficulty of their jobs and provided with clear and transparent policies and structures.

Tell me how you came to teach a student leadership class and what have you learned about students from teaching this class?

I started teaching the student leadership class at RHS when the previous adviser decided they wanted to stop. I had never been at a school that offered leadership as a part of their curriculum, but I quickly realized how valuable of an asset having leadership as a part of a student’s day can be. My students are involved in every student activity at Rochester High. In a true project-based learning experience, they are able to execute activities from beginning to end, handle thousands of dollars in financial transactions, and learn budgeting, fundraising, and event-planning skills from Day 1. In addition, I feel like I learn every day from students how capable and responsible they can be. The larger perception from society is that teenagers cannot handle complex tasks, but they can and should.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Second grade was great. Third grade wasn’t. Here’s how it shaped Colorado’s Teacher of the Year.

2024-11-04T17:14:58+00:00

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In third grade, Janet Damon had a classroom teacher who made her feel unwanted. She said she doesn’t remember the teacher’s name, probably because she was afraid of her and rarely spoke it.

But what’s always stayed with Damon about that difficult year is how important it is to make students feel valued. It’s something she prioritizes in her work as a social studies teacher at Denver’s DELTA High School, a small alternative high school for students who’ve struggled elsewhere.

Janet Damon, history teacher, DELTA High School, Denver Public Schools

It’s also a quality that helped Damon become Colorado’s 2025 Teacher of the Year — an award announced during a surprise ceremony at DELTA in early October. She was among seven state finalists for the award and will now be a contender for the National Teacher of the Year title.

Damon talked to Chalkbeat about how she helps students understand their place in the sweep of Colorado history, why she started a lunchtime yoga class, and what a grandmother caring for nine grandchildren taught her.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

My father was in the military so we’ve moved every three years. I was born in Germany, then we moved to Korea, then to South Carolina, then to New Orleans. While we were there, I had one of my favorite teachers, Miss Walsh, in second grade. She just adored me and I enjoyed her.

Then for third grade, we came to Fountain, outside of Colorado Springs, and I had a teacher — my first teacher ever who did not feel that way about me. I even remember when they walked me to her classroom and she saw me. It was like her face fell. I remember not getting taken to specials. She would keep me in the room to do coloring sheets. I just remember I would sit there and just kind of cry. That’s when I started running little classrooms in my room. I wanted to be a teacher that made people feel loved, like Miss Walsh made me feel loved.

Tell us about a favorite lesson to teach.

The history of Colorado because our state is so multifaceted and multiracial, and has these moments where Coloradoans stood up on issues they really cared about — Barney Ford, Clara Brown, Justina Ford. We talk about how there were immigrants from all different groups. They were Irish, German, people who were of Jewish ancestry. We also learn how Colorado’s indigenous community had a lasting legacy — when you think about the mountain highways, a lot of those are over indigenous trails that the Utes created.

The kids then begin to understand that their journey in Colorado is also going to be very special. We do this cartography of the challenges and the successes of different Colorado folks. They make a podcast about a critical issue impacting Colorado and make a life map of what Colorado’s challenges will mean for them and how they are going to overcome them.

I think our students sometimes think, “I’m the only one having to face this challenge ever.” No. Generations and generations faced so many challenges, and every time they moved the dial forward on justice, equality, liberation, it helped you. You will also have to do something that’s going to make Colorado even better for the next generation.

You recently started lunchtime yoga classes. How have you seen this impact students?

It’s really beautiful to see students engaging with their bodies in this way. When we started doing yoga, some students were really surprised when I said, “OK, let’s do a forward fold, and you’re going to reach your hands for your feet.” A lot of students said, “Miss, I can’t touch my toes.” We talked about how our bodies are usually held in different positions at work, at our desks, and those positions can cause some of our ligaments and tendons to constrict.

Some of our students here at DELTA work jobs where they’re using machines and doing labor that involves repetitive motion. Even to raise their hands over their heads is difficult. Now, after two weeks, one of the young men can lift his hands above his head, and that’s an epiphany for him.

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective or approach.

When I worked at a previous school, a grandmother was taking care of nine grandchildren. All three of her daughters had become incarcerated at a similar time. I saw every day the challenges that grandmother had to go through, both physically and because of the trauma that the whole family had experienced. In that, I saw love.

What it taught me is that our students are here because of love. I have an obligation to treat them as if they are the most important person in someone’s world, because they are.

What is something going on in the community that affects the students you teach? How do you address it?

A lot of my students work because their parents need them to work. When I see a student who is tired and nodding off. I’m not thinking, ‘Oh, you were just playing video games.” I will ask, “When did you get off last night? When did your shift end?” They might say, “Yeah, it was 11:30 p.m., and then I had to get home and catch up with my homework.”

We have some students who don’t get a lot of support, and that’s why I think schools like DELTA are so important. It’s not easy, because students have a lot of needs. However, we are this promise that if you get your education, you’ll have more opportunities in the future.

What are you reading for enjoyment?

As part of a book club for mothers and women within the “Afros and Books” book club I co-founded, we are reading “Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself,” by Nedra Glover Tawwab.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

How this Lawrence Township educator inspires a passion for early childhood education

2024-10-16T11:00:00+00:00

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When Mary Easley was in high school, she took cosmetology classes at the career center. While she still became a licensed cosmetologist, Easley watched her instructors and an interest in teaching grew.

“I can still remember Mrs. Evans pulling me aside and telling me that I was meant to be a teacher. That conversation lit a fire in me, making me realize that teaching was my true calling,” she said.

Now, Easley, who has worked in early childhood education for 20 years, teaches early childhood education to high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors at the McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology in the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township — the same career center where she got her start.

This year, her students are participating in the state’s new early childhood education teacher apprenticeship program. Funded by a federal Preschool Development Grant, students combine classroom learning with work experience to earn high school and college credits. After high school, they can start their careers right away, continue their education, or both.

Easley’s students recently attended an apprenticeship signing day, similar to those for athletes, at the Statehouse and were recognized for being in the first cohort of the program.

And just like herself, Easley’s students have found their passion through the program. One student wants to work with students with disabilities, thanks to what she’s learned. Another wants to be an early learning center principal. Several want to teach elementary school students, and several more are in the program working with preschoolers in the same early learning centers they attended as young children.

“Their passion for this field is being nurtured by the real experiences and inspiration they are receiving from this pathway,” Easley said.

She spoke with Chalkbeat about the early childhood education program, the bond between high schoolers and preschoolers, and the best advice she’s ever received.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Tell me about the early childhood education teacher apprenticeship program in Lawrence Township schools. What does it look like for you and your students?

It’s an amazing opportunity for early childhood education students. The program is designed to support students by providing mentorship, hands-on job experiences, and college credits in the realm of early childhood education. It’s a wonderful foundation for students who are just beginning to start thinking about their next steps after high school.

Once students have completed the 120 hours of class instruction and 480 hours of work experience, they submit a professional portfolio that’s a reflective compilation of their overall experience. In addition to their portfolio, students will take an exam upon completion of all the required work. Students will have earned their CDA, or Child Development Associate, certification. This certification will allow students to apply for a lead teacher, instructional assistant, or site leader position in a preschool setting.

What is your favorite part of having high schoolers work in an early childhood education setting?

The highlight of my day is seeing the love and joy spread from the preschoolers to the high schoolers and vice versa. I see the patience and care from the high schoolers as the preschoolers are developing, growing, and understanding the world around them, while the preschoolers are also giving the high school students a sense of purpose and the opportunity to develop a passion for this career.

Some of my favorite moments are when the high schoolers enter the building, and all of the preschoolers start waving their hands and shouting the high schoolers’ names down the hall. I also love when the preschoolers draw the most colorful picture and hand it to them as a gift or come up to the high schoolers and ask them to read them a book.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

I just recently wrapped up a chapter focusing on theories and principles. As an early childhood educator, my focus has always been on the socio-emotional well-being of my students, whether you’re big or small. So with that, I like to take time out and explore adverse childhood experiences. I encourage my students to make connections through documentaries, articles, and even music artists that the students listen to. By making those real-life connections, they are able to ask themselves, “What can I do to help?”

We are all carrying something in our invisible backpack, but once we start to unpack it and get to the core of what those issues are, I just believe that then we are able to have a stronger society as a whole. Stronger communities, families, and students.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

Oh wow! Well, because of the amazing teachers that I had throughout my upbringing, I carry a little piece of them as I have developed my own style of teaching. I truly believe that being a teacher extends beyond the four walls of a classroom. It’s about showing up, being present, and in the moment with your kids, and not only actively listening but making sure you are hearing them. Making sure to make those meaningful connections that will help sustain them throughout their journey.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

In graduate school, a professor would continuously remind us to earn our own understanding. I don’t think that the advice ever resonated with me until I started working with my high school students. For example, to a preschooler, I may have all the knowledge. However, to a high school student who has already started to navigate their way through life, I am merely a guide to help them earn their own understanding.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

Just taking the time to breathe and relax at home. I love to cook and spend time with my family.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

She used to work on an active volcano. Now she’s a Colorado teacher.

2024-10-15T22:17:16+00:00

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Before Jayme Margolin-Sneider became a teacher, she studied volcanoes. At one point, she worked as an interpretive ranger at Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington state.

“I lived on the volcano, and I taught others about the volcano,” she said of the famous peak.

Today, Margolin-Sneider combines her love of science and teaching as a program manager at the Innovation Center in the St. Vrain Valley school district in northern Colorado. High schoolers from around the district take classes in STEM and other subjects, earn industry certifications, and secure paid work experience through the center.

Jayme Margolin-Sneider works in the St. Vrain Valley school district.

“I’m so lucky,” said Margolin-Sneider, who teaches one-third time. “I have amazing students here, I always push them to push the limits — like, ‘What else do you want to do? What do you want to try?’ Because that’s what science is all about.”

Margolin-Sneider recently spent six weeks in Vietnam as a Fulbright Teacher Exchange Fellow, working with high school students at a school for gifted students in the city of Bảo Lộc. She talked with Chalkbeat about the similarities between her Vietnamese and American students, why children and teens need hands-on lessons, not just theory, and how a prosthetic “claw” figures into her neuroscience class.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

I was always fascinated by natural disasters — the amount of power generated in such a short amount of time just fascinated me. Yet I loved teaching and sharing knowledge as well. I am lucky that I was able to combine these two passions. I worked doing seismic volcanology and then education and outreach.

Before grad school in geochemistry, I actually had another Fulbright scholarship for research in Japan. I did a lot with the local communities there — it was the idea of teaching people how you live with the volcano in your backyard. We would take kindergarten students in these Japanese schools up onto the volcano, and I realized I liked that. I went to grad school in New Mexico and there was a teaching shortage there. I started subbing and got my teaching license.

How did your own experience in school influence your approach to teaching?

In high school, I was part of an environmental club in which we were outdoor education counselors for fifth and sixth graders. We would spend three days and two nights exploring nature at a local park. I love constantly questioning things around me. I was lucky enough to meet many experts in various scientific fields and ask them about their research. I love being able to break down scientific information for younger audiences and share that love of always being curious and then making sense of the science.

Tell us about a favorite lesson to teach.

One example for younger students would be the human seismic wave. Students act out P-waves and S-waves and are able to understand the different wave dynamics. For P-waves, they gently knock into one another, and they can’t move until they feel a force — you know, Newton’s laws of physics — so they kind of feel that gentle sway and the pushback.

I currently teach a neuroscience class where juniors and seniors look at MRIs and CT scans to learn about the human nervous system. Then they hook up electrodes to their hand and work to control a prototype of a prosthetic hand called “the claw” using their own muscles. They have to do different tasks, like stack cups. It’s an introduction to the idea of neuroprosthetics.

How did your experience as a Fulbright Teacher Exchange Fellow in Vietnam impact your outlook and approach to teaching?

My experience showed me how hands-on learning can really energize students. Most students in Vietnam learn the theory from textbooks but do not have a chance to understand the application through hands-on STEM labs. There’s a lot of emphasis on exams.

I was able to run several labs and work with local farmers, as well as tea and coffee manufacturers, to take students on field trips and speak with industry professionals. I could see the excitement in the students and their passion to learn more. Some of the Vietnamese students that I worked with will soon be collaborating with my American students on a water quality project that relates to species sustainability.

What similarities do your American and Vietnamese students share? What are the differences?

Both American and Vietnamese students are full of energy, excited about the future, and love socializing. In Vietnam, many students go to extra classes after school. In America, many students have sports or school clubs and may stay at school late into the evening. In Vietnam, most students would return home throughout the day, and there are no school buses.

What are you reading for enjoyment?

Recently, I read an article about Yellowstone National Park that I was talking about with my students. I also read a lot of articles about different space missions. I just kind of keep up on space news and earth news.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

A Bronx teacher wanted better materials for English learners. He went to Latin America to find them.

2024-10-15T19:10:48+00:00

Yan Carlos Mejia sees himself in his students.

Mejia, who teaches students learning English as a new language at the Bronx’s Castle Hill Middle School, came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic when he was 13. He felt frustrated to leave his friends behind and was “scared, speechless, and struggling with English.”

“When I teach, I’m reminded of myself sitting in the corner of the classroom, feeling helpless, trying to blend in, and feeling invisible,” he said. “The only time I felt truly alive back then was when I listened to my teacher read aloud. For a moment, I could lose myself in the characters and their stories, walking through their lives.”

Now, nearly a decade into his career as an English as a New Language teacher, he has made it his mission to bring stories to his students that they can relate to — and he’s found creative ways to do that.

After realizing he was having difficulty making connections between the English Language Arts curriculum and his multilingual learners, he came up with a dream plan. Mejia would visit several of his students’ home countries — Mexico, Peru, Argentina, and Brazil — and gather books and teaching ideas, from folktales to contemporary works by Latin American authors, to create lessons that could more meaningfully connect with his students.

“How can you relate to or understand a character or story if you have no prior knowledge? How can you participate in ‘turn and talk’ if you lack the answers? How can you identify and analyze different types of conflict if you can’t relate to them?” Mejia asked. “I knew I had to do something.”

He was able to put that plan into action this summer when he became one of the 365 teachers from across the country to win a $5,000 grant from the Fund for Teachers. These prestigious summer fellowships fund self-directed travel projects. (Applications are now open for the fund’s summer 2025 grants.)

Yan Carlos Mejia visited Brazil through his Fund for Teachers fellowship.

For example, after visiting the Frida Kahlo Museum in Mexico, he incorporated pictures from his visit into a “do now” classroom activity. He also used videos from Machu Picchu in Peru to create engaging discussion questions.

Across New York City, more than 16% of students are English Language Learners, and many of these students struggle in school. Just 62% of seniors learning English graduated in 2023, compared to the overall citywide graduation rate of 84%.

“Often, we see English language learners as lacking something because they don’t yet know English,” Mejia said. “However, they possess a wealth of knowledge in their first language. As teachers, our job is to provide access to grade-level content while they acquire English.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I never dreamed of becoming a teacher. In fact, my biggest aspiration was to be a news anchor, specifically for Telemundo. After completing my bachelor’s degree, I worked as a freelance journalist for various Spanish media outlets. However, I quickly realized that I wasn’t happy. I didn’t enjoy writing or creating content just for “views” or “likes.”

I vividly remember discussing my frustrations with a high school teacher of mine, who suggested I apply for the New York City Teaching Fellows program. She remembered my involvement in student government, where I served as vice president, and how active I was in the school community. Now it makes sense why I was labeled “teacher’s pet” in the yearbook!

Out of curiosity, I decided to apply for the program, and the rest is history. The moment I stepped into the classroom during my internship, I fell in love with teaching.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

In my ICT (integrated co-teaching) transitional bilingual classroom, I love collaborating with my co-teacher to create lessons where students are actively engaged and moving. The goal of this program is to help students who are not proficient in English gradually transition to English-only instruction. We start by providing instruction in their native language while teaching English. As their English proficiency improves, more instruction is given in English, helping them keep up academically while developing language skills.

My co-teacher, who is special education certified, suggested trying parallel teaching. We both instruct at the same time, often dividing content based on students’ needs, and we put a whiteboard in the middle of the room for clarity. For example, one teacher may provide instruction in the students’ native language, while the other focuses on English. At first, I was hesitant because of the noise level — since we do both talk at the same time — but now that we’ve set clear classroom norms, the noise is more manageable. This approach allows us to better target students’ specific needs and provide tailored support, ensuring they remain engaged and productive.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom or your school?

All of my students are immigrants and English language learners. Given the current misinformation about immigrant communities, I use the Courageous Conversation Protocol to initiate discussions and reflect on what’s happening in the world. This helps create a safe space where students feel comfortable sharing their opinions and feelings. I provide them with the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue, helping them process and understand the issues that affect their lives.

Can you tell us more about working with multilingual learners, the challenges and the triumphs?

One challenge is that MLLs can be hesitant to participate in class discussions, fearing they might mispronounce words. To support them, I provide wait time, sentence starters, sentence frames, and tiered vocabulary. It’s also important to create opportunities for them to take on leadership roles in the classroom, boosting their self-esteem and helping them realize they have so much to offer — and they truly do.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

As an adult, I’m still in contact with my high school and middle school teachers. In fact, they were the ones who wrote my letters of reference for my second master’s and doctoral programs. I often think about one teacher in particular, Ms. Negron. I don’t remember the specific lessons, group work, or sentence starters we used, but I’ll never forget how she made me feel — like I mattered. I remember how she asked us questions and genuinely listened to us.

That’s the kind of teacher I aspire to be: one who makes each student feel important, one who listens, one who asks thoughtful questions. I aim to create a student-led classroom where every voice is heard.

What’s one thing you’ve read that has made you a better educator?

One of the most impactful books I’ve read is “Caste” by Isabel Wilkerson, which was a required reading for my school leadership program. This powerful work opened my eyes to the intricacies of social hierarchies and the deep-seated inequities that exist in our society. It challenged me to reflect on how systemic issues influence my students’ lives and learning experiences.

By understanding the concept of caste, I’ve become more aware of the barriers my students face and the importance of advocating for equity in the classroom. This awareness has prompted me to create more inclusive and supportive learning environments where all students feel valued and have the opportunity to thrive.

Amy Zimmer is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat New York. Contact Amy at azimmer@chalkbeat.org.

This civics teacher wants her students to see themselves in ‘We the People’

2024-10-02T13:41:00+00:00

Kimberly Huffman’s students sometimes struggle to see themselves in “We the People.”

They come to the Wayne County Schools Career Center from 10 different school districts, sometimes after a lot of academic struggles. Many are missing credits or struggle with reading. Some are making their last attempt at graduating high school. Government feels either too far away — or too close for comfort.

But Huffman believes that if she can help them understand how government works, she can help them see they have a voice — and the power to change things.

Huffman is the 2023 high school teacher recipient of the American Civic Education Teacher Award. Since 2000, she’s taught American government, personal finance, and political science at the career center, which is in a rural area about an hour south of Cleveland.

Students get days off from school during hunting season and during the Wayne County Fair, which hosts one of the largest 4-H gatherings in the country. Many students are passionate about the Second Amendment, Huffman said, and “like all students, they are most concerned about their First Amendment rights.”

Huffman is a little embarrassed by her journey into education. She is not one of those teachers who always knew what they wanted to do. Growing up on public assistance, at first, she didn’t think she would go to college at all. Once in college, she switched from social work to education to avoid a dreaded foreign language requirement.

Kimberly Huffman teaches government and political science at Wayne County Schools Career Center in Ohio.

But when she did her student teaching, she knew she was where she belonged. And when she took her first political science course, she knew that’s what she wanted to teach.

“Growing up in my circumstances, I kind of felt situations happen to you, and you don’t feel empowered to do anything about them,” she said. “I never want my students to feel like a victim of their circumstances. And I think that’s the greatest part of civics for me, is to teach students the empowerment that they have if they know the process, if they know that they have a voice.”

Huffman spoke with Chalkbeat about how presidential election years energize her civics lessons, how she helps students with a range of reading abilities navigate dense primary sources, and why she loves teaching about the Electoral College.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

When you’re teaching civics, do you start with the Constitution and the Founding Fathers, or do you start with things that are a bit more tangible?

The practical answer is we start with the Ohio state standards, and we have an end-of-course exam. That has to be the driving force because that is mandated. So I start out with citizenship and how we belong to a community. Our students might come in as juniors or seniors. Some students are still playing sports and playing in the band at their home schools. Some students come here, and they get a brand new, fresh start. That’s a great place to talk about where you belong and your sense of community, and then we use that to talk about citizenship and how that’s defined.

Then we get into the Constitution, and what those rights and responsibilities are.

What sort of ideas about government do your students bring to the classroom?

They don’t see themselves. And I think that’s what’s so valuable about that preamble [to the Constitution]. The first three words of our founding document are “We the People.” Oftentimes they will come with complaints about the government. “Who is the government?” I always push back on that complaint. “Who specifically are you referring to?”

It’s a mission of mine to make sure the House representative for our district comes into our school and meets with students because I want them to see them as people. U.S. Rep. Max Miller was here in the spring. He showed up in jeans, he had a Starbucks coffee. He was talking their language. He was so relatable to them, and they absolutely loved him, and it gave them a different kind of impression than, oh, he works in Congress in D.C.

Do you do different things during a presidential election year to connect what’s going on with what they’re learning in class?

I wouldn’t say anything extra or additional, but what’s exciting about election years is that there are things we talk about every year that may not resonate or connect with the students, and then during an election year, they can’t help but feel it because it’s every TV commercial, people are talking about it, it’s a buzz on social media.

It’s energizing because they’re telling me about things that they heard. Right now we’re talking about campaign promises. Why is this candidate saying this, when the president really only has this much power? Well, that’s how you get elected. You convince people you can make these changes. We talked about the difference between constitutional powers and things that they say that they’re going to do to earn your vote.

Elections allow me the opportunity to point right to the Constitution. I love teaching the Electoral College. It’s very hard for them to grasp. So when it’s happening in real time, that’s just all the better for me, because I can say, see, it’s really happening, and you need to know what’s going on.

What makes the Electoral College such a good topic?

I think there’s massive misunderstanding, and it is unlike anything that I know of in any other country. I think there’s something to be said about the founders knowing the difference in interest between the agricultural and urban areas. We live in a very rural area. People who live in the country don’t want to be bothered by government restrictions. We want to shoot off fireworks. We want to burn our trash. We want to have parties late at night because we’re not bothering the neighbors. But if you live in the city, you might be more accustomed to government services, public transportation, having the mail delivered right to your door.

So you are likely to develop different viewpoints about the government based on where you live, and there are a lot of people who live in the city and fewer people who live in large tracts of land. And so it’s not just big states and small states, it’s agricultural versus urban and that’s directly connected to your interest, and your interests are valid even though they’re different.

Surveys show that young people don’t necessarily think voting is very important. How do you talk to your students about voting?

A lot of school districts moved government to the junior year, which broke my teacher heart, because they are further removed from the voting age. Now my students are 15 and 16 instead of 17 or 18, and that has dramatically shifted how to stress why they should vote. My students feel like two years is a long way away, and they do feel this disengagement. One of the things I talk about is, even though they can’t vote, they have a voice.

In Ohio, we just had a new law about cell phone policies, and they were not happy. So what can they do about it? They can write letters to their representatives. They can march in the streets. They can post on social media and use their voice that way. They can do petitions. I think if you can convince them their voice does matter and count, you can connect it to how much more important the actual vote is for them when they’re 18.

How do you navigate different political opinions that students bring to the classroom?

The National Constitution Center has a lesson called Civil Dialogue. And the Michigan Center for Civic Education does Norms of Collaboration, talking about how to have conversations where you’re respectful, mindful, you think before you speak, and you allow everybody to have a voice. You have to set your classroom up for that at the beginning of the year, so that when you get into the issues of the politics of the day, you’ve established ground rules.

I do this thing at the beginning of the school year, do you like Coke or Pepsi? Do you want to be on a beach or in a desert? I put these pictures up, and they have to literally walk — because they should be moving around — to this side of the room if you want to go to the ocean or that side if you want to go to the desert. I always let them choose a “don’t like either.” They can be an independent or a third party. And I have them share the reason why.

And then, we talk about, does it affect you if that person thinks that? Is it okay that you think differently?

I did ask this year, how is that different when we talk about politics? And I had a student say, well, this person’s view about how the government operates is going to directly impact me. It’s not just a preference. I think that’s the first time I’ve had a student pick up on that.

In forums and on social media, I see some teachers feel cautious about talking about the election. What advice do you have for them?

I’m pretty confident in what I can do in the classroom. What I do fear is the rhetoric and the perception of what teachers are doing. And it’s coming from my own faith community. So the idea of indoctrination and that we somehow turn them into communists or socialists, I don’t know what to do about that. I come to work every day and give my all to be fair and unbiased, to look at constitutional issues, and to teach state standards. If I could indoctrinate, I would get these kids to show up on time and have their homework done.

On a lighter note, do you have a favorite lesson?

I love the Supreme Court. I’m a Supreme Court nerd. Street Law has wonderful resources. They have this activity where the students get to be a judge, and they get to decide whether to grant cert, whether the case is worthy to be taken. So they have to look at the lower courts, how they ruled. They have to look at the case, determine if it’s constitutional, if they have jurisdiction, if it’s appellate, original. So I think that’s very valuable, because they like playing the judge.

Primary source documents can be tough even for skilled readers, and some of your students struggle with reading. What do you do to make content accessible for all your students?

We’re really focused on MAX teaching strategies, on how to teach the students to read and provide them tools. One of my favorite things to teach about is free speech, student free speech. So I do all the Supreme Court cases that involve students, and the one we always end on is Morse v. Frederick [a free speech case involving a student who displayed a pro-drug message], which is just their absolute favorite. They love the banner. And that’s a great case to have them digest because they’re so invested in the outcome.

I divide it up into sections so you don’t have one student reading the whole document, and you have questions after each section. They share their answers with each other. But before we do that, we talk about crossing off the irrelevant information, anything that disrupts the flow of the sentence, like if it’s in parentheses, just cross it off. We want to know what the message is.

Oyez is a great site for giving a brief summary of the case, so they can get the big picture, and then you can also listen to the argument. I think students love to hear the judges do those rapid fire questions. They feel much more of a judge’s personality. And again, that goes to, these are people making these decisions.

Erica Meltzer is Chalkbeat’s national editor based in Colorado. Contact Erica at emeltzer@chalkbeat.org.

This Michigan civics teacher wants his students to have civil political discussions

2024-09-19T13:07:07+00:00

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Civics teacher Mike Powers recognizes that many of the issues his students discuss in class are steeped in emotion. Sometimes those conversations touch on issues of race and racism, gender, and sexuality. Despite the sensitive nature of the policies they debate, Powers takes pride in the fact that his students can be civil with one another.

“I’m not saying it’s easy,” said Powers, who teaches 10th and 11th graders in the Manistique Area Schools district. “Is it easy to bite your tongue and keep your composure? No, it’s not — not even for adults. But they can still make their point by being civil.”

Powers was recently named as a regional teacher of the year by the Michigan Department of Education. He was also a finalist for the statewide teacher of the year for the 2024-25 school year.

The educator has seen teens’ perspectives on politics change over the course of his 40 years in education. Locally, his community has become more conservative in their voting patterns. And in the classroom, Powers said younger students have less of a grasp of what liberalism and conservatism actually mean.

Through class exercises like a survey that helps students understand where their ideologies fall on the political spectrum, Powers said he aims to show that “labels aren’t so important.”

In the process, Powers said the students learn the importance of doing their research and choosing wisely.

“They learn to keep to the issues and not to choose based on emotion or personality,” he said. “They learn to make a smart decision, whatever that is for them.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Mike Powers (Image courtesy of Mike Powers)

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

I was greatly influenced by my mother who was a great elementary teacher — legendary in my eyes — for over 30 years. Also, my sister and brother were teachers. However, the moment I decided to become an educator was at Western Michigan University. I had transferred there and had changed majors several times. I had the opportunity to volunteer at several schools around Kalamazoo and knew that teaching was the career I wanted to go into.

How do you get to know your students?

I teach in a small school (715 students, K-12), so I know most of the students before they enter my class. However, I have several ice breakers, and activities that help me to get to know the students and the students get to know me.

Tell us about a favorite lesson to teach. Where did the idea come from?

My favorite lesson is usually the lesson I am teaching. However, one that I think is very important and one of my favorites is a lesson I saw in the Detroit Free Press three or four decades ago. I have updated and adapted the lesson annually. The lesson is about political ideology. I have a questionnaire with about 40-50 questions with no right or wrong answers. I read and explain both the questions and the scoring rubric. The students tally up their score. The score relates to a place along the U.S. political spectrum: Populist, Liberal, Moderate, Conservative, and Libertarian. This lesson is a great opportunity to talk about political generalizations and truth in our political system.

In your social studies classes, how are you talking with students about the November election? Have they had any election-related assignments?

Recently, I have had both our Michigan State Sen. Ed McBroom and our Michigan State Rep. David Prestin into my class for general information and questions. We discuss news updates, such as the recent debates. In the past, we have had pretty in-depth candidate forums with local and state candidates, and usually candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives. I make sure all sides of the political spectrum are represented. Also in the past, I have done extensive voter registration and a mock election. For the 2024 election, we are doing just a local candidate forum, voter registration drive, and schoolwide mock election.

What kinds of questions are you getting about the election from your students?

The main questions are about local candidates and ballot proposals. Our county clerk for Schoolcraft County is our local expert. If I do not know an answer, I call her office and get the correct information. Answers to questions and in our political discussions, I make sure to stay right down the center of the political spectrum. I believe a teacher’s job is not to influence any student. A teacher’s job is to encourage the students to think in a critical, academic, and unemotional way. In response to questions as well as discussions, I guide the answers to issues, not personalities, and make sure all sides of the issue are explained.

What was the biggest misconception that you initially brought to teaching?

One misconception was that most students learn the same. To some degree, when I switched from teaching special education to regular education, I thought I would be done with individual education plans. I thought in regular education the individual tailoring of education to match the student’s needs was not necessary. I am glad that was a misconception. Every child learns differently. I believe our educational system is continually improving on that process of individualization.

A second misconception that goes along with the first is that teaching is a “solo” effort. Collaboration with all of the stakeholders is essential, including colleagues, administration, parents, specialty educators, mental health specialists, and many more. It really does take the village.

Recommend a book that has helped you be a better teacher.

“Culturize: Every Student. Every Day. Whatever It Takes” by Jimmy Casas. This is so true. In our classrooms, we should have complete inclusion of all students. As teachers, every single day, we need to bring our passion, enthusiasm, professionalism, and energy to the classroom. All of our students learn differently, teachers need to find what works with each individual student.

What’s the best advice you’ve received about teaching?

The best advice from administration I have frequently received over the years is to communicate with parents/guardians. I agree. The parents/guardians are the most important stakeholders in a student’s life. The teacher and parent/guardian working together are a powerful team!

The best advice from a fellow educator is to “know your students.” A teacher must take the time to know the student’s needs, background, what motivates that student, learning style, and interests. This helps make a strong teacher-student relationship which is so important to our profession.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

This Philadelphia teacher’s lesson for students: ‘History is alive’

2024-09-18T22:05:57+00:00

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Jarryd Hudock engages his students by relating his lessons to their lives. “History is alive,” he said. “It’s not just the past.”

Hudock teaches English and social studies to sixth, seventh, and eighth graders at Samuel Gompers School in Philadelphia. He’s also a student council advisor and a team lead for the middle grades at the K-8 school, part of the School District of Philadelphia.

Courtesy of Jarryd Hudock Jarryd Hudock teaches English and social studies to sixth, seventh, and eighth graders at Samuel Gompers School in Philadelphia.

“It’s almost like being a school dad, for lack of a better term,” he said of his leadership roles. “You’re able to teach life lessons while being able to provide what kids need academically.” In addition, Hudock runs a group that gives boys space to talk about their lives.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Why did you decide to become a teacher?

It really started in high school. I had a 10th grade English teacher who was just incredible. I loved the way she engaged with the class. Everything we did in that class was very inspiring.

I also worked in a classroom supporting autistic students. I think that opened my eyes to the inequities that a lot of students with disabilities face. I learned they really weren’t so different.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach, and why?

Being an English teacher, I have a love for reading. Engaging students in the process of reading a book from start to finish and understanding and enjoying it, that’s really rewarding.

Some of my students have never finished a book. Just having the experience of, “I can do this,” first with support and gradually moving to independence, and having discussions about what they’re reading and making connections to their lives — that’s really rewarding for kids.

I really enjoy providing students with a glimpse into Black history and Black author studies. I teach the Harlem Renaissance, Black Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, and a lot of topics that don’t get covered in textbooks. I spend a lot of time putting together lessons that are relevant to students about what it’s like to be African American in our society.

How do you approach news events in the classroom?

We talk a lot about current events and historical events and making connections to events today.

We talked about the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the anniversary of that day, making the connection to what’s going on in the world now. We had a really dynamic discussion about how the terrorists of 9/11 used Islam as a front and how the pillars of Islam actually forbid exactly what they did, as does Christianity. We worked our way through how, 23 years later, there’s still a lot of Islamophobia in our country.

We also watched a news clip about how a number of firefighters have died after the event, and we talked about the importance of the sacrifices they made for our country and how they should be supported by the government and by people.

What was your own school experience like? How did it affect how you teach?

I had a really solid foundation. My school district had access to a lot of resources and programs.

I went to school in a rural area, so I had that experience. Then I went to college in West Chester, Pennsylvania, so I got the suburban experience, and now I live in Philadelphia. I’m married to a life-long Philadelphian. Seeing the differences in life among those three areas shows how similar we really are. We’re more alike than different.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

The best teachers are those who are the most passionate about what they do, and a lot of that is a 24/7 job where you’re connected to your community. It’s hard to turn it off.

It’s important to have explicit time to shut things down. That means being really organized and strategic about how you’re using your time. I have two kids, and my wife is a teacher at Gompers as well. It can be difficult shutting it off, but we make sure we’re still investing in our kids, going for walks and doing things as a family.

What’s something about teaching that you’d like people to know?

The profession is shifting dramatically, with a lot of veteran teachers starting to retire or just leaving the profession because they’re burned out, and they’re not really being replaced. Younger people are also leaving because they’re burned out. There are a lot of great programs in the city providing people with pathways to become teachers, but the question of who is going to fill the void of these experts leaving the field is really concerning.

This civics teacher wants his students to know: The government is made up of people just like you

2024-09-16T19:26:05+00:00

When Lem Wheeles was 17 years old, he met then President Bill Clinton on the White House steps during a school trip to Washington, D.C. As he shook Clinton’s hand, “It just struck me, like, this is just another dude,” he said. “This is just another human being on the other side of that handshake.”

As a government and history teacher at A.J. Dimond High School in Anchorage, Alaska, Wheeles tries to carry that lesson forward. He wants his students to understand that government is made up of people.

“I think it’s easy for students, and it’s easy for adults as well, to just think of the government as this abstract thing out there that does stuff to them, as opposed to something that they can be a part of,” he said.

Wheeles regularly has elected officials, ambassadors, and others visit his classroom, and he hopes that his students might go on to occupy some of those positions. “I am confident that someday I’ll have a former student in an elected office,” he said. “We want people to step up and be engaged.”

Wheeles is the 2024 high school teacher recipient of the American Civic Education Teacher Award. In addition to teaching AP U.S. History and AP U.S. Government, Wheeles teaches the government class that serves as his district’s graduation requirement, and he is a student government advisor.

Lem Wheeles

Wheeles teaches at the same high school he graduated from. His parents also graduated from Dimond, and so did his older daughter. His younger daughter is a current student. Dimond, Wheeles said, can feel like the community hub of a small town, despite being one of eight neighborhood high schools in the state’s largest city (with a population of about 280,000). The school serves a diverse community with sizable Alaska Native and Asian American populations, and it houses a long-running Japanese immersion program.

Wheeles started out thinking he would pursue engineering, but a dynamic high school history teacher changed his trajectory. He became fascinated with the intricacies of history and government and wanted to help young people develop into leaders ready to participate in society.

Wheeles spoke with Chalkbeat about the coin toss that helps students understand the importance of voting, why he loves to teach about the Electoral College, and the reason he doesn’t make too many changes during a presidential election year.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What drew you to civics?

I remember studying the Constitution in 10th grade and just being fascinated to really understand how our government is organized. And I’m fascinated by the fact that the framers of the Constitution came together under less-than-ideal circumstances when they met in Philadelphia. They’re meeting behind closed doors to avoid a lot of public pressure, but that means they’re meeting in a room for four months in the summer in Philadelphia with no air conditioning and no ventilation really. They’re in these terrible conditions and dealing with a real political crisis. And not only do they manage to come up with anything at all, but the Constitution that they wrote is still in effect today, almost 240 years later.

Young people don’t vote at high rates, and some surveys find young people don’t think voting is as important as other forms of activism. Do you see that in your students and how do you talk to them about the importance of voting?

I don’t encounter it that much, but I really do push them to consider why voting is important and I like to point to some elections that are good examples. We talk about the 2000 presidential election and Florida and how 537 votes out of 6 million votes decided the state of Florida. But even more so, I like to tell them about a State House election here in Alaska in 2006 where it ended up a tie.

I walk them through the whole process of the ceremonial coin toss that decided who was going to be the state representative. And they went to great lengths to have a special coin struck out of gold, because the gold rush in Alaska is so important, and they flipped it onto a seal or an otter pelt on the floor. It was very Alaskana from start to finish. I really hope to show my students how much their vote counts.

To that end, the Electoral College is always a popular topic. Going back to the 2000 election, people talk about Florida and how close it was. I show them the math and point out that just as much as Florida decided the presidential election, Alaska decided the presidential election. If the three votes that George W. Bush won had gone to Al Gore, the numbers flip [and Gore would have been president]. That really piques their fascination and helps them to engage more.

Do you do any things differently during a presidential election year? Are there certain lessons or activities you bring in?

I don’t make a huge amount of change, largely because I don’t want to shortchange the other seven semesters in a four year cycle. But I try to build in time to my lesson plans to talk about current events. I have at times watched portions of debates in class and or assigned that as homework.

I don’t want to spend our time debating the candidates or the issues as much as helping them understand the system and their place in it. When we talk about political beliefs and ideology, I always start off by telling them, “I don’t care what you believe.” And I say it really callously at first, and then follow it up with, what I care about is that you start thinking things through, that you can make up your own mind.

I really try to leave my own beliefs out of any of our conversations. I think that’s the ethical thing to do, and I don’t think that’s the place of the public schools or educators. But I do think it’s my place to open their eyes to the issues that are out there and the role that they have in making our democracy work.

How do you handle political disagreements among your students?

I always try to frame it as, what’s important here is that we have a respectful dialogue and civic discourse, that we hear each other out, we consider each other’s ideas, and at the end of the day, you get to make up your own mind about where you stand. I try to keep us from diving into meaningless, circular, back-and-forth debates.

But I also let the students drive those conversations. I just really caution them to make it about the issue, not about the person you’re talking with.

In online forums or on social media, I see teachers who feel nervous about talking about the election, maybe because of the political environment in their community. Do you have advice for them?

The important thing is to stay grounded within the curricular framework. If you’re a social studies teacher, if you’re a government or civics teacher, to say, “Oh, well, you can’t talk about the election. You can’t talk about politics,” really kind of prevents you from doing your job.

I think the more important thing, though, is to really focus on the process, the way the political system operates. If you want to dive into issues, have the students choose the issues. Let the students do the research and present the different sides.

Maybe the safest way is to take a presidential debate and take the issues that are discussed there because then it’s not you saying, oh, I think we should talk about these issues.

There’s been some debate in civics education about whether we should be focusing on founding documents and how our government works, versus getting students involved in advocacy and activism. How do you balance those things?

I start by giving them the foundation, then moving into the nuts and bolts of: What does government look like today, with the three branches and how they interact and all that? And ultimately, at the end of the semester, we spend time on civic engagement.

I have my students research an issue that’s important to them and write a letter to an elected official of their choice. Now, whether they send that letter or not is up to them. I don’t think it’s my place to force them to do that.

I also have them research: Who would you send this to? And how would you send it? They have to figure out if it’s a state issue, who their state representative or state senator is. If it’s a federal issue, who their congressperson is. If it’s a local issue, which local official and how would you contact them. I really push them to develop those skills so that they can be an engaged citizen in that way.

I also do a project where we do some investigation into our state and local government, and I have them spend some time investigating different services and things that the government provides and how to access those. I have them go to the state of Alaska website, and I want them to wander around a little and maybe get lost and then explore something else. Because someday you’re going to be sitting at home going, gosh, I have this problem. What do I do about it? And I want you to know where to find the answer from your government.

Do you have a favorite lesson?

I really enjoy teaching the Electoral College, just because it is so confusing to so many people and always a question. We look at different ballots from different states. In Alaska, we just put the name of the presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate on there. Some states list the electors on their ballot. Some states say electors pledged to and then candidate’s name. And we talk through how some ways of doing this might be less confusing than others.

With my AP students, when we do the Electoral College, I have them analyze a past presidential election and look at the electoral results and try to figure out why the election turned out the way it did in different regions.

And that’s always pretty fascinating for them to get into the weeds of a presidential election and maybe some presidential election strategy. If you’re advising the candidate, what would you advise? What would the strategy be? Where would you put the money? Where would you put the ad buys?

Erica Meltzer is Chalkbeat’s national editor based in Colorado. Contact Erica at emeltzer@chalkbeat.org.

For this Chicago counselor, fighting the pandemic’s toll on students is hard. Teamwork and restorative practices help.

2024-09-12T22:32:28+00:00

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Counselor Marisa Mathews arrived at Chicago’s Prescott Elementary just as students were returning to the school after pandemic-era remote learning. That meant the former middle school English teacher had to get right to work addressing COVID’s mental health toll on students and a rise in disruptive student behaviors.

She says teamwork has been key — from tackling issues with the school’s new behavioral health and climate teams to working more closely with families. The campus has also bet big on embracing restorative practices, including a push to give students the chance to drive conversations about conflicts and school culture.

This spring, these efforts helped Mathews become the Illinois School Counselor of the Year. The sole counselor working with Prescott’s roughly 400 students, Mathews also recently earned the school a Recognized Model Program designation from the American School Counselor Association.

As a new school year ramps up, Mathews says the work of helping students with heightened social-emotional and mental health needs post-pandemic is still in full swing. But she says she is encouraged to see some improvement — and younger students who were not as intensely affected by COVID’s profound disruption.

What drew you to a career as a school counselor?

I started as a teacher as many school counselors do. When I was teaching, one of the things I noticed a lot was that students would often come up to me with something they just wanted to talk about, and it was often very important to them. But I had an entire classroom of people that I was also working with, and so I was never able to fully dedicate my attention to what that student needed. I realized over time that I would rather be doing that than being in front of the full classroom, so I started to research ways to do that.

When I grew up, we didn’t really have school counselors at the younger grade levels, and at the high school level, it was mostly just help with picking your classes. So it didn’t really occur to me that this was something that I could go into. I ended up going back to grad school to get a school counseling degree.

There has been much discussion of students’ heightened mental health needs post-pandemic and an uptick in disruptive behaviors. Chicago Public Schools has made headway in helping students recover academically, especially in reading. Are we starting to see some social-emotional and mental health recovery as well?

I was just talking to one of our kindergarten teachers today that this year does feel a little bit calmer in terms of behaviors. Students starting kindergarten this year would have been babies during the height of the pandemic. A lot of students who are now coming in did get a chance to go to preschool, which of course changes how they react when they get to school.

I do think we are still having some continuing mental health effects for students; those students who have struggled over the last few years do often continue to struggle. It has not been a quick fix. We are working with families to make sure that whatever we’re doing in school is mirrored at home, and making sure that they’re getting outside supports if what we can provide in school is not enough.

What have you found the most helpful in addressing these heightened needs during the school day?

Having a team of people is really helpful. Most schools in Chicago do not have behavior specialists in the building. We barely have enough school counselors or social workers to handle the case loads we have right now. I have almost double the recommended American School Counselors Association ratio for counselor to students in a building.

Our school and almost all schools in Chicago Public Schools have what’s called a behavioral health team. That’s where teachers, parents, and other school staff can refer students for more intensive support. At our school, that team is made up of myself, our school social worker, a restorative practices coordinator, and administrators. We also are lucky to have a school-based therapist who’s here a couple days a week. She is really great at thinking about different interventions that can be helpful for kids and getting other folks involved, like our school security officer or our clerk. It’s definitely not something that one person has all the answers or has the magic wand.

Was Prescott’s behavioral health team in place when you started at the school, or did the school launch it more recently?

The previous counselor attempted a behavioral health team. CPS now expects schools to have that, and the district provides support in launching that at your school. So my first year, it was just myself, our school social worker, and our assistant principal at the time. We realized that three people were not enough to actually do the work that we needed to do, so we have since expanded the team. A lot of the interventions are done either by me or our school social worker, but it is always great to have other thought partners trying to figure out what can help certain students.

What are other new approaches or techniques you have tried out since COVID?

My first year at Prescott, when we started to see a lot of these behaviors, I noticed the way that we handled discipline at our school. We also started a culture and climate team that same year, which is another CPS initiative. We looked at restorative practices, which is a different way of approaching discipline, but also a mindset for how you work with students. We were able to find the funding to have one of our kindergarten teachers transition into the role of a restorative practices coordinator, and it really has transformed the way we do discipline at our school.

There’s so much more accountability for the students, but it’s not punitive. They know so much more about the why behind their behavior, and then also what happens afterwards. The way that teachers talk to students, and students talk to teachers, and they build relationships, and we hold kids accountable for when they do make mistakes is absolutely having a positive impact on their social, emotional and mental health. They feel like school is a safe place for them.

What has been most effective in embracing restorative practices as a school?

Our restorative practices coordinator has continued to do a lot of professional development with teachers and staff. Every year we also train students to be restorative justice circle keepers. Because I spend more time in classrooms and doing small groups, I’m the one who does that work, which is always really fun. I get to see students take on this new and different leadership role, especially at this point when they have a lot of experience participating in circles and restorative conversations so they feel comfortable going to that next level and leading them.

There is a big push right now to start conversations about what happens after high school much earlier with students, including doing career exploration in middle school. How are you doing that work at Prescott?

In Chicago, having these conversations in middle school connects really well because students apply for high school, and there are so many high school programs that are career and technical education focused. In seventh grade, we start to look at inventorying students’ interests and skills. From there, they can start to see pathways that might be appropriate for them.

Obviously, things change. They are only 12 or 13 years old at that point, but it does allow them to think about, “Oh, I really like math and science, and I’m really good at it. Maybe I should go to a STEM program in high school.” Or, “I’ve always loved going out to eat with my family. Maybe I should consider culinary arts.” This sets them up to see a future for themselves. It doesn’t have to be the future, but it helps to see what could be out there.

I do a vocational card sort with students: They get a huge stack of cards that have a bunch of jobs on them, and they just have to put them into categories — ones they immediately know they like, ones they know they don’t like, and ones they’ve never heard of. This helps them start to make connections between work and the things that they already do.

Mila Koumpilova is Chalkbeat Chicago’s senior reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Mila at mkoumpilova@chalkbeat.org.

Why this Memphis ELA teacher helped his students start a farmer’s market

2024-08-15T21:09:05+00:00

Jeromy Payne’s forebears grew crops in Senatobia, Mississippi, so he always had a link to the land.

Now Payne is using that ancestral connection to teach reading to third graders at John P. Freeman Optional School in Memphis.

The 30-year-old English Language Arts and social studies teacher accomplishes that through project-based learning, or PBL. That means his students develop projects dealing with real-world problems that relate to their studies.

Payne’s students read “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” about a Malawian boy who built a windmill to bring electricity to his village. Electricity enabled his family to pump water to irrigate their farm and end a famine. The book also emphasizes the importance of farming.

The assignment led Payne, who holds a degree in social work from the University of Mississippi and began his career as an education assistant, to help his students develop a farmer’s market. That way, they could see how food is grown — and bring life to the reading lesson.

His work recently earned him the John Larmer Lifelong Learning Award from PBLWorks, a Baltimore-based organization that recognizes teachers for exceptional work in project-based learning.

“I was extremely honored to receive the award,” said Payne, who was among three educators given the honor last month at the PBL World Conference in Napa Valley. “[The ceremony] was touching and warm.”

Freeman principal Key Coleman told Chalkbeat that Payne is a modest man and an inspiring educator.

“He reached out to the local USDA, he reached out to a farmer in Sledge, Mississippi, and we took kids to a restaurant, Belly Acres, where they serve local produce,” Coleman said.

“The kids had been saying that they wanted to get outside more, so we renovated the learning garden. We’re teaching kids to think globally and act locally.”

Payne, who is married and has a 2-year-old son, recently talked to Chalkbeat Tennessee about how he approaches his work.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Your degree is in social work. How did you wind up teaching?

I’d say I was naturally drawn to teaching. I thought I could have more impact if I was a teacher. That’s why I took the opportunity as an education assistant, to see if I was ready for an opportunity to go into the classroom.

Tell me about project-based learning and how you and the students came up with the farmer’s market idea.

Project-based learning is a teaching strategy that allows learning to take place while solving problems in the community. J.B. Freeman offers a specialized program for students who are interested in STEM, project-based learning, and advanced academics.

[The farmer’s market lesson] involved students learning about farm-to-table and understanding where food comes from, because we do know that there is a lack of students and adults who know where food comes from. If you ask a student where food comes from, they’ll say a local grocery store as opposed to what comes along with that, agriculture. Many of them also live in areas where there is food insecurity, where you might have a Dollar General there, or a Kroger there, but that Kroger might not have the same quality of food that a Kroger in another area might have.

How did you make the project happen?

We’ve been able to receive grants and do some great things with our learning garden. We transformed the entire learning garden. Currently as we speak, they are growing some things there and getting some things ready for harvest. Third graders led the effort, but it’s a project that allowed the entire school to be involved.

How did your background in Mississippi influence the project?

I do have a natural love for earth science, even though I am an ELA and social studies teacher. But I’m an outdoor person. I love gardening and being outside. On my father’s side, we actually own land where they cropped, so that they could have food for themselves. So I do have that natural background.

So far, what is your greatest accomplishment as a teacher?

Bringing experts into the building, seeing the growth of students over time, seeing them develop, and understanding that all children are different and learn differently — and using that for their benefit and not for mine.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Teaching is a calling, and we should treat it as such. Your heart must be involved.

How do you spend your spare time?

I can be a recluse, but I like the outdoors. I like exercising outdoors and I like cycling. If you see me doing something, it’ll likely be something outdoors.

Tonyaa Weathersbee is the former bureau chief for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach her at tonyaaweathersbee@yahoo.com.

For this Colorado history teacher, patriotism comes out in classroom lessons

2024-08-14T19:11:14+00:00

Jasmine Baker says she’s probably the biggest patriot she knows.

“My patriotism isn’t found in an exuberant flag collection, or how many times I type ‘Merica’ in online debates,” she said. “The truth is, I don’t engage in either one of those activities.”

Instead, Baker teaches eighth grade U.S. history at Mrachek Middle School in Aurora, Colorado. There, she seeks to help students understand the nation’s founding, the vision that drove it, and the work that still needs to be done to realize its ideals.

Baker recently won a James Madison Fellowship from the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia. She’ll use the award, which pays for graduate coursework, to work toward her master’s degree in political science at the University of Colorado Denver and take a summer course on American Constitutionalism at Georgetown University.

Jasmine Baker

Baker talked to Chalkbeat about how her time in the Air Force influenced her approach to teaching, why an annual scavenger hunt gives her hope, and what she does to get students excited about the Declaration of Independence.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

By the time I was in eighth grade, I knew I would be a social studies teacher. My eighth grade geography teacher, Mr. Granger, would allow me to complete the daily geography question by standing in front of the class and calling on other students to help me answer the prompt. I’m sure it was super annoying for the other students, but no one volunteered, and I was highly engaged in class. That year, I realized I could hold my own while teaching eighth graders.

How did your experience in the military influence your approach to teaching?

One of the Air Force’s core values is “excellence in all we do.” This value encourages me to rise to challenges in my profession diligently. I have a high standard for myself because I know I can — and do — excel in my profession. This leads me to have high expectations for my students because, with the proper support, they can rise, engage, and learn at a high level.

Tell us about a favorite lesson to teach. Where did the idea come from?

I thoroughly enjoy it when my students analyze the Declaration of Independence. The lesson starts with an engaging hook — a modern-day breakup letter the students believe is from one of their peers. It really draws the students in because who doesn’t like drama? The letter mirrors sections of the Declaration of Independence and is simply signed “A.C.”

I have to sell the letter and stay mum as they try to figure out which one of their classmates wrote it. Finally, I reveal the letter is from the American Colonists (A.C.). The students are so angry, but I’m able to channel that energy and excitement into processing the actual document. The magic is in the brilliance of the document and students realizing we have work to do to make those ideas actualized for all Americans.

What prompted your interest in the James Madison Fellowship and your desire to further study the Constitution and the nation’s founding.

I firmly believe that America has the potential to live up to who and what we claim to be, and those ideals are in our founding documents. After studying Americans’ behavior patterns and overall civic engagement, there’s concern for the democratic republic. One of the best ways to rectify an issue is through education. The James Madison Foundation provides a fantastic opportunity for teachers to deepen their understanding, craft, and skills so that we can better prepare the future of America — our students.

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective or approach.

Sometimes I feel frustrated by what I perceive as a lack of family engagement. However, every year that I have hosted the eighth grade Downtown Denver Scavenger Hunt, 25 to 35 parents come in to help us.

During the hunt, students are required to take at least one professional tour at History Colorado, Colorado Supreme Court, Colorado State Capitol, Denver Mint, Denver Art Museum, or Union Station. They must also find institutions, artifacts, individuals (we’ve met a couple of state representatives) that are instrumental in spreading culture and ideas, and in the administrative running of our society. Everything is worth points, so there is a winning team.

Family life for many of my students is complex, and there are barriers that parents have to overcome. So when that frustration creeps in, I remind myself of how parents in the community show up when I ask them to guide a group of four students around Denver.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on in your classroom?

The classroom is a microcosm of several communities. Their strengths appear in the classroom, as do the challenges. The strengths are diversity and support. We have students who are refugees and others who are new arrivals to American customs and culture, so it’s humbling to watch them show each other how to use Chromebooks and navigate classroom tools.

Although the community has many strengths, there is a lack of resources. Parents work hard, but sometimes they battle economic hardships. There’s a lack of a strong support system or “village” to help meet the needs of families. Also, there are unprecedented youth mental health struggles parents have to navigate.

What are you reading for enjoyment?

At the moment, I’m loving Manisha Sinha’s ”The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic.” She places Reconstruction from 1860-1920, which includes women’s suffrage. Like, duh! It totally makes sense, whereas most historians end Reconstruction around 1877 or so. Sinha lays out several points that illustrate how different sections of society attempted to rebuild America during and after the Civil War with the aim of what W.E.B. De Bois called “abolition democracy.”

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

From Brooklyn to Ghana: Why this Brownsville English teacher takes his students across the globe

2024-08-14T00:59:35+00:00

Bijoun Eric Jordan took a gap year abroad after finishing college in 2003, teaching English as a second language in Madrid and Barcelona.

It’s an experience he continues to hold onto, and it has shaped his approach at Frederick Douglass Academy VII High School, in Brownsville, Brooklyn, where’s taught English the past 17 years.

Jordan makes sure his students get a chance to travel — and not just to museums across New York City. His students travel around the globe. In 2016, Jordan took his students to Spain. He followed with trips to Japan, South Africa, and Hawaii. Later this month, he’s taking students to Ghana. They plan to spend 10 days in the capital city of Accra and the surrounding areas.

“The 14 scholars and four chaperones in our group are all of African descent; we are following our roots back to where they lead us,” Jordan said. “For anyone who hasn’t heard of the Ghanaian principle of sankofa, this is it! It means ‘go back and get it,’ or that by going and exploring our heritage, we receive knowledge that will guide us forward.”

Jordan, who teaches AP English Literature and Composition as well as English to juniors, said that making his school’s ”Brownsville Abroad” happen is no simple feat in Brooklyn’s highest-poverty neighborhood.

Families pay a portion of the cost of travel, usually about 15%, and the program fundraises to cover the rest. The students have raised money by organizing a car wash, an art auction, and a 5K run in Prospect Park, and by selling soda, water, and ice cream. They’ve crowdfunded and partnered with organizations like Birthright AFRICA and Boys and Girls’ Elbaum Family Clubhouse. (Their travel fund is at gofundme.com/Brownsville-to-Ghana.)

But the experience is priceless.

“I say, even as an English teacher, that there are some things we just can’t learn inside books or in the walls of a classroom. There’s a way that you walk differently when you have certain experiences behind or within you,” Jordan said about why he prioritizes travel for his students. “There are areas where you just know better or won’t fall for lies and deception because of what you have seen with your own eyes.”

Frederick Douglass Academy VII High School students at the Long March to Freedom Memorial, Cape Town, South Africa, 2019.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I’m really not sure because it was a very early decision, by the time I was in middle school. I mostly enjoyed school, especially the classroom itself as a theater of discovery and a forum. I’ve always loved that part.

And I’ve been fortunate to have had many great teachers who made it look rewarding, and so it just made sense to select a career where I can work with young people all the time, who are never boring, and everything we are doing is setting the stage for so much.

It’s a hell of a privilege, really.

Tell us about the upcoming trip to Ghana? Why are you taking students there?

This journey is going to change how our scholars see themselves, Africa, the world, everything. I expect to see a new kind of pride in them.

Our scholars will have the chance to receive an official Ghanaian name based on their lineage, go to school for a day, attend the Chale Wote Arts Festival and help create a mural, visit the necessary museums and memorials to learn history, and witness places where our ancestors were enslaved. They will also visit an Afrobeats studio and compose an original piece. And there will be more, of course.

There are rich, transformative, and sometimes challenging experiences we are inviting our scholars into, but the biggest point of it all is for them to see what Ghana was and is through their own eyes.

More people in the African diaspora now have the privilege — and I believe, the responsibility — to return “home” in any way we can and to spread true knowledge of home to our young people. Brownsville Abroad is our access at this point, right now.

I’m clear that this trip represents a homegoing, and I’m told that’s how Ghanaians operate, so this will be a really meaningful journey.

How have you been preparing the students for the trip? What’s been your favorite lesson to teach in advance of the trip?

We are an after-school club that meets once a week for part of the year, and that is where we plan all our activities and fundraisers as well as some time for studying and finding out what our scholars want to know and do.

Students who are planning to go to Ghana at the "So They Can Fly" car wash on July 14, 2023, which raised $1,011 for their travel fund.

My favorite prep activity would have to be our visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Our Ghana scholars had time to begin to explore and process quite a lot of history, but in a way more immersive and interactive way than what we could present in the building.

I loved that students were able to find out about so many topics and time periods, but they observed the color and creativity of Black culture as much as anything else.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

Although I have always had a thirst for knowledge and a healthy dose of curiosity, I also had a few moments of invisibility in the classroom. There was once when my junior English teacher, one of my favorites, somehow recommended me for the lower-level senior English class. When I found out, I told him I actually had my eye on AP Lit. He told me I would have to convince the teacher, whom I chase-talked to on his way somewhere. I got in and did well, and it taught me to speak up and not be overlooked.

Sometimes I share that story with students to help teach initiative, but how I use it as a teacher is a reminder that even in a small school like mine with about 300 scholars, people can become invisible to others at times. I watch for when someone might feel like an underdog. I watch for the quietly talented kid. They have gems inside them.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom (or your school)?

Brownsville has a reputation for poverty and violence, so much that what people imagine is not what it’s actually like. Like, people are surprised sometimes when they find out we aren’t a scanning school with the metal detectors when you enter.

As far as Brownsville Abroad, you really can see that opportunities like these are unusual. Parents might sometimes bring a higher level of protectiveness that I get as a father of two, but it might come from all this being so new and so unknown. And then they get to witness their child’s exploration of a place that might have been a mystery before. So that’s rewarding, too.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

“The trouble is, you think you have time.” Whether the Buddha said that or someone else, it is the truest statement I’ve ever heard. There never will be a better time to start that thing than now. I focus on what I can do that is large, meaningful, and a gift to others.

Amy Zimmer is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat New York. Contact Amy at azimmer@chalkbeat.org.

This college advisor expands possibilities for vulnerable students at the high school she attended

2024-07-18T00:00:23+00:00

When Alicia Alvarez first stepped through the doors of her office at Western International High School five years ago, it was “a full circle moment.”

The college transition advisor already knew the school intimately.

This spring marked 10 years since Alvarez graduated from the same school where she works today. At Western, she is building a college-going culture. That means supporting young people each step of the way — from showing them which colleges are out there to helping them navigate the application and decision processes. Her work is vital in a city where fewer than 20% of residents hold college degrees, yet she is among only a handful of college advisors left in Detroit public schools after budget cuts last year.

Alvarez is clear-eyed about this massive undertaking.

Removing the barriers that stand in the way of underserved students who want a college education is a constant challenge. This year, the rocky rollout of the new federal financial aid application, or FAFSA, presented huge obstacles for many of the young people she works with.

Alvarez said some students, like those coming from mixed immigration status households, had to wait months to submit the form. (One of the initial glitches prevented students whose parents do not have a social security number from completing the application.) Amid the complications and delays, some gave up on the process altogether.

“Some students got discouraged and were just like, ‘You know what, like, maybe this isn’t for me,’” Alvarez said.

Nearly three-quarters of students at Western are Latino or Hispanic, and many of the young people Alvarez works with are newcomers to the United States. Often, she said, they come from Central America, where they have witnessed violence and death along their paths to the U.S. She has become a confidante to many of these young people.

The school of more than 1,900 students is the home of a newcomer program initiative that Detroit Public Schools Community District plans to expand in the fall. School leaders launched the program a few years ago in response to a growing number of newly arrived students enrolling at Western.

This year alone, Alvarez estimated that about 20% of the students she worked with were new to the U.S. It is a student population that Alvarez knows well. She began working with newcomers during her first teaching job at a charter school in Detroit.

“They’re the most ambitious, dedicated students that I ever worked with,” she said.

Chalkbeat spoke with Alvarez about working with vulnerable young people, what it’s like to walk the same hallways she once navigated as a student, and how her experience as a first-generation college student impacts her college guidance work.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Could you talk about your time as a student at Western and how it informs the way you help students today?

The fact that I was a student here not too long ago just makes me relate to the kids a little bit more because I know the struggles they go through. Most of them relate to or look like me. When I tell them, yeah, I graduated exactly 10 years ago, it just makes them more comfortable. I was in their same exact shoes, and it’s just really nice to be back.

Some of the staff that was here when I was a student still work here. [Angel Garcia], the principal here, was my teacher when I was in 10th grade, so that just makes the relationship a lot stronger.

And I just know the obstacles and challenges that [our] students have to go through. So when it comes to different opportunities [and] scholarships, I know which ones they qualify for. Instead of them just going online and researching scholarships that are open to the whole country, I can narrow it down. That’s my approach. I make them believe in themselves. Most of them are first-generation. And I was a first-generation student, so I can relate with them. I just want to be that support that they need.

Could you talk more about how you approach helping vulnerable students?

This year alone, I’ve had a lot of newcomers, and most of them have been here for less than a year. And they are very vulnerable. It’s frustrating that the system is obviously not made for them, but I’ve been able to help them.

There’s been a lot of challenges when it comes to FAFSA, and a lot of them don’t qualify for [federal] financial aid, or scholarships. Despite all the challenges, they still want to go to college, so we just have been working hard. Most of them are really realistic and understand, OK, I don’t have a Social Security Number — am I still able to go to college? What’s going to happen after college? Am I going to be able to get a job? All that is uncertain, right? Because things can change, laws can change, we never know.

But I feel like we can’t take the American Dream or having a college degree or college education away from them. I think getting an education is never a waste of time. It can open so many doors.

Most of them are very hesitant, like, “Do you think I’ll be successful in college? I don’t know the language.” But like I told them, if you try it out and it’s something that doesn’t work out for you, at least you can say, I tried. A lot of schools do have ESL support for students, so there are opportunities and resources available.

What do you want people to know about the challenges this year with FAFSA and how they affected your students?

It was extremely challenging this year, to say the least. Seniors’ last day [of school] was May 17 — and most of them had still not had their FAFSAs processed. And based on that, they weren’t able to make any decisions. A lot of students got discouraged because of all the challenges [and] not being able to submit their application.

But all I want to say is, even if you are undocumented, or your parents are undocumented, that shouldn’t stop you. Yes, it might be challenging, but you should still be able to get the financial support that you need to make college a possibility for you.

(Find some resources for filling out the FAFSA here.)

Can you think of an experience working with students that’s really stuck with you or changed the way you approach your work as a college transition advisor?

A lot of students have told me this year that if it wasn’t for me taking them on a college field trip, they would have never applied to that school or gone to college. And that just makes my job worth it, right? Even those students who might not consider college at the end of the year should be exposed to college, right? And I had so many students that just needed that support. So they weren’t thinking about college or applying for scholarships or anything, and then towards the end of the year, they committed to a school.

You are a first-generation college graduate. How did you know that going to college was something you wanted to do?

My dad has a sixth grade education. But despite that, he’s always been very strict about school. My mom has some college. She didn’t graduate, but she went to Michigan State University for [about] a year and a half. School was always something that they pushed. Now my parents have four college graduates — we all have college degrees. My older sister has a master’s, and I’m currently in grad school myself.

Robyn Vincent is a reporter for Chalkbeat Detroit, covering Detroit schools and Michigan education policy. You can reach her at rvincent@chalkbeat.org.

A 500-plant wall, a 400-gallon aquaponic system: This Brooklyn teacher creates ‘living laboratories’

2024-07-16T18:25:14+00:00

In the hallway just outside of Dr. Elisa Margarita’s lab at Brooklyn Tech sits an old 20-by-4-foot trophy case that she transformed into a living plant wall.

The nearly 500 plants that grow there are not only visually appealing, but they also help clean the air and provide students with ample learning opportunities. One student’s scientific paper on the plant wall is about to be published in the Journal of Emerging Investigators, which features the work of middle and high school scientists.

“Students, regardless of whether they are in my classes, are drawn to the plants,” Margarita said. “They research the best plants for the wall, test different soils, and take care of the plants.”

A look at the plant wall at Brooklyn Tech in progress.

Margarita’s living laboratories have made her one of the most celebrated teachers at one of the most celebrated New York City high schools. Brooklyn Tech is also the nation’s largest high school, with roughly 6,000 students.

Margarita became a teacher about two decades ago, after working as a chiropractor for 10 years. She’s been at Brooklyn Tech since 2011, teaching AP Environmental Science as well as Scientific Research. She’s won an array of prestigious awards, including Math for America’s 2024 Muller Award for Professional Influence in Education, which comes with $20,000 for the winning teacher and $5,000 for their school. In 2022, she received the Sloan Award for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics, for which winners receive $5,000 and their school receives $2,500.

Since 2015, Margarita has worked with Harvard Forest, collaborating with scientists on hands-on climate change research. As part of a nearly 40-year large-scale study, she and her students have been collecting and crowdsourcing data on nine trees in Fort Greene Park, exploring how climate change affects the urban forest’s growing season. She has also worked with Harvard Forest on a “Witness Tree Project,” where data from a tree equipped with social media and real-time data sensors is made accessible in classrooms, allowing students to observe the impacts of flash floods and droughts.

Margarita’s own school experience was largely lecture-based — a style she did not want to replicate.

“A few remarkable teachers stood out by being passionate about their topic area and engaging students beyond lectures. Their impact on me inspired my teaching approach,” she said. “I often ask myself if I would want to sit in my class and think about how I want my own children to experience school.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I first considered teaching in the mid-1980s, but I was also committed to the healthcare field. I put the idea of teaching on hold for about a decade, but when an opportunity to teach came up in the early 2000s, I took it and never looked back.

You turn your AP Environmental Science and Science Research classrooms into “living laboratories.” What does that mean? What does that look like?

Inside the lab, we have a trout tank where we study biodiversity, watersheds, and water quality from the moment we receive the trout eggs until we release the fingerling trout in the spring upstate.

Students also built and maintained a miniature ecosystem for three months, tracing the cycling of materials. The lab features “Big,” a 400-gallon aquaponic system mimicking a riparian zone, and a 50-gallon bog representing New York City’s pre-paved conditions, featuring marsh plants like the purple pitcherplant. We also have a pond where the water has never been changed and has no man-made filter yet continually tests pristine because the plants are doing all the cleaning.

We extend learning to Fort Greene Park, Greene Community Garden, and the school building itself. We conduct soil, water, and air quality samples inside and outside the building, assess biodiversity in Fort Greene Park, and study the impact of climate change on urban trees. We house a variety of organisms, like a snake, gecko, stick bugs, and guinea pigs, to further engage students in real-world science.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

I love teaching the lichen air quality survey lesson. We go outside to examine the lichen [a combination of fungi and algae] on street trees. Lichen are biological indicators of air quality, so by surveying and analyzing them, we can determine air quality and compare our findings with government air monitor readings in real-time.

In terms of climate change, what’s something happening in the community or world that affects or shapes what goes on inside your classroom?

Air quality has been a major issue, especially with the recent wildfires from the north affecting New York City.

Students are interested in the quality of both indoor and outdoor air and how it affects biodiversity and quality of life. We conduct indoor and outdoor air quality tests, focusing on ozone levels and particulate matter.

Another major concern is the urban heat island effect and its impact on vulnerable communities. We study tree cover maps, assess city trees, and relate canopy cover and temperature readings to these topics.

How and why do you connect your students to professional organizations for real-world experience?

When I started teaching AP Environmental Science in 2014, I sought opportunities for my students to realize they can have a voice and a possible career in the environmental field.

One notable instance was when I reached out to one of my vetted resources [through the Science Council of New York City, where Margarita is a former board member] to see if they could use an intern. They had never done this before but agreed to try it out. That student stayed with the organization throughout high school and college and eventually wrote the proposal to turn Ridgewood Reservoir in Queens into a protected site.

I continued to network and develop relationships with city and environmental agencies, always asking if they had internship programs or could take volunteers. I placed students with organizations like NYC H2O, Trees NY, Greene Community Garden, and Brooklyn Queens Land Trust. In 2017, I became a member of the Brooklyn Greene Community Garden, and in the summer of 2018, I co-started the Greene Garden summer internship program with Kate Gehring. Networking with individuals involved in environmental stewardship keeps me updated on student opportunities.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

“You never know when you will need someone, so treat everyone with kindness.” I always try to see the good in people and maintain strong relationships with friends and colleagues.

Amy Zimmer is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat New York. Contact Amy at azimmer@chalkbeat.org.

This Indiana educator created a literary journal for Indiana teens. Here’s why.

2024-07-15T11:00:00+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

Once Ben Boruff decided to try teaching, he never looked back.

Now, he’s been teaching for 11 years, five of those at Munster High School in northwest Indiana.

An English and creative writing teacher who works mostly with juniors and seniors, Boruff also is the sponsor of multiple student clubs, including one focused on poetry and another on Dungeons & Dragons.

Every time a student asks him to help with a club, Boruff sees it as an honor. Plus, it gives him a chance to build rapport with students and create welcoming spaces where teens feel like they belong.

That’s also why he founded and edits Perspicacity Magazine, an online literary journal featuring the work of high schoolers across Indiana.

“If all Perspicacity Magazine manages to accomplish is to help some students feel a deeper appreciation for their talents, it’s worth it,” Boruff said of the year-old magazine, which publishes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

In a recent interview with Chalkbeat, he shared more about the magazine, told us about his favorite lesson to teach, and explained why you should choose your words intentionally.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I decided to become a teacher during my senior year of high school. I was initially going to study English in college, but I had some opportunities to work with a few younger students that year. I enjoyed it, and a friend suggested that I try education. I did, and it stuck. I figured that I’d change my major if, at any point, education didn’t feel right. But it just clicked.

Now, I cannot imagine myself doing anything else. Even amid the chaos of the education-focused culture war right now, I still love my job. Sometimes, I wonder what my life would be like if I wasn’t a teacher. It would undoubtedly be less stressful — probably a lot less stressful — but it wouldn’t feel complete.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

My favorite creative writing lesson involves the hero’s journey. I teach my students about the different iterations of the archetypal hero’s journey: from Joseph Campbell to Christopher Vogler to Dan Harmon. We talk about symbolic, situational, and character archetypes.

In other words, we learn all about the patterns that exist in storytelling. Then I tell my students to “flip” an archetype. Their challenge is to write a story in which they somehow change, alter, subvert, or rework an archetype. Intentionally disrupt a pattern. Make something wholly original. It’s a difficult assignment, but students have made some remarkable things.

What is Perspicacity Magazine, and what led you to start it?

Perspicacity Magazine is a new online literary journal that features creative works from high school students in Indiana. Perspicacity was created to nurture authenticity and empower young writers.

I believe every single student has the ability to create great art.

These lines are at the top of Perspicacity Magazine’s Submissions page: “Here at Perspicacity Magazine, we believe that authenticity and depth of thought are the best conduits of great art. We encourage writers to dig deep and explore the relatively untouched niches and jagged edges of experience. Be bold. Dive deep.”

Why a literary journal?

A literary journal provides an opportunity for students to showcase their works beyond the walls of their classroom. It is one thing to write a poem or a short story and share it with your teacher or your classmates. It’s another thing entirely to write a poem or a short story and submit it for publication for all to see.

I believe that all creative writing requires both strength and vulnerability: regardless of the work, you are putting a piece of yourself onto a page. That’s brave. Then to take that work and share it with a wide audience — that’s exceptionally brave. You are essentially saying that you feel that others could benefit from interacting with your experience. In most cases, that is undoubtedly true.

Why open the magazine to students from across the state?

Indiana has a rich literary tradition. We’re the proud home of Kurt Vonnegut, James Whitcomb Riley, Mari Evans, John Green, and more. Roxane Gay taught at Purdue, and the Indiana Writers Center has been helping Hoosier writers for decades. There was even a nationally recognized Golden Age of Indiana Literature [in the late 19th and early 20th centuries].

But like many places in the U.S. right now, that literary tradition is often overshadowed by obsessive escapism and doomscrolling. The issue is not that students today do not want to express themselves. My experience tells me that students desperately want to express themselves, but they sometimes lack the drive, the knowledge, or the opportunity to do so.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

One of my mentors and former high school teachers, Pam Fischer, told me to speak intentionally because you never know what people will remember. She told me that former students have returned 10 years after high school and reminisced about things she said that she had long since forgotten.

My experience has confirmed this: Students — and people in general — remember details of conversations that I don’t. We don’t have control over how our words will impact others. This is both inspiring and sort of terrifying.

I try to speak intentionally as a teacher, and I encourage my students to speak and write intentionally. Even if we can’t see it — and we almost never do — our words and actions have a ripple effect on those around us. No comment exists in a vacuum.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

Not as good as I should. I’ve always found it difficult to truly detach from thoughts of teaching while I’m away from my classroom. It’s not a switch I can easily turn off. Teaching’s a tricky thing because there is always something you can do better. You’re never “done.” I believe that being great at something requires at least a bit of obsessiveness, so I’ve accepted my one-sided work-life balance.

But more to the point, I enjoy spending time with friends and family. I review indie comics for a couple of websites, and like to see film and art whenever I can.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Illinois’ Teacher of the Year felt like an outsider growing up. Decades on, she wants her students to know they belong.

2024-06-17T21:22:17+00:00

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Fourth and fifth grade teacher Rachael Mahmood wants to ensure all her students feel like they belong. That’s why she works hard to incorporate their identities, cultures, interests, and histories into her lesson plans and assignments.

Mahmood, who has taught at Indian Prairie CUSD 204 for the past 19 years, was recently named the Illinois Teacher of the Year for 2024. The Illinois State Board of Education, which gave out the award, said in a press release that Mahmood has “a passion for designing curriculum that affirms students’ identities” and fosters their love of school. That has been a mission for her ever since she was a young student. (Indian Prairie CUSD 204 serves students in some of Chicago’s southwest suburbs.)

Growing up in Downers Grove, a predominately white suburb west of Chicago, Mahmood was often one of the few students of color in the classroom. She spent her early years feeling like an outsider. Now, she has curated a classroom where students know that they are welcome and are a part of a community.

Mahmood said she was shocked and pleasantly surprised to learn she had been named Teacher of the Year. In an interview with Chalkbeat Chicago, Mahmood said that these awards and recognitions remind educators that they are doing good work in the classroom.

“You have to be intentional in telling people that they belong and recognizing the contributions they can share in a classroom, to your school, and to the greater good of children,” she said.

Chalkbeat Chicago spoke to Mahmood about why she became a teacher (despite pressure to go to medical school), her favorite lesson to teach, and the lengths she goes to make all her students feel a sense of belonging.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What were your experiences like at school?

My mom is a Russian Jew and my dad’s an Indian Hindu. I grew up in Downers Grove and I was one of very few minority students in my classroom — sometimes the only student of color in my class and the only non-Christian student. As I was growing up, I never saw representations of myself in the curriculum or teachers. We didn’t celebrate holidays or the contributions of my culture to American history. I really struggled with issues of belonging in school and feeling like I was normal.

You had a very isolating experience as a student, why did you want to be a teacher?

I liked to go to school. I liked to learn. I was good at school. I knew I wanted to be a teacher. My dad told me that if I became a doctor — both my parents were physicians — that he would buy me a brand-new car. I was so adamant to become a teacher, and I would always tell him. He said one day, “If you become a teacher, I’ll buy you a bicycle.” I still went into education.

When did you figure out what kind of teacher you wanted to be for your students?

I remember sitting in my college class and learning about multicultural education. It is a pedagogy that’s been around since the 1960s, and it’s all about affirming students’ cultures and identities in the classroom. I was thinking, “Why didn’t I have teachers who did this for me?” If I would have felt like I was normal and that I belonged growing up, that would have changed my whole upbringing as a student and my sense of identity as a young person. I vowed to be the teacher who normalizes diversity.

As a teacher for almost 20 years, how do you affirm your students’ culture and their identities?

First, I observe my students. I learn about their cultural backgrounds and what interests them. Then I try to create lessons that bring all of that in. For example, I have Filipino, Mexican, and Pakistani students in my class, so when I give a lesson on the Civil Rights Era in America, I talk about civil rights in terms of those cultures, [too]. Next, I’ll bring in students’ interests and talents into the classroom. I let students show what they know about graphic design through posters. I have students that are very tech-savvy, so I’ll ask them to design movies or slideshows.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

I like teaching things that are relevant now, so it changes every year. This year, my students read this book called “Inside Out and Back Again” [by Thanhhà Lai], which is about a Vietnamese girl who comes to America as a refugee during the Vietnam War.

During class, we talked about the Vietnam War … and about the experiences of refugees. For an assignment, my students were asked to pack their bags as if they were leaving home tonight and they brought them to school and gave mini speeches on what they brought. I had a dad who was a Vietnamese refugee come and speak to the kids.

How do you approach news events in your classroom?

Personally, I just let the kids lead. The kids come in, and they have a lot of questions about the world around them all the time. I don’t have to be the person who has information, but I can help them find information and have meaningful discussions.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

The best advice I have gotten is “whatever you focus on expands.” If you focus on looking for the negative in your students, with your colleagues, and about your administration and policies, you will find plenty of that. But if you choose to focus on the positives, see the gifts your kids bring to school, see the talents of your colleagues, and see the strength of your administrators, you will also find plenty of that. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t things that we need to fix in education, but we can come at those things with an asset-based lens. Plus, focusing on the positive will make you happier.

What’s one thing you’ve read that has made you a better educator?

I think the first book I read that made me kind of see the type of teacher I wanted to be was “Dream Keepers’' by Gloria Ladson-Billings. It was portraits of teachers who are culturally responsive and how they act in the class in a way that supports students. I remember reading the book and being like, ‘Oh my gosh, those teachers seem so much like me.’

This Newark educator missed out on support as a new immigrant. Years on, she became the teacher she needed.

2024-06-17T21:05:34+00:00

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For Lina Zapata, becoming a teacher was an early calling that stemmed from her own struggles learning English in New York schools.

A Colombian native, Zapata immigrated to the United States with her mom when she was 12. She remembers the challenges they faced in navigating the public school system, often without needed support. But those experiences have shaped Zapata into the kind of teacher she needed when she was young.

“I always think of what those teachers in my teenage years could have done to support me better and guide me,” Zapata said.

She started her teaching career at 24, and for the past 20 years, she has helped hundreds of students learn Spanish and appreciate Latino culture. Today, she teaches Spanish for Heritage Learners and AP Spanish Language and Culture, in addition to leading the Spanish department at North Star Academy’s Washington Park High School. There, she encourages students to embrace their differences and understand others, too. Zapata’s students have said her classroom feels like a home, especially for Latino students who look up to her because of her experience as an English language learner.

The Spanish teacher says she’s learned to be a warm teacher while holding her students to high expectations. In her classroom, she encourages joyful moments with her students and created an exercise called “Factor Alegria,” or “Joy Factor,” where students engage in quick joyful moments that allow them to discuss a deep question, play a fun game, or share something about themselves that brings them joy.

Zapata also believes it’s important to give back to the community. Since 2007, she has taken dozens of Washington Park students on volunteer trips to Ecuador, Argentina, Peru, Costa Rica, and Colombia. She not only wants her students to succeed, she also wants to leave a lasting impression on their lives and future.

“I want to create a different experience for my students and let them know they, too, can succeed, learn, and find a purpose in life they will love. I want my students to know I am a tool and resource in their education,” Zapata said.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Lina Zapata teaches AP Spanish Language and Culture and chairs the Spanish department chair at North Star Academy's Washington Park High School.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

In my AP Spanish Language and Culture class, I love teaching the theme of beauty and aesthetics because it allows us to dive into a topic that is relevant to teenagers. We learn about different viewpoints and standards of beauty set by different cultures, as well as about self-esteem and [other] topics they can really relate to. In my [Spanish for Heritage Learners] class, I love to teach them the immigration unit and engage them in their end-of-year project, where they retell the story of an immigrant. It is an opportunity to educate students on immigrant stereotypes and teach them from a place of empathy. We recognize that everyone has a different path and we can embrace and respect those differences. It is meant to empower students to educate others in their life about what immigration means.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom?

My students are often bombarded by negative images of the immigrant community on TV and social media, so I really try to celebrate each other for who we are — our individual, personal, and academic accomplishments. I create a space of trust and comfort. I teach my students to respect each other and celebrate their differences.

How do you approach news events in your classroom?

News events are very important in my classes, particularly in my AP Spanish Language and Culture, where I want my students to learn more about the Spanish-speaking world and events that take place there. I play podcasts, often from Radio Ambulante, a Spanish-language podcast produced by NPR that focuses on stories from Latin America. It allows students to hear real-life stories and broaden their knowledge of issues abroad. On Fridays, we have a time called “Una Noticia Interesante,” or “Interesting News,” where students can investigate a story of interest to them and write a short summary. They present the story to their peers to educate them about the world around us. During final projects, students create a short newscast video where they report real news from their own perspective. One aspect I also like to ensure my students are aware of is community, whether local or global, and how they can make a difference and get involved.

I have also had the unique opportunity to plan and lead end of year expeditions to various Spanish-speaking countries where students are connected to either a local rural school, a senior citizen center, or a children’s orphanage, and there they are able to connect with that community and give back to them. This year, I had the privilege of taking 12 students to Bogota, Colombia where they interacted with the community and children at the Fundación María Madre de Los Niños.This opportunity truly gives them that real-life experience and connection to a global community. It is a way to expand their knowledge of the world beyond the headlines as well!

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

I have received many great pieces of advice that I have implemented, but one that stands out to me is always having in mind the different intelligences that our students have. One type of intelligence does not describe all students; therefore, we need to educate from a perspective of reaching all learners and making sure we are giving them opportunities to shine in their own way. This is exactly why my classes have many different learning techniques, and I try to teach through various activities.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

I try to use my time well and maximize my work time in school so I minimize work at home. I have learned that, as much as possible, those two lives have to stay separate in order for me to be a happy and focused teacher who gives my all to my students and can do the same at home with my husband and children.

I love spending time with my two children and my husband. My son has autism and requires a lot of me. My daughter competes as an acro gymnast, and we have to travel a lot. I like to make sure that I can be there for both my children and focus on them when I am home. I also take care of myself by doing activities that bring me joy, like painting, crafting clothes and styling, reading, and recently making videos for my new YouTube channel where I help people learn Spanish.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

This award-winning Philly principal says the key to his success was the support he received

2024-06-05T20:59:19+00:00

For Bahir Hayes, a homegrown Philadelphia principal at William C. Bryant School, names mean everything.

Hayes can recall the name of the teacher he assisted years ago as a student teacher at Robert Lamberton Elementary School (Ms. Dougherty). He remembers his first assistant principal back when he worked for the Mastery Charter school network (Ms. Murphy), the names of the kids in his first class, and the names of every district official who has lifted him up or inspired him to stay in the profession over the past 13 years.

“I believe in acknowledging people that help you along the way,” Hayes said.

But there’s one person whose name is still a mystery to Hayes.

When he was in college at Bloomsburg University, Hayes was struggling academically and was told he may have to return to his family home in Philly during the spring semester of his senior year.

“In my head, I’m like, I can’t go back home for eight months. People were dying around me, people were being shot, killed, arrested,” Hayes said. “Me being home in Philly for that long was almost like a death sentence. I didn’t know what to do.”

A young woman saw how emotional Hayes was and made a phone call to a school official. Soon after, the dean of the college called Hayes and said he was allowed to return for the spring semester.

Hayes said he never found out that young woman’s name, but he’s never forgotten what it feels like to have someone go out of their way to advocate for you.

Now, he wants to do the same for his students and staff at Bryant, an elementary school and community that’s experienced decades of significant trauma. One leadership strategy he’s poured his energy into is known as Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. This method focuses on reinforcing good student behavior through rewards like a trip to the school store or time spent in the school’s video game lounge.

Hayes is one of seven winners of the 2024 Lindback Award for Principal Leadership this year. He spoke with Chalkbeat about his journey into education and what he hopes to impart to any young people looking to achieve success in Philadelphia.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Bahir Hayes is principal at William C. Bryant School in Philadelphia

What inspired you to get into teaching and school leadership?

When I was in 12th grade, two of my little cousins’ fathers were murdered. I had built a very strong relationship with them. I’d pick them up from day care and drop them off. At this point, I was just in high school, so it didn’t really register to me that I was having such an impact on my cousins’ lives who didn’t have a male figure formally. Then, when I worked at a summer camp and became a lifeguard, I realized that my heart was in service to students. I felt like I could be the cool guy that was a teacher.

What was your first year like at Bryant?

Bryant is the school where a child was abducted in 2013. We’re up the street from where the MOVE bombing happened [back in 1985]. I just spent a lot of time getting to know the community, and it was great. The best first year you can have, until March 13 2020, when the world stopped.

That was my reality. A first-year principal, congratulations, you will be distributing Chromebooks and preparing to do something no educational system has ever done, immediately and abruptly. My job had gone from being the principal in the building to really like the mayor of the community — dropping off Chromebooks, visiting people’s homes, educating them on how to stay safe. No one knew what to do. We were just all learning together.

We made it through that hard time. Last year, the 2022-23 school year, we started to see that we were coming out of that dark space of the civil uprising, of the pandemic, and we started to see things change and get a little bit more normal. I feel like this year was the year where all of that paid off.

What did you learn during that time?

Public education is only as good as the people running it. It’s not about this magic charter or this magic neighborhood school. Of course, there are inequities everywhere. We have to think about things that we can control.

My assistant superintendent, Sean Conley, constantly speaks about providing access. And that’s how you create equity. I feel like people like Sean are what make schools great. It’s not this machine or organization, and it’s not giving people $50,000 bonuses, though I think teachers deserve a lot of money. I think teachers should be the highest-paid workers in the world because they are affecting our community.

You faced some job rejection throughout your career on your way to becoming a principal. What made you persist?

First and foremost, the people that made me persist are the students. I’m born and raised in Philadelphia. I’m a product of the School District of Philadelphia. I went to district schools from K-12. The reason why I got into this was those kids that needed someone that they can believe in and that believed in them. Ultimately, that was the hunger to make an impact.

The “nos” actually motivated me even more because it made me realize that I’m getting a no for a reason. I have to be prepared to know that it’s going to be hard and that nothing that you want comes easy; you have to really work for it. It made me refine my skills even more.

I’m so thankful that the district saw me as a person that had value. There was value in who I was as a reflection of the community that we are serving. I want to show that our kids can be great and show the world that young, Black kids can read, they can do math, they are articulate, and they can go to college.

That’s why this [Lindback] award means so much. It’s showing that everything that I went through matters, and that you’ve got to keep going. That if you are someone like me, that’s from the inner city, that looks like me and doesn’t fit the typical role, you’ve just got to work hard and be strong in your conviction of who you are. Believe in yourself, find people that believe in you and are aligned with your vision, and keep going. Don’t stop fighting no matter what.

What will you do with the Lindback Awards $20,000 prize money?

I really would like to invest in more [Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support] initiatives for the students. We saw that they had a great impact for our entire school community. We had zero suspensions this year. That’s massive for a neighborhood school.

Just thinking, how do we invest in more trips with our students? Is there a basketball court that we could put out there to allow our kids to play? I think that’s very important. And finding a way to celebrate with the staff.

And then just rest and relax. Shoutout to my boys in the group chat about Philly sports. We share our views really openly and we speak about what really matters. I feel like without that group chat, I don’t know if I could’ve really kept going. I always told them that when I get rich, I’m gonna get us floor seats.

Carly Sitrin is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Philadelphia. Contact Carly at csitrin@chalkbeat.org.

The 12 Black women behind Brown v. Board often go unrecognized. A new exhibit aims to change that.

2024-05-13T22:38:21+00:00

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To unearth the forgotten history of the Kansas women who served as plaintiffs in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case, Donna Rae Pearson had to dig.

Without published scholarship to go on, Pearson and two other researchers hunted down the women’s obituaries, cross-referenced their details against Census records and city directories, and pored over newspaper clippings, oral histories, and court transcripts.

It was no easy feat: Some women’s names had changed, and some had moved as far away as Oregon.

The result of their work is “The Women of Brown,” which recognizes the lives and contributions of the 12 Black mothers who signed their names, alongside Oliver Brown, to the lawsuit that reached the Supreme Court.

Twelve Black women participated in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case, but they often get overlooked. A new exhibit aims to shine a light on their lives and contributions.

A pop-up exhibit showcasing their findings is traveling across Kansas to mark the 70-year anniversary of the landmark decision. That includes a stop at Topeka Public Schools’ commemorative event this week.

Pearson hopes that students and others who see the exhibit will leave curious to find out more about the Black women who committed acts of “everyday activism” to further their children’s education.

Read more of Chalkbeat's coverage of the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education.

“I don’t think Black women — I don’t think women — get the credit that they are supposed to have when it comes to these kinds of activities,” said Pearson, a museum curator at the Kansas Historical Society and a former local history librarian at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. “I think that’s becoming more and more of a conversation that we have today: How did they contribute to these movements?”

The documents Pearson and her team collected will be housed at the Kansas Historical Society State Archives and Topeka’s local library, so future researchers won’t have to do as much legwork. Pearson is also starting to hear from relatives and others who knew the women, which she hopes will contribute to the scholarship, too.

“We just needed to bring them out of the dark,” she said. “We needed to say their names out loud again.”

Chalkbeat spoke with Pearson about why the 12 women joined the lawsuit and the challenges of researching Black women’s history. She also has thoughts on how students and teachers can keep the conversation going (see sidebar).

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How did the 12 Black women who became plaintiffs in the Brown case come to be part of the lawsuit?

We don’t know exactly how all of them came to be part of it. Lucinda Todd, one of the plaintiffs, and actually the first plaintiff to sign up, was heavily involved in the NAACP. She was on a special committee when talk of this lawsuit started happening, and she helped recruit parents.

We also identified different locations throughout the city [of Topeka] where these women could have possibly met. They were all involved in formal religious activities. Some of them went to church together. Some of them were involved in social clubs together. So we believe there was this network where they could have been simply having coffee or tea and saying: ‘Hey, I decided to sign up. How about you?’

Why have they historically gotten less attention than Oliver Brown?

In our legal system, ‘et al’ can hide a lot of things. That means ‘and more.’ Et al really covers up, initially, the fact that these women were part of the case.

But then you go into a little bit deeper reasons. These are Black women. And our history is not recorded as well as the majority’s history.

The case, initially, was not necessarily as well-received, for different reasons. Why this case happened does not fit our prevailing narrative [in Kansas] of being a ‘free state,’ a state about civil rights. We were actually one of three northern states that allowed permissive segregation, which means, by law, they could segregate.

What were the ways in which the women saw that their children were not getting equal opportunities as white children at school?

When you read the transcript from the local court trial, you’ll find that there were problems with the busing system and being able to pick up their children in a timely manner. The Brown children had to walk almost a mile by railroad tracks just to get to their bus stop. These long commutes would have interfered with their schooling. You’re going to get up earlier than a person who’s going to walk two minutes. That’s eating time before school and after school.

[Students who lived far from their schools] couldn’t go home for lunch. They had to bring lunch, and supposedly the lunch wasn’t going to be as nutritious as a hot, home-cooked meal.

There were other things, in terms of activities that were not available. What sparked some of this was Lucinda Todd was super mad about the fact that her daughter, Nancy, could not participate in the district-wide [music] program. There were 18 schools, but only 14 of them were participating. What schools did they leave out? The four Black schools. It was because of Lucinda Todd’s complaints that they were finally able to get [music programs].

There were sports available at the upper levels in Topeka, but the [activities were] segregated. So there was a Black basketball team and a white basketball team. There was a Black prom and a white prom. Even though they all went to school together, all those activities were actually segregated. [Kansas law at the time permitted segregated elementary schools, but high schools were supposed to be integrated.]

Initially, the women were featured in some news coverage, but then their voices just kind of dropped out. What were you able to glean from what they did share over the years?

As the secretary of the NAACP, Lucinda Todd sent out this very long press release that explains the case to the community. But over time, you see the male figures that were involved with the case, they continue to be elevated. But the women, you don’t see them asked as many questions later on, or any questions.

Toward the ‘80s and ‘90s, when the historic site was being lobbied for and built here, they brought them back again. Locally, the one disarming piece that I found was an article that was talking about them, and it tried to give a status update. It kept saying: ‘No information known.’ And we discovered that some of these women were actually still alive, living in the city.

But I also have to remember … the challenge with doing women’s history — not just Black women, but women in general — is we are [often] forced to change our names. In some cases, especially then, they were not referred to by their first and last name. They’re referred to as ‘Mrs. Brown.’ And it’s like: ‘Well, Mrs. Brown surely has a first name!’ So that made it a little bit challenging.

How do the women who participated in this lawsuit fit within the larger tradition of African American women participating in advocacy and organizing in their communities?

It’s kind of a culmination of all the experiences they were able to have. Colored women’s clubs were here as early as the 1890s. Black women are the backbone of those [church] organizations. When you decide to have an event at church, and you’re the one in charge, you start organizing. You start getting people on board, you start raising money.

Among "The Women of Brown" is Lucinda Todd, whose letter to the national NAACP sparked the lawsuit that reached the Supreme Court.

We had Black women who were involved in entrepreneurship. There were women who owned their own businesses. They were not used to necessarily sitting on the sidelines here. I think as organizers, they were in a community where it was acceptable for them to sign up and do things like this.

What lessons can we draw from ‘The Women of Brown’ about the significance of everyday activism?

I think we need to broaden our definition of what activism is. It is not always Martin Luther King, standing at a pulpit. Everyday activism is really the little things that you can do in your own community to make a difference. It’s when we take a stand for something that we believe in.

Some would say what I’m doing right now is being an activist. I’m bringing up a story; I’m posing challenging questions.

Did you make any personal connections to what you learned about the women of Brown?

As a historian, I very intentionally did not talk about the decision [in the past]. Part of the reason was because of the way it is portrayed in the media. Yes, it is a celebration of sorts. But y’all have to remember, the reason why this case happened is because there was blatant segregation in this state for an extended period of time, within our lives.

My class, when I entered elementary school in the ‘70s, was considered the first truly integrated class. My older brothers, my older sisters, in particular, went to segregated Black schools. And this was post the [Brown] decision. These are things we are still wrestling with.

I didn’t think we were looking at [the Brown decision] from a very truthful perspective. I don’t think we were looking at all the nuances, and the impact that it created on different communities.

During this time period, you had a couple of things happen to the Black community. Redlining forced us into one community. With desegregation of schools, you were breaking up that school network, that bonding of a community. Then the next step was urban renewal — that totally wiped out some of these communities.

I needed to look closer at the decision from another perspective, so I could understand it.

What would you like for students who are going to see the exhibit to take away from it?

I hope it’s a conversation-starter for them. I hope that they can relate to the women.

They were ignored. Hopefully, this will again bring them to the forefront and shine some light on them. Hopefully, it makes you curious enough to want to learn a little bit more about them.

Kalyn Belsha is a senior national education reporter based in Chicago. Contact her at kbelsha@chalkbeat.org.

Civics simulations help this teacher’s students connect to lessons about history and citizenship

2024-05-13T11:00:00+00:00

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In Adam Williamson’s social studies class, students learn American history “in the full light of day.”

That means everything the country has accomplished and its historical significance, along with its mistakes along the way, Williamson said.

As a 16-year veteran teacher and department chair at Mississinewa High School, a school around 70 miles northeast of Indianapolis, Williamson told Chalkbeat that the criticism that teachers face for teaching negative or divisive lessons about history is misdirected.

“Contrary to some prevailing opinions out there, teachers aren’t responsible for this attitude — we are often the first line of defense in trying to convince students that the United States is worth revering despite its past mistakes,” Williamson said. “I savor those moments when I can make a student stop to reflect and consider the perspectives of people who lived in the past and evaluate their decisions accordingly.”

And just as important as helping students understand the past is helping them grow into their roles as future adults, citizens, voters, and leaders. For this goal, Williamson said active learning is the key.

He leads students through mock legal proceedings, as well as simulated congressional hearings as part of the We the People curriculum and competition, and helps them understand how civics will affect their day-to-day lives.

“The fact that many of them are eager to begin adult life can provide leverage for engaging them in these sorts of participatory lessons,” he said. “I often say, “You’re going to be an adult in the eyes of the world soon, so you might want to know how this works.” That reality check tends to be effective for most students.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a social studies teacher?

I considered the career when I was in high school and then attempted a career in acting when I got to college. I quickly decided that there was too much drama in the drama department and reverted back to social studies education. Now, I have a difficult time thinking of something else that I would find more rewarding than teaching.

What’s a lesson that you like to teach that helps your students understand how civics is relevant to them?

I often teach civics using simulations. I particularly enjoy my mock trial and legislation simulations — I find that students begin to make direct connections to their own lives when they engage in those processes. Active learning pays dividends!

Mississinewa High School (Indiana) social studies teacher Adam Williamson

What are the biggest questions that your students have and have those changed over time?

In my history courses, I get a lot of questions about why the United States government has historically made a poor choice, or why the nation has made so many mistakes. The “information age” has presented us with new challenges regarding communication. Social media and internet video blogs have created echo chambers for criticism toward the United States government. Contrary to some prevailing opinions out there, teachers aren’t responsible for this attitude — we are often the first line of defense in trying to convince students that the United States is worth revering despite its past mistakes!

I see the teaching of United States history as an opportunity to invite my kids to confront American history in the full light of day, warts and all, and consider all that America has accomplished and all that it represents to humanity despite our missteps along the way. I savor those moments when I can make a student stop to reflect and consider the perspectives of people who lived in the past and evaluate their decisions accordingly.

What are some of the obstacles to engaging young people in voting and other civic duties? What helps?

Disengagement seems to be chronic, but that might be an illusion. It’s easy to focus on the cynicism toward government among Generation Z, but there are actually quite a few students who are engaged and/or want to be engaged in their communities.

Trying to make the rest of them understand that civic and political engagement is worthwhile isn’t an easy task. I find that running students through the processes of civic and political life demystifies things for them. Again, active learning is key. The fact that many of them are eager to begin adult life can provide leverage for engaging them in these sorts of participatory lessons. I often say, “You’re going to be an adult in the eyes of the world soon, so you might want to know how this works.” That reality check tends to be effective for most students.

Tell us about your work with We the People and the impact it has on your students.

We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution is, without a doubt, the most rewarding and effective curriculum I’ve ever used. I underwent training for the program at the annual summer institute as soon as I finished student teaching and soon after began teaching it at my first job in middle school.

The students thrived under the curriculum. It was so encouraging to see those young people diving into complex topics and engaging in dialogue about them with respected adults! Soon after, I was moved to our high school to pilot the program there and coordinate the program across the district. Since that time, we’ve had very successful We the People teams at all three levels and I’ve been able to enjoy watching students of all ages broaden their minds and consider their role in our body politic.

Nearly every student who has taken the We the People course with me has personally reflected on how thankful they were that they took part. That is very fulfilling for a teacher to hear. A few of those students have moved on to law school and public service, and I find it extremely satisfying to know that I played some part in those students’ journeys.

How do you approach news events or community happenings in your classroom?

I encourage students to stay in touch with current events by following their favorite news source, and I often invite students to ask questions about what’s going on in the country and in the world. There’s usually a connection to something we’re discussing in class, whether I’m teaching history or civics. Topical conversations pop up regularly as a result.

I also begin each semester by establishing norms for discussion and debate, and these often go a long way toward keeping the conversation civil and on-topic. When students make their own norms for discussion, they are not only invested in sticking to those norms, but they keep each other accountable to them.

Perhaps most importantly, I encourage students to be aware of the source of their information, particularly in regard to media bias and information reliability. We talk about how to determine trustworthy information sources and how to determine bias.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I was a fairly conscientious student in high school. I cared about my grades, and I embraced the practicality of being a rule-follower. When I became a public school teacher I struggled to confront students who didn’t share those same values. It took some adjustment to understand the perspectives of students who intentionally deviated from school rules and norms and those who didn’t value academic success. I’m thankful for colleagues who helped me understand those perspectives and build rapport with those students.

In high school, I was very involved in the arts. Since I began teaching I’ve done everything I can to support those programs, from attending performances and donating to their funds to encouraging students to take that leap and express themselves through art, music, and dramatic performance.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

Before you speak, ask yourself: “Does it need to be said? Does it need to be said now? Does it need to be said by me?” Asking myself those three questions has, on more than one occasion, helped me avoid more trouble than I bargained for.

What’s one thing you’ve read that has made you a better educator?

It’s a toss-up between “Teaching with Love and Logic” by Jim Fay and David Funk and “Help for Billy” by Heather Forbes.

Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.

This Brooklyn high school psychology teacher wants her students to channel pessimism into action

2024-04-30T22:47:37+00:00

It might seem odd that a high school psychology teacher would be selected for a National Geographic teacher fellowship in the Arctic, but for Caitlyn Homol, last summer’s “paradigm-shifting experience” inspired her to develop a new interdisciplinary unit.

As the International Baccalaureate, or IB, Teaching and Learning Coordinator and IB Psychology teacher at Brooklyn Prospect High School, Homol is teaming up with her school’s Environmental Systems and Societies course to explore “the relationship between motivation, action, and climate attitudes that culminates in a beach cleanup and reflection.”

While on the 17-day expedition, Homol saw polar bears on land since there wasn’t enough sheet ice for their traditional hunting patterns. She saw marine debris on the shores of islands hundreds of miles north of inhabited towns. She and others started to feel pessimistic “about our collective chances of being able to preserve the sights we were seeing for future generations.”

That led Homol to get involved with visiting scientists from the Rozalia Project as they collected data on microplastics in the waters. She ended up filling in at the last minute for one of Rozalia’s Maine expeditions right as school was starting, helping them meet their 20,000-pound cleanup goal for summer 2023. That experience, she said, “brought me so much hope and energy for what we can do when we work together to do hard things.”

Homol, who has spent four of her nine-year teaching career at Brooklyn Prospect, recently won a national teaching award from the American Psychological Association.

Teaching psychology, Homol believes, gives students a strong background in social science research, and she encourages her students to seek out research opportunities when they go to college.

“I also think this course has so many natural connections with students’ own experiences,” she said. “There’s a unique chance for them to develop new self-knowledge while also expanding their perspectives of other people’s experiences.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I attended Ohio State University as a first-generation student who had also been very transient in middle and high school, bouncing between schools up and down the East Coast and the South. I’d been a successful student but missed more than a couple of foundational courses I needed to be successful in my initial declared major, which was biomedical engineering. I was confused and humiliated by the struggles I faced in my chemistry and calculus classes, and after ending up on academic probation my first quarter, I lied to most people about how school was going because I was terrified of letting them down.

As a condition of exiting probation, I chose to take an education psychology course about study strategies at the Dennis Learning Center. It was transformative and helped reduce the fear I felt that I did not belong in college. I ended up working there for three years of undergrad as a learning specialist, where I facilitated workshops and met 1:1 with other students at OSU to interpret research to find meaningful study strategies.

That’s what led me to consider teaching, and Teach for America was an alternative certification program I was familiar with.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

I deeply appreciate my colleague, Khanh Le, who adapted an exercise she came across in her developmental psych program for our students. It asks students to take a fictional family of seven of different genders and ages and arrange them into hypothetical homes with room counts ranging from 1-7, in arrangements that are both ideal and least ideal.

Our students, who have a variety of cultural backgrounds, are often surprised to find that they have nearly unanimous agreement with each other in their room arrangements. We discuss the findings of the original study, which suggest that some values driving those arrangements are unique to the West and others are universal — and the consensus we have in our own answers is a proof of acculturation, or assimilation to U.S./New York culture. I love this lesson because it ties together research, relatability, and strikes a balance between appreciating difference and finding commonality with others around the world.

Are there particular things that students are seeing or experiencing in their lives related to the course that come up in the classroom?

The first thing that has positively shifted the tone of conversations we have in class is the decreasing stigma of mental health concerns.

At our school, we teach the “Abnormal Psychology” option offered in the IB Psychology course, and students are tremendously open and excited to share their experiences with each other. I would have been so embarrassed to talk about my mental health at that age, but kids are supportive and continue the conversation with questions or their own contributions.

The second development I’ve seen is less positive: I’ve noticed that students carry more pessimism these days. More students feel that nothing matters, and that there is nothing that can be done to improve the circumstances of themselves or their communities. This is a comprehensible reaction to climate developments, the inertia of systems and institutions to change, and an eroding pretense that a college education is a ticket to financial stability. I also think social media algorithms proliferate a lot of cynical (if not outright incorrect) interpretations of psychological and sociological knowledge.

I think as educators of young people, part of our role is to inspire students and to teach pathways to change. Of course, we have a duty to portray the world realistically in our classrooms. Many things are actually dire. But I think we also must take care to invite students to construct generative interpretations and applications of knowledge and research. Otherwise, we are left with the status quo and that pessimistic vision does become our fate.

We also have to let them feel the impact of taking action with others, *doing* things rather than just talking about them. This is tricky for adults too, but my summer experiences underscored how meaningful optimism comes from collective work and creation.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I was incredibly blessed to have consistently caring, effective, and diverse teachers for all 13 years of my public schooling. I especially credit the many Black women who taught me at Arlington Elementary School in Jacksonville, Fla., who saw my potential and imparted to me a sense of duty to make the most of my education.

It has been easy to draw from the example they and my other amazing educators set as I show up for students today. But the thing that has most shaped my overall career trajectory has been the challenges I faced as a student who wanted access to specialized programming.

I happened to find out about the International Baccalaureate program in my district through idle conversation with my school librarian, rather than through my school counselor or district-wide advertisement. I had to submit an application, attend an interview or take a test, and take a bus an hour each way to get to school. Years later, I found myself in rural Alabama: I navigated several hurdles to take online AP classes that were made available upon request through Alabama’s ACCESS plan for distance learning. There were so many hurdles to being able to participate in both programs, and because of it, I have chosen to work at schools that give a broader range of students access to the IB program by default.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

A mentor once told me, “Let someone else tell you no,” when I was debating sending in an application for a job opportunity years ago. For scholarships, school program ideas, jobs, or awards, spending less time being my own gatekeeper has opened up fantastic experiences.

Most recently, I pitched an ambitious idea to the Rozalia Project, which included setting aside spots on a July expedition on their sailboat for a teacher and a recent high school graduate — she said yes! Making this initial ask has also let us start envisioning a recurring beach cleanup program and a full Prospect Schools expedition a couple years out from now. We have other details to work out, but if I had let my own ‘no’ get in the way, I would have never fathomed how excited they would be to develop this partnership.

Amy Zimmer is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat New York. Contact Amy at azimmer@chalkbeat.org.

How this Colorado science teacher helps students become environmental changemakers

2024-04-26T15:08:45+00:00

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Yajaira Fuentes-Tauber majored in biology at college and planned to go to medical school. But a stop-gap job teaching science in Texas changed the course of her career.

“I realized that while I liked medicine, I loved teaching,” she said.

Today, Fuentes-Tauber teaches biology at Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, Colorado, and is passionate about increasing access to STEM education and empowering students to become change agents.

Yajaira Fuentes-Tauber is a science teacher at Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins.

Her students have published books about river otters and created “bee hotels” out of reclaimed wood.

Fuentes-Tauber was named 2023 Earth Science Teacher of the Year by the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists Foundation and was also one of three Colorado science teachers named state finalists in the 2022-23 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

Fuentes-Tauber talked to Chalkbeat about her initial misconceptions about teaching, how her students are improving watershed health, and what she does to make ocean health relevant to students in a land-locked state.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

I graduated from college early and needed something to do while my husband, who had served in the Coast Guard, finished his bachelor’s degree.

My first job was at Rivera High School in Brownsville, Texas, an area with high levels of poverty and teacher shortages. With a week before students were back in the classroom, the principal had to take a leap of faith in offering me a full-time science teaching position, which included a concurrent alternative teaching certification program.

I planned to pursue a medical degree, but after teaching for one semester, I decided to change careers and pursue a master’s degree in science education and then a doctorate of education.

How did your own experience in school influence your approach to teaching?

As a Hispanic, Latina, English learner, and first in my family to graduate from high school, I didn’t truly experience representation in the classroom. Many teachers didn’t look like me or have the same socioeconomic status or immigration background as I did. A number of teachers in our district were part of Teach for America and they were not representative of our school ethnic groups, nor did they speak Spanish.

The factors that shape my identity have been key in bringing a different perspective to my own teaching practices. I am passionate about advancing access to STEM education because I believe that through equity, diversity, and inclusion, students can pursue their interests regardless of their identity. Much like our school motto I believe that the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.

Tell us about a favorite lesson to teach. Where did the idea come from?

One of my favorite lessons is where students explore the impact of environmental changes through the lens of ocean acidification.

Students use different color beads to represent chemicals involved in the process that causes oceans to become acidic. The activity incorporates the chemistry behind ocean acidification to help students see how this process reduces the chemical compound needed to form shells and skeletons.

Ocean acidification and sea levels is something that I had background on, having taught for eight out of 17 years in South Texas, but to my current students exploring these topics when they live in a landlocked state felt irrelevant. I wanted to raise awareness about the interconnectedness of our ecosystems. As future leaders, they need to understand how our actions impact others miles away and how changes occurring miles away have the potential to impact our community.

With the loss of coral reefs, which provide coastal protection during storms, ecotourism, and habitat for diverse species, people may migrate to inland communities. This can impact the housing market, jobs, greenhouse emissions, and the transmission rates of communicable diseases. As future voters, they are most struck by considering how a shift in population could impact the electoral college, as the number of votes is dependent on a state’s population.

What is the Caring for Our Watershed contest?

Caring for Our Watershed is an international program that empowers students to take action to improve the health of their local watershed. One of the regional contests takes place in Northern Colorado, where a panel of judges selects proposals for funding by organization’s sponsors

Our students focus on The Big Thompson and the Cache la Poudre River Watershed in developing their proposals. Most recently, we had a team that wrote and illustrated a book about river otters that was printed and read at local elementary schools.

Another project selected for funding included a student making “bee hotels” using reclaimed wood to increase habitats for bees as they are crucial in maintaining a healthy watershed.

I love that this program allows students to become agents of change while still in high school. Over seven years, students have received over $13,000 in awards and we’ve received matching funds.

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective or approach.

It has been bittersweet to learn about issues impacting students and their families in ways that are not visible or even recorded by schools. On the one hand, it is amazing that they see me as a trusted adult, and on the other hand, I’m struck by the weight of their burdens.

Learning about issues such as immigration status and languages spoken at home has prompted me to take a more inclusive approach to teaching. I integrate opportunities for “windows and mirrors” to ensure that I create a supportive environment where all students feel valued.

For example, when students explore the expansion of businesses in undeveloped areas with native species, they take into consideration the many perspectives that stakeholders bring to the table. Some may see themselves in the “mirror” if they have family members who work in construction, while providing a “window” for students who do not share the same perspective.

What was the biggest misconception that you initially brought to teaching?

When I intended to go to medical school, teaching was initially seen as a brief detour to fill a time gap in my plans. In our community, becoming a teacher was often perceived as an easy career path, in which you have an 8-hour-a-day job with paid holidays and paid summers off.

Once in the classroom, I quickly realized that teaching is far from an easy task and our commitment goes beyond contract times, not to mention summers are not really paid time off. Yet despite this initial misconception, I loved the challenge. I loved being part of the students’ journey to self-discovery and educational empowerment. My immediate family has always valued education and they were supportive.

What are you reading for enjoyment?

The last book I read for a parent book club was “The Bright Side of Going Dark” by Kelly Harms, and I’m waiting to get the next book for our club: “The Survivor’s Guide to Family Happiness” by Maddie Dawson. I’m also waiting for “Understanding Imperiled Earth” by Todd J. Braje.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

This Tennessee teacher brings lessons from the ocean to her landlocked students

2024-04-18T16:56:08+00:00

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As a child in Panama City, Florida, the call of the ocean was always within earshot of Devon Jones.

“I spent the first seven years of my life living on a boat or around the water,” Jones said. “I always said, ‘I don’t have friends, I have fish.’

“I spent weekends and summers with my grandmother in Mexico Beach, [Florida], so water was my backyard.”

Marriage to a military spouse and family ultimately landed her in Fort Campbell, which sits on the Kentucky-Tennessee border. It was a move that took her away from the sea and away from her dream of becoming a marine biologist. But it didn’t stop Jones from finding another career that allowed her to share her love of the ocean with others: teaching sixth grade science.

Jones, who has been teaching for 15 years, works at Kirkwood Middle School in Clarksville, on the edge of rural Montgomery County, where many of her students haven’t seen much, if any, of an ocean.

This fall, though, she will get a unique chance to get her students excited about the sea. Ocean Exploration Trust, a nonprofit organization that aims to explore the ocean and apply discoveries to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics education, selected her as a 2024 Lead Science Communications Fellow.

That means Jones will spend 26 days onboard Exploration Vessel Nautilus in late September and early October. The expedition — Jones’ second — will explore and map the seafloor around Howland and Baker islands in the Pacific. The journey begins in Pago Pago, American Samoa, and ends in Koror, Palau.

Once onboard Jones, who is among 13 fellows selected nationally this year, will coordinate live, daily audio commentary and question-and-answer sessions through the Nautilus Live website. While ashore, Jones will use Google Classroom and other learning tools to engage communities and students around the world.

Jones recently talked to Chalkbeat Tennessee about how she approaches her work.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How does teaching ocean science to middle schoolers excite you?

Tennessee is landlocked, so I get a chance to bring that part of the world to my students, a world that they are rarely familiar with and a world that is largely unknown to them. I love that I can get them hooked. I tie the curriculum back to the ocean because, in some way, we all are connected to it. I want the students to have the opportunity to learn what’s out there, and the only way they can do that is for me to keep learning about what’s out there.

Why sixth grade?

I started out teaching fourth and fifth grades, and I was feeling a bit of a burnout, but someone told me about the science curriculum in middle school. I looked into it, and I decided, ‘Hey, sixth grade science — this is some really relatable stuff. This is something that I can really make an impact with.’

So, I decided to make the jump. I love the age range, the kids, the curiosity that they have. They’re at that age where questions are abundant. I can show them how what they’re learning is impacting their lives on a daily basis.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach?

One of my favorite units is biodiversity and human impact. On the very first dive we took [on the 2023 expedition] on one of the reefs, we saw something that looked familiar, but we weren’t quite sure what it was. But when we got closer, we saw that it was trash. But because we were able to date it — it had a Pepsi can from 1980 — I was able to show the kids the impact of what trash does, and how long it remains in the environment.

It was horrible to see, but its relevance made it a teaching moment. Helping them understand how they impact the ecosystem and the environment around us is huge because I want them to see that while they have the ability to destroy something, I also want to show them that they have the ability to change something for the greater good.

Describe your role on the expedition this time.

I get to lead other teachers as this will be their first time out. They’ll reach out to schools all over the world via telecommunications. They’ll take the kids on a virtual tour of the boat, and connect them to what the ROVs [remotely operated vehicles] are exploring at the bottom of the ocean.

We’ll cross the International Date Line to do seafloor mapping on a part of the ocean that hasn’t been mapped before. This is all new exploration to learn what is lying beneath us. Are there more trenches? We know they exist, but how do they affect biodiversity levels? We’ll be doing the mapping, and we’ll be out there for 26 days.

So, it’s a great way to get science into the classroom, and to get the kids excited about things that most of them have never known existed.

How do you use what you learn to help students relate to their immediate environment?

Clarksville is booming. There’s a lot of development, and I want them to understand the impact it has on the ecosystem, like humans have on the ocean. I want them to understand that in a few years, they’re going to be in charge of that future, so they need to understand the biological factors involved [and]the importance of what those changes are bringing.

What’s the best advice that you abide by?

Never be afraid to put yourself in positions where you can still learn and grow. In my classroom, I always see myself as the lead learner. As far as teaching goes, it’s building relationships with your students, to show that they’re not investing in you, but they’re investing in themselves. Also, keep the alarm clock ready and make time for yourself because while teaching is a rewarding career, the burnout is real.

How do you spend your spare time?

I focus on my family. I have three children and 12 grandchildren. I’ve been married for 32 years. Making memories is everything. Family is everything. I love to travel, and I’ll travel to places that I know are going to bring me peace and happiness, and it’s always going to be back to the water.

Bureau Chief Tonyaa Weathersbee oversees Chalkbeat Tennessee’s education coverage. Reach her at tweathersbee@chalkbeat.org.

Why support for students and a strong school culture are key to this middle school principal

2024-04-18T13:00:00+00:00

As a high school wrestler many years ago, Jon Wilcox was expected to help coach much younger students who were learning to wrestle. It was a role he embraced and one that helped cement his decision to go into teaching.

“Week after week, I’d have the same group that I worked with, so I think that consistency in getting to know them and then going to tournaments, and coaching them from the corner — that was definitely pretty powerful,” he said.

Wilcox, who was recently named Michigan 2024 Principal of the Year, is influencing students in different ways these days. For nine years he’s been the principal of Petoskey Middle School, a school of about 570 students, 42% of whom come from low-income homes.

Those who wrote letters of support for his nomination said he is focused on the well-being of children and their families, has created a positive culture in the school, and has a collaborative leadership style, according to the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals and the Michigan Association of Student Councils and Honor Societies, which give out the award.

Wilcox prioritizes meeting the needs of students, especially post-COVID, when student anxiety is on the rise.

But middle school has always been a tumultuous time. So when less than a week into his tenure as principal, Wilcox was approached about funding for a behavioral health therapist at his school, he jumped at the opportunity.

“So many times a kid would get in trouble, and your toolbox is only so deep,” he said. “You try to counsel them as best as you can and then provide some kind of disciplinary action. And then it’s like, OK, now go back to the classroom.”

The school now has two behavioral health therapists, in addition to two counselors. Having that many people supporting the emotional and mental health needs of students, he said, “has been very beneficial.”

Educators can easily find themselves frustrated with the challenges students bring to the classroom that often seem unfair to the child, but something Wilcox heard years ago has provided some crucial perspective.

Parents, he was told, “send us their best … and they love their child more than anything.”

Wilcox, who recently talked to Chalkbeat, is always thinking about that because once students arrive at school, “We are responsible six, seven hours a day for the most important thing in parents’ lives. And that can be profound.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Petoskey Middle School Principal Jon Wilcox speaks to eighth grade students after he was surprised with the announcement that he had been named Michigan Principal of the Year.

What led you to a career in education?

Like a lot of educators, I was fortunate enough to have some really good teachers during my time in school, and not only that, but it was kind of a family business. I have several cousins who went into education, and one of my brothers was a teacher. My grandpa was a principal and he was very well respected in the community. That kind of intrigued me. I think when I decided I was in high school, and I was helping out with our youth wrestling program, and I just liked working with the kids and, and that kinda helped guide my decision to become a teacher. My dad always talked about what a respectable career choice that is because you’re having an impact on the community and a direct impact on kids who might need a little more support.

Was there anything in particular that you recall that showed you what it meant to be a teacher?

I had a physics teacher who was also one of our assistant wrestling coaches. Our head coach was out, so this assistant coach ran the whole practice. After practice, he asked me ‘How did practice go? Is there anything I could have done better?’ And I remember thinking like, ‘Wow, he cares enough to ask me what I think.’ I mean, this was a physics teacher that I looked up to and regarded as a great teacher and for him to humble himself and ask … what I thought about practice — that was pretty powerful.

What issues have come up for you as a school leader this school year, and how have you addressed them?

In middle school, year after year, there’s a lot of student conflict. We’re dealing with the age group where kids are trying to figure out who they are and what they’re interested in. And sometimes that changes over time. They’re very different kids when they come in as a sixth grader [and] by the time they leave as an eighth grader. There’s a lot of growth that happens. And with that growth comes a lot of change and change in friend groups, and therefore some conflict with peers. We try to use those as teachable moments about being empathetic and accepting of others. ‘You don’t have to like everybody, but you do have to respect everybody’ is what we try to teach our kids.

How do you deal with middle school conflicts?

You hear the word bullying a lot, and absolutely bullying happens. But most of the time, it’s conflict between two students. Generally, it’s conflict that we can work through and resolve. So we do a lot of conflict resolution meetings where we have an adult … talk through a situation with both kids and try to help them gain the perspective of the other student. And then, you know, apologize, and there might still be a consequence, but we really focus on those restorative practices.

What’s the best advice you ever received — and how have you put it into action?

One thing I heard [came] during my master’s program in a class taught by a superintendent. He said, ‘Never make a decision that you can’t explain publicly.’ And I’ve thought about that I can’t tell you how many times. It’s not that you always have to explain your decision publicly. But I think that is a really good lens to make sure that your head is in the right spot when making decisions, because we often have to make really complex decisions. And just thinking that through, how would I explain this if I had to, that’s probably the quote that I go back to the most.

Petoskey is a tourist attraction in Michigan, but you work in a district where nearly half of the students come from low-income homes. How do you address the challenges that come with educating vulnerable students?

We do have a lot of socioeconomic diversity and that does present its own challenges for sure. One thing that we have incorporated is we call it our student support network. Each one of our grade levels is divided into teams, and a team of four teachers will have the same students, and then our counselors are part of those teams. We’ll have [meetings] where we intentionally talk about who are the students that are struggling. How are they struggling? What interventions work for this student? What have we tried that didn’t work? And we document all that. We try to be really systematic about making sure that no one’s falling through the cracks.

What’s one thing you’ve read that has made you a better educator?

If I had to pick one thing, I would say “The First Days of School,” by Harry Wong [and Rosemary Wong]. That’s a book that I would imagine most teacher preparation programs utilize. And if they don’t, I think they should. I read that when I was a freshman in college, and I still, whenever we hire new teachers, I reference that book. And whenever we have a teacher that struggles with classroom management, I will hand them that book and say, read this chapter. That’s a really good book that seems to not have aged.

In recent years, many students have faced mental health challenges. How has your team helped support them at this time?

We have two school counselors. And then two behavioral health therapists that are employed through the local health department. They have appointments with kids that need additional support. That’s really been beneficial for our students and their families. And the other thing is restorative practices [because] not everything needs to be solved with a hammer. In the last couple of years, we’ve increased the amount of special education teachers we have so their caseloads are smaller than in the past.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

I was lucky to have worked under a principal who told me that you need to take care of yourself, and you need to spend time at home and away from school. So he helped me [understand] that you could spend 24 hours a day working and there’s still going to be work on your desk. So know when to leave it and to go home. My wife and I have four kids. So we are busy going to athletic events, practices, and plays. So that’s how we take care of ourselves; we just spend time together as a family. We do a lot of camping. And then I have a little hobby farm where we grow Christmas trees, and we’ve got honey bees. So that all keeps me busy. And I love doing that stuff.

You have honey bees?

My second oldest, he came home from school — I think he was in kindergarten — and someone had brought in a frame of honey for show and tell. And he was hooked on reading books and watching YouTube videos about bees. So he kind of got me hooked, and we’ve had these ever since.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Dissecting frogs and dispelling stereotypes: This South Side teacher wants her second graders to love math and science

2024-04-15T19:08:36+00:00

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Precious Allen’s main goal as a teacher is to create more first-generation doctors and engineers. She believes that the only way to accomplish this goal is to expose children to science, engineering, math, and medicine as early as second grade.

Allen’s second grade students at Betty Shabazz Academy, a charter school in the Grand Crossing neighborhood on the city’s South Side, have already dissected frogs while wearing doctor’s outfits and gear. One might think that second graders would be squeamish when it comes to dissections, but Allen said that her students took it very seriously.

Allen, who has been teaching for 12 years, was celebrated as a finalist for Golden Apple’s Excellence in Teaching award — an honor she said was “kind of surreal.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Precious Allen poses for a portait.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

I wanted to be a pediatrician. But in my high school experience, I didn’t have guidance that pushed the importance of SATs or ACTs. My school counselor advised us to go to a community college, get our GPAs up, and then transfer to a four-year university. That’s what I did. I didn’t know anything about a pre-med track, and I didn’t have any guidance on scholarships. I switched majors multiple times — going from interior design to early childhood education and psychology, and eventually into elementary education.

How do you get to know your students?

There’s this activity that I found 10 years ago on Pinterest called, “I wish my teacher knew… .” It goes like “I wish my teacher knew that sometimes I don’t eat over the weekend,” or “I wish my teacher knew that in the morning time, my mom drops me off at my dad’s house and I miss my mother.” I do it every year because it really helps me see the human before the student.

Tell us about a favorite lesson to teach. Where did the idea come from?

The human body. The idea stemmed from when I had my daughter. I took her to several pediatricians because I felt like I wasn’t being listened to. When I finally found a pediatrician who was Black, I felt like she really listened to the concerns that I had. So when I first taught the human body, it was with the mindset of trying to create first-generation medical students.

What object would you be helpless without during the school day?

My clipboard. It’s where I track all of my students [and] the things that they’re doing. It is not used as a consequence; it’s used as a celebration so that parents can see all the great things that their child has accomplished throughout the day.

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective or approach.

I had a couple of bad experiences with parents who were upset during my first few years of teaching. When I look back now, I say, “I should have practiced empathy.” Now, I’m able to see that more is going on when a parent is frustrated, and I’ve learned that there are other issues that parents are going through that are upsetting them. They could be experiencing homelessness, going through a divorce or a custody battle. I think that approach has really helped me to build relationships with parents.

What part of your job is most difficult?

I would say the most difficult part is trying to navigate a stereotype against Black children that says they’re hard to teach. I have to work extra hard in the classroom to show that my students are just as smart as a student in Japan or a student in the suburbs.

What was the biggest misconception that you initially brought to teaching?

During my first two years of teaching, I realized I was passing on my bias [against] math to my students. I taught every other subject with my heart, but with math, I taught it exactly like the book said and nothing else. I realized it was bad. For one year, I only went to math professional development courses. Now, math is my favorite subject to teach.

What advice would you give to new teachers?

Give yourself grace, and do not compare yourself to anyone else. The last thing I would say is to “check your politics at the door,” which means whatever politics is happening at school, when you’re in front of your students, enjoy them and have fun with them.

What’s a book that has helped you become a better teacher, and why?

“Yardstick” by Chip Wood. It’s about developmental changes for children ages of four to 14. I give it to my parents every year. It helps me and the parents understand what’s happening developmentally so they can grow with their child.

This Colorado teacher survived Columbine. Here’s how she prioritizes trauma-informed practices.

2024-04-10T21:04:21+00:00

When Heather Martin was a senior in high school, she survived the Columbine High School shooting that killed 12 students and one teacher in Littleton, Colorado. Even as she tried to move on with her life, she carried the trauma of that day inside her — often in ways that surprised her.

The following year, during a community college class, she burst into tears during a routine fire drill, confused and embarrassed by her emotional reaction.

“I hadn’t remembered, until that very moment, that the fire alarm had been going off while I was barricaded for three hours before the SWAT team came,” she said.

She also struggled with panic attacks, an eating disorder, and insensitive comments from instructors. Eventually, Martin dropped out of college.

Heather Martin teaches English at Aurora Central High School.

Today, Martin is a high school English teacher who prioritizes making her students feel safe and giving them the tools to understand and cope with trauma. She’s also the executive director of The Rebels Project, a nonprofit that supports survivors of mass tragedy. In March, she attended the State of the Union address as a guest of U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat who represents the southeastern Denver suburbs.

Martin, who teaches at Aurora Central High School, talked to Chalkbeat about how she rediscovered her desire to teach after leaving college, what calming techniques she teaches students, and why she loves home visits.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

When I was in elementary school, my friends and I used to “play school” when we would study for tests. We alternated being the teacher, and I think that really laid the foundation for me wanting to teach in some way.

After the shooting at Columbine in 1999, I struggled a lot with trauma while attending community college and ended up dropping out. One day, while filming some B roll for a documentary called ”Grieving in a Fishbowl,” I was asked to flip through my high school yearbook. I found where my English teacher had signed: “I hope you major in English and become a teacher - your students would love you!” it read.

It seems I had forgotten for a while where I wanted to go, but I eventually found my way back. After 10 years and a long road of healing, I went back to school, finished my degree, and earned my teaching license.

How did your trauma manifest during your initial college experience?

I had extreme anxiety and unpredictable panic attacks — or at the time I thought they were unpredictable. I developed an eating disorder, started ditching and failing classes, and even tried recreational drugs. I attributed many of these things to “normal” college behavior and refused to acknowledge that it had anything to do with the shooting. I told myself, “It’s been ___ months, I should be fine.”

I had an English teacher assign a final essay that had a prompt related to school safety or guns in schools. When I finally worked up the courage to tell her why I couldn’t do the essay, she said it was required and if I didn’t do it, I would fail the class. I never went back to that class and, ultimately, ended up failing. I was already questioning my “right” to be traumatized, and her dismissal was extremely harmful.

When I took English again, I was assigned to write a 2-3 page personal narrative about an event that impacted me. This was about a year after the shooting, so I decided to actually tackle writing about it. I wrote upwards of 10 pages. On the due date, I printed my essay and brought it to the instructor. I told her how long it was, but I did not tell her the content. I wanted reassurance that the length was okay.

She said she would probably just grade me on the first few pages. Again, I felt dismissed and that my experience didn’t matter, and again, this amplified my questions about whether I had any right to feel and be traumatized. Again, I failed English class because I stopped attending.

My students love to hear that I failed English class twice in college!

What was it like to attend the State of the Union address?

The invite from Congressman Crow came as a surprise and I was very excited, and even a bit nervous, to attend. Every person I met was very interested and compassionate regarding long-term recovery from trauma. Congressman Crow and his staff were wonderful and did an excellent job of helping get the message out about the need for long-term support.

How did your own experience in school influence your approach to teaching?

I was a student who often felt like I wasn’t seen or noticed in school. I did just enough to stay off everyone’s radar — never a super-high or a super-low performer. As a teacher now, I look for students who may feel like I felt and am sure to connect with them as best I can. Also, obviously, the shooting and my subsequent healing journey help to drive my mission to make my classroom (and school community) as safe as I can — both in the physical sense and the emotional sense.

Tell us about a favorite lesson you teach.

I call it a “Mirror Poem.” We begin by comparing Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, “My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun” to Sonnet 18, “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” We focus on which is the “truer” love poem.

After many discussions, we decide which one represents a mirror. The answer always depends on what students view as a mirror’s purpose, so the responses are excellent. My favorite part is that after we read and analyze, students write their own poem using a mirror as a metaphor to describe how they see themselves and/or how others see them. The poems are INCREDIBLE and reading them never ceases to amaze me at how brilliant they are.

Tell us about The Rebels Project.

I co-founded the organization in 2012 with three other classmates from Columbine in the aftermath of the Aurora theater shooting. It’s named for the Columbine High School mascot. We wanted to provide support that we didn’t have access to after the shooting at our school — a space to share, connect, and heal alongside others who understand what it’s like to experience a similar event. Everybody on our leadership team has experienced a mass trauma themselves, which drives our decisions in every project we develop.

We connect survivors from all across the world. We hold support meetings, travel to impacted communities, educate the public on ways to support trauma survivors, and host an annual survivor retreat. We do this all as volunteers.

How do you incorporate trauma-informed practices into your classes?

Recently, we read ”The Kite Runner,” which has some disturbing content that may provoke some anxiety or trauma responses. We practice grounding techniques before reading, then I offer opportunities to use some of the techniques as we read. These can include coloring, folding origami, deep breathing exercises, and bilateral movements that use both sides of the body together, such as tapping, pacing, or walking.

Another way I practice this is through good old-fashioned modeling. I point out when I’m feeling activated, how I notice it, what it feels like, and how I ground myself. I’m also very open about my healing journey. I teach seniors, so it’s age-appropriate that I share my story about surviving a school shooting and how I struggled in the aftermath. I am honest about some of the struggles I still have, even 25 years later. I think it’s so important that they know that healing doesn’t always mean you “get over it,” it’s more about working through it. Experiencing trauma changes us, and I feel that acknowledging that change is important.

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective or approach.

At our school, we conduct home visits to help connect with the parents and guardians. These are always positive — basically pumping up the kiddo and sharing how amazing they are. I’ve had such wonderful visits with parents who come from various countries around the world, including Afghanistan, Republic of the Congo, Mexico, and Burma. I absolutely love connecting with them and learning more about the lives of the students.

What are you reading for enjoyment?

Currently, I’m reading a few books. (Yes, I’m one of those weirdos that can read multiple books at a time!) They include ”The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store” by James McBride, the ”Skyward Series” by Brandon Sanderson, and Bruce Springsteen’s memoir, ”Born to Run” because he is MY FAVORITE!

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

How the 2024 National Teacher of the Year helps English learners adapt in rural Appalachia

2024-04-03T19:50:00+00:00

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As an English as a Second Language specialist at her Tennessee school and a long-time member of her rural Appalachian community, Missy Testerman often finds herself straddling two worlds, trying to bridge the divide.

That could mean anything from accompanying a student and his mother to get a refill for epilepsy medication, to showing the staff at the local courthouse how to use a translation app so they can communicate with immigrant families.

“Simple gestures such as sitting with my students’ families at high school graduation or a school play goes a long way in helping them find acceptance in our rural area since I have belonged to this community for decades and others trust my lead,” Testerman wrote recently. “I take this role as ambassador seriously, and I am thankful for the opportunity to connect these groups.”

And now, Testerman will be serving as an ambassador on an even bigger stage: She’s the new National Teacher of the Year.

Testerman, who teaches English learners at Rogersville City School, earned the title on Wednesday as part of a competition run by the Council of Chief State School Officers. She was previously named Tennessee’s top teacher for 2023.

She’ll spend the next year traveling the country, speaking out about issues she says teachers need to be making noise about, including the persistent mental health challenges kids are facing and the need to offer services even as COVID relief funding dries up.

“At times, it feels as though state legislatures across this country are passing laws that do not address actual problems,” Testerman wrote in her application. “Schools had to hire someone to scan every book in the building under the guise that pornography is lurking in a kindergarten classroom, yet we do not have funding to hire a behaviorist to help with the kindergarteners who are disrupting classrooms every day.”

Chalkbeat spoke with Testerman about how field trips to the post office help her English learners, why she went back to school at the age of 51, and why it’s important for lawmakers to understand what’s really happening inside the nation’s classrooms.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

You got your ESL endorsement after teaching for 30 years. Is there a moment or an interaction you had that made you think: ‘I’m going to go back and do this right now’?

Yes, actually, there was. One of my closest allies at school was our ESL teacher. She came to me and let me know that she was moving at the end of the school year. She had done a phenomenal job, not just educating these students and helping them acquire the English language, but also serving as their family resource person in our community. So I was very worried about who was going to advocate for these families.

The next day, I received an email that went out to everyone who was teaching in the state of Tennessee, explaining how the Tennessee Grow Your Own program works. One facet is that teachers who are already licensed could add an endorsement area in a hard-to-fill position, and that year, it was math, special education, and ESL. I was 51 years old, not your typical college student. But I enrolled, and at the end of the year, I was able to transition into her role and become the advocate for my students’ families.

You talked about how much you enjoy getting to be the first person who takes your ESL students to the library, or the post office, or the courthouse. Why is it important to you to do that, and how does that help your students and their families?

Many of my students are their family’s translators. They are the ones calling and making doctor’s appointments at 7 years old, or they are the ones who are translating documents.

Missy Testerman is the 2024 National Teacher of the Year. She teaches English learners at Rogersville City School in Tennessee.

A lot of times, my students are in a situation where pretty much all they do is come to school and go back home. They haven’t had the typical exposure to the things that we’re talking about. They may pass the post office every day, but they don’t understand: This is where I go when I need to mail a package.

Or they may be aware that we have a library, but there’s a language barrier for their parents to be able to take them to the library and explain that they need a library card.

Those are experiences that I get to have. And not only do I get to have them with my students, and open up that pathway for them to be able to share with their families, but also it helps the people in my community to see my families as just another member of the community. It helps them to adapt to living in our rural area.

You’ve been talking with educator prep programs and offering your feedback. What are some of the ways that you’d like to see teacher training improve or change?

The literacy piece is always a big thing. We passed a law called the Tennessee Literacy Act in 2021, and that requires that anyone entering into our classrooms be proficient in the science of reading, and how to teach literacy at any level — not just to students coming in. That’s been part of the conversation.

I’m also talking to them about the types of mental health challenges that we’re seeing, so that they can work that into the curriculum for students to be prepared, and to know what resources are available in schools.

As National Teacher of the Year, what do you want to make sure policymakers are better educated about?

I want our policymakers to know what’s going on inside our classrooms. For far too long, policy has been made by people who are not education experts. They’re not teachers, they don’t spend a lot of time within classrooms.

But we’re not going to make anyone aware unless our teachers are willing to speak up and be advocates — for their students, themselves, our profession — by being honest about what our struggles are, and what will make those struggles better.

Right now, I feel like the most pressing issue that schools across our country are facing are mental health challenges. I’m in a pre-K-8 school, so I’ve seen lots of different situations, anything from depression in our older students, where they are just totally withdrawn from the school situation — they don’t want to be there. That affects their education, obviously, and it also leads to chronic absenteeism.

In our younger students, what I’m seeing and what I’m hearing from other teachers is that students are showing up unable to regulate, or to deal with their frustrations.

These mental health challenges don’t just affect the child experiencing the crisis, or the teachers, they affect every kid in the classroom, every school employee who tries to help and intervene. I see that as a particular challenge.

You wrote in your application that ESSER funds are winding down, but we’re still dealing with big challenges around academic recovery and mental health. How do you think your advocacy can help raise alarms about some of the things that you’re seeing?

That $122 billion that was invested into schools helped schools hire mental health counselors, guidance counselors, behaviorists, and other support staff. And we know we’re still struggling with student mental health at this time. For those supports to be taken away can lead to a very difficult situation.

I hope that I empower teachers to share what that looks like, and why that’s difficult, and why that interrupts the learning of other students in the classroom, so that systems all across the country can figure out a way to make up for those funds and keep the supports in play.

Kalyn Belsha is a senior national education reporter based in Chicago. Contact her at kbelsha@chalkbeat.org.

How this school social worker helps students inside and outside of the classroom

2024-03-21T21:04:10+00:00

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The more caring and loving adults in a child’s life, the better.

That’s the approach Michele Whaley carries into her job as a school social worker at Eleanor Skillen School 34 in Indianapolis.

“At school, I can provide someone that will nonjudgmentally listen and provide support, skills, and perspective which they can then take into other aspects of life,” she said.

And while her role can impact a student’s life in many ways, it’s also impacted her own life. Whaley has been a school social worker for 15 years and was named Indiana School Social Worker of the Year in July by the Indiana School Social Work Association.

“At this point, it is an integral part to who I am,” she said of being a school social worker. “It has made me a better parent to my 10-year-old son and, quite frankly, taught me how to parent. It has allowed me to see the impact a caring, safe, and positive role model can have on the life of a child, which drives me to continue this work despite how difficult it can be.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What led you to become a school social worker?

I have to give most of that credit to Jane Zobel, who was the first school social worker I ever met. I took a job working as a contract employee at an IPS school prior to receiving my Master of Social Work. While in that job, I got to spend time seeing the work Jane got to do with students, families, and the community.

She was just so caring and loving towards students, staff, families, and the community. She provided a safe space for students to feel cared for and just did so much for the school community. It allowed me to see how much difference someone can make in a school environment where you see and work with all students.

It inspired me to return to finish my master’s degree, and the rest is really history.

Michele Whaley (center) poses for a photo on the day she was named school social worker of the year. On the left is principal Krista Douglass and Erica Robinson, IPS executive director of schools, is on the right.

What does a typical day look like for you?

My days can vary so much depending on the needs of the students and the school as a whole. My work spans the spectrum from whole group instruction on character education and development (social/emotional learning) to individual services such as counseling and crisis support. On any given day, I might be teaching in a classroom, intervening with behavior, supporting a student that is grieving, providing a family with food resources, helping plan school events, or conducting conflict resolution. Also, I’m also a part of various leadership teams and community engagement opportunities. One of the best parts of the job is the variety.

School social work has a strong basis in advocacy, justice, and respecting the voice of those you work alongside. For me, it is important to advocate for and enhance the voices of students and families to make sure they have all of the academic and non-academic support needed.

Conflict resolution and kindness are keys to anti-bullying because when children approach situations with kindness and how to resolve problems in a respectful manner, it reduces bullying behaviors.

What do you think is misunderstood about your role and wish more people knew?

I believe one of the common misunderstandings from a community perspective is that all social workers are linked to the Department of Child Services. Another is that people don’t realize that school social workers are dual-licensed professionals in the state of Indiana. I hold an Indiana Department of Education License and am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, or LCSW, through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. Due to this, I am a trained mental health professional that is able to support students and families in many ways because many other mental health professionals in schools can only work with their clients rather than the larger school population.

What would you do more of if time were no object?

Honestly, if time were not an object I would do more 1:1 student work, especially with older students. The work that can be done with children as they start to enter adolescence is amazing. It’s universally a difficult time because that’s when we start to navigate the world without as much help from our parents and guardians.

It is the beginning of us starting to figure out where we want to fit in the world and who we fit alongside and as the social dynamic becomes more complex … it’s a lot.

So it’s fulfilling to help students understand more about how their mental health, feelings, and coping skills function and can improve. I would also do more work with bringing community resources and partners into the school if time weren’t a barrier.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

I think the number one piece that’s impactful to me is make time for yourself. The social work career is very geared towards assisting others and it can take an emotional toll. School social workers interact with emotionally deep and difficult topics on a daily basis so knowing how to separate or at least compartmentalize that is so important. Another important thing is remembering you might never know the difference you are making in someone’s life just by being there for them.

You spend your days trying to help others. How do you wind down after a stressful day?

Over the years, I’ve worked hard to practice what I preach and understand the coping skills that work for me. After an emotionally difficult day, I usually need to vent to someone that cares about me, and I need to engage in physical activity such as a walk or exercise of some sort. I maintain a pretty solid boundary with work and do not bring work home, so that helps as well.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Computer science at an arts school: This Bronx teacher combines coding and dance

2024-03-19T20:46:00+00:00

About two years after Maha Hasen started teaching math at a Bronx arts high school, a few students urged her to create a computer science track. So she took it upon herself to learn the subject.

She did a fellowship with Upperline Code, which trains educators committed to expanding access to computer science, and was able to re-introduce AP Computer Science principles at Fordham High School for the Arts. Hasen also launched a coding club where students learned to create websites using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Now in her eighth year at the school where she started her teaching career, Hasen became an assistant principal while still teaching a few courses. Her school now has a four-year computer science track that includes work-based learning experiences through the Education Department’s FutureReadyNYC program.

And Hasen strives to increase the number of girls pursuing computer science, even collaborating with a dance teacher to combine step and coding. Girls make up more than 70% of students at her arts-focused school.

“My students are dedicated, vocal, and innovative changemakers that hope to use their skills in computer science to dismantle the belief that women do not belong in computer science and to truly change their communities for the better using their skills from the class,” said Hasen, who has won several accolades, including a 2023 Big Apple Teaching Award and Cognizant Innovation in Computer Science Award in 2022.

Besides being part of the second wave of schools in the FutureReadyNYC program, Hasen’s school was selected this year to join the city’s Career Readiness & Modern Youth Apprenticeship program. Through that, students can get paid apprenticeships with technology companies and take coursework at New York University in pursuit of an associate degree.

These programs, Hasen said, help “ensure that we go beyond a traditional high school experience.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

The short answer: I didn’t! As an applied mathematics and philosophy major, I had originally intended to become a Professor of Philosophy.

However, I had volunteered and worked at a number of schools in Washington, D.C., as a tutor, Ethics Bowl coach, site associate, and teacher, and I interned at the Center for Education Reform, so when my advisor recommended that I look into Teach for America, it made a lot of sense!

I was thrilled to join Teach for America and to be placed in the Bronx, as I was born and raised in the Bronx.

However, what is even more important than why I decided to become a teacher is why I decided to stay a teacher.

Of course, the cliché (and true!) answer is that the students are why I stayed, but after years of reflection, I have found that the most important factor to me staying in the profession has been that I have an incredible principal, Michael Johnson Jr., who has truly embodied the meaning of transformational leadership. Only through his leadership have I been able to take the intellectual risks and develop into the educator that I am now.

I believe an often overlooked factor in teacher development is who is actually supporting the development of teachers — and for me, I am fortunate to have a mentor/principal who consistently gives effective feedback and coaching to support my development.

Why did you decide to take the leap and become an assistant principal?

I wanted to take on a more formal role with the science and math department at my school. I love working with teachers and giving them feedback, and through my role as Master Teacher, I was able to work closely with many teachers and support them in their development.

However, I consistently found myself interested in taking on more administrative projects, and my principal had pushed me to pursue the role of assistant principal.

It was very important to me in the transition to continue to teach. As such, I still teach two sections of AP Computer Science Principles, and once a week, I teach an Algebra II Prep class. I believe that being able to teach these classes allows me to leverage my room as a lab classroom and to really practice what I preach to teachers. Overall, I’ve loved the transition!

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

I love facilitating student learning as they complete their final app in AP Computer Science Principles.

While this culminating project leads to a lot of frustration from students, it is incredible to see how students create apps that tie in their identity and serve the purpose of helping their peers.

Additionally, it is incredible to watch as students work their way out of their comfort zones and navigate through the challenges and frustrations of coding to develop their apps by collaborating and using each other as resources.

Last year, students created a song recommendation app, an app to help learn [American Sign Language], and one that helps you learn about African American inventors and scientists.

I saw that you collaborated with a dance teacher on a freshman coding and dance course aimed at girls. Can you tell me more about that class and why you decided to do that?

The whole premise of our STEM From Dance class was to train an AI to recognize dance poses and then use these dance poses to trigger animations that we can code! Students in this class leveraged the use of Google’s Teachable Machines and Scratch to code.

As a performing arts high school, it is important that we continue to look for ways to integrate the arts into the core academic classes. This was an incredible opportunity because it wasn’t just a unit activity — it was an entire class co-taught with our dance teacher that allowed students to explore computer science through dance.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I always loved school, specifically my math classes. In college, I majored in applied mathematics and philosophy, and I think that shaped my teaching career significantly. As a philosophy major, I spent a lot of time asking questions and always focusing on learning more, sharing perspectives, and thinking outside the box.

I’ve aimed to translate that to my classroom and school by challenging the notions of traditional education. Some examples include the flipped classroom that I helped to pilot in the math classrooms in 2017 — where students watch ‘how-to’ videos at home and take assessments and do small group work in class — and the intentionality behind creating a computer science track and partnership with FutureReady.

Of course, as a math major, I am excited by math so it made sense that I started my teaching career as a math teacher! I hope that I have been able to instill that same love of mathematics and share the joy of the discipline with my students.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

Choose to be happy! While working in education is a very challenging job, it is so much easier if you consistently make the choice to be happy.

For me, that means continuing to teach what I am passionate about, assuming the best intentions of others, and prioritizing my health to ensure I am filled with energy each day!

Amy Zimmer is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat New York. Contact Amy at azimmer@chalkbeat.org.

This New York City counselor used to teach math. Now she helps migrant students destress at school

2024-03-15T14:00:08+00:00

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As a middle school math teacher, Lisset Condo Dutan’s days often revolved around fractions and equations. But when the pandemic hit, her virtual classroom became a place where students came to confide in her.

“I would only see them through a screen, and they would share with me: I lost my grandma, I just lost my dad, I just lost my mom,” she said. She tried her best to listen, but she knew they needed more. “They didn’t really have the emotional support that they needed.”

Lisset Condo Dutan works with newcomer students at an elementary school in Queens through the nonprofit Counseling in Schools.

Driven by those conversations, Condo Dutan went back to school to get her master’s in counseling — while she was teaching full-time — and became a school counselor.

Last fall, she took a position with the nonprofit Counseling in Schools, which places school counselors in dozens of schools throughout New York City. Condo Dutan now works at P.S. 149 in Queens, not far from where she grew up. She was among a dozen bilingual or bicultural counselors that the nonprofit hired to meet the needs of a growing number of migrant students who’ve enrolled in the city’s schools.

Now, she spends her days popping into classrooms to see if newcomers need any help and meeting with students in small groups or one-on-one.

“Even though they went through a lot, they’re the strongest people that I’ve ever met,” she said. “I admire that.”

Condo Dutan spoke with Chalkbeat about how art therapy, breathing exercises, and sharing details from her visits to Ecuador have helped her connect with her students.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What are some of the mental health or social-emotional needs that your newcomer students have?

A lot of them have undergone some sort of trauma. Especially when they share their journey coming here to New York, either what they saw on their way here or what they saw at the detention centers at the border. It impacts them a lot.

Thankfully, a lot of the teachers pick up on these little emotions. Maybe they walk in sad one day or they look upset, or there’s a change in behavior. They’ll ask: Can you please just check up on the student? And when you check up on them, you realize that there’s a lot of things that are still bothering them.

They’ll share: You know, I had this nightmare, I’m still thinking about this. I remember when we were crossing the river. Or, honestly speaking, they’ve seen people pass away on their way here. Unfortunately, they’ve seen bodies and stuff like that. And these are third graders, second graders, fifth graders.

That’s still there for them. So, sometimes they do have days where they’re a little off. [It’s important] to provide them with that support and that safe space.

When you’re starting to build a relationship and a rapport with a student who has been through a really tough journey, what are some of the things you do to help establish that you’re a safe person and that they’re in a safe place?

I let them speak about their culture. A lot of these students are very proud of where they come from, so I give them that opportunity and that time to teach me about themselves.

Sometimes, we’ll share memories. But usually, we do a lot of art therapy. For most of them, that’s easier. Markers, crayons, glitter, pens, paints — anything that I have in the office.

They’re drawing their favorite dishes, their favorite places, or their favorite people that they left behind, as well as their pets or any traditional celebrations. For example, for Christmas, they shared that certain countries have a whole festival for like a week. They would draw bumper cars and parties, and certain cultural outfits.

What are some of the acculturation struggles that you’re seeing?

Usually, what they share is that it’s just hard overall. In their countries, they would have more freedom. There would be much more fresh air and free space for them to run around. Coming here and being in an apartment, or being stuck in school, it’s different for them.

They’ve slowly been getting accustomed to school life. It’s been a lot of teaching them how to schedule their time, time management, as well as asking them what other resources they need in order to feel comfortable.

What strategies or coping skills have you taught students that they’ve found helpful?

We’ve done a lot of breathing exercises. Sometimes [their exposure to trauma] does get them a little uneasy. They really like [an exercise called] smell the flower, blow out the birthday cake candle.

I usually ask them: If I had a flower in my hand, how would you smell the flower? And they would inhale and breathe in. And when I ask them to blow out a birthday candle, they blow out through their mouth. It teaches them how to not take quick breaths.

I’ve also done a lot of cooked spaghetti, uncooked spaghetti. I have students basically tense up every part of their body. So they’ll become very stiff, like uncooked spaghetti. And then I allow them to become like cooked spaghetti, very noodly, so they let go of everything.

It’s allowing them to take notice of what part of their body is under stress, and teaching them how to express themselves when they feel that stress.

How does being able to speak Spanish allow you to connect with the students in ways that wouldn’t be possible if you didn’t speak their language?

Instead of having to translate what they’re feeling, they’re able to just express themselves exactly how they feel.

If I don’t understand something, I do ask them: Oh, what do you mean by this? It could be because of cultural differences. I take that time to let them teach me about what they’re trying to say, or what they’re trying to get out.

Do you ever share things about yourself with the students to help make a connection with them?

My parents are Ecuadorian, and I do bring that to the table. When I go to Ecuador, I visit my grandpa, I go to the countryside, I go to the city, and I’m able to share that with them. Even if the child is not from Ecuador, they’re more open to opening up to me because they realize: She’s been outside of New York, she understands what’s going on in other countries.

Lisset Condo Dutan often shares stories about visiting her family in Ecuador as a way to connect with the students she works with.

They ask me: Have you tasted salchipapas? Have you tasted a traditional dish called tripa mishqui? I’m open to sharing that information with them, and they’re usually very happy [to talk about it].

Where my grandpa lives, it’s like a farmland. A lot of them came from farmland. So, me being able to say: You know, when I go to Ecuador, I spend a week with my grandpa, and I help him feed the cows and feed the horses. That usually sparks something in them. They look at me like: You did that? I used to do that! Little things like that have really helped me connect with them.

Kalyn Belsha is a senior national education reporter based in Chicago. Contact her at kbelsha@chalkbeat.org.

This Tennessee ESL teacher ensures that her students learn the language — and feel the love

2024-02-15T22:16:56+00:00

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Missy Testerman has been teaching at Rogersville City School for 32 years. But for the past few years, she’s been teaching more children who weren’t born in the rural Appalachian community where the school is nestled.

Some of the children are from Mexico and Honduras. Others are from India, China, and various Arabic-speaking nations. She heard stories about immigrant families braving dangerous routes to get to the United States.

“We’re very rural. We see cows every day,” said Testerman, 54, who also directs the ESL program at the school. “But what we’ve seen here is that [Spanish-speaking immigrants] aren’t settling close to the [southern] border anymore … they’re coming to towns like ours.”

To help these families acclimate, Testerman earned her license to teach English learners two years ago. What she’s learned is that the job requires more than helping children and families learn English and find their way. It means helping newcomer students fit in socially as well.

Sometimes, she said, the political climate can make that daunting.

“I try to make sure that my children and their families are assimilated here, that they’re participating in sports and everything, because if they assimilate, people will accept them more easily,” Testerman said.

She said it’s “heartbreaking” to hear people, particularly elected officials, make hurtful blanket statements about immigrants.

Last year, Testerman’s passion for her students and her work as an ESL teacher earned her the title of Tennessee’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. This year, the Council of Chief State School Officers selected her as one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year.

The winner will be announced in April.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” she said. “I’m still a little baffled as to how and why, because there are so many awesome teachers in my state and community who pour their heart and soul into their work. To be named as a finalist is just incredibly humbling.”

Testerman recently talked to Chalkbeat Tennessee about how she approaches her work.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How do you go about teaching English to non-native speakers?

You just start small, using photo cards, and expanding their reach, just like you would with a baby, by trying to fill their world with language. In the beginning, it means very basic language that you build on.

I do a combination of push-in services, where I go in, plan with the teacher, work with the teacher, and help deliver English language development skills at the same time I’m delivering academic content, and I also do [55 minutes of] pull-out for kids who need it — new learners, students who struggle.

This year, I really tried to focus on my fourth graders, because they were kindergartners when the COVID shutdowns started. They were home during most of first grade, and they’re the ones who have had the most loss.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

I love everything about the reading process. My master’s degree is in education, so I love any lesson that has to do with the components of reading — whether that is breaking down themes, character development, contractions, antonyms, and synonyms.

What’s going on in your community that affects what happens in your classroom?

Unfortunately, there are [those], and they’re mainly politicians, who are on social media pushing out these untrue statements about immigrants, and a lot of times, that causes a bias to form against some of my students and their families, and that does affect their education.

Luckily, my school here is kind of insulated. We built this community inside our school, but outside our school, these are the things that my students and their families have to face. They want to fit in, but they also want to be proud of their heritage, and we want them to be proud of their heritage.

Also, something that is also very important to me is that they preserve their home language. It is a gift to have two languages, and I constantly work in examples of how they can use both of their languages in a career someday. I tell the story of my son’s girlfriend. [Her family is] Honduran. She was born and raised in Houston but she speaks both languages. They’re in supply chain management and real estate. She’s just incredibly talented because she’s able to talk to people in two different languages. I urge [students] to speak their home languages at home, so they don’t lose it. I can teach them English, but not Arabic or Spanish.

What inspired you to become a teacher?

I think I was always destined to be a teacher. I was always that typical kid who lined up the dolls taught the dolls, and forced my little sister to play school. I had so many incredible teachers when I was growing up, and I wanted to be like them, to emulate them. I wanted to dress like them. I remember when I was in the first grade, and I was so proud when my mom bought me a cardigan to wear with my Easter dress because my teacher wore a cardigan every day. I was so proud of that sweater.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

I worked with the very best mentor. She’s no longer with us, but she was always that voice asking what’s best for kids and how something will impact students. That’s the best advice I’ve ever gotten: To keep kids as the focus and to ask yourself what’s best for students.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

This may sound weird, but my husband and I get up at about 5:30 every morning, and we run before school. That is my stress reliever; it helps me manage the stress of the job.

Bureau Chief Tonyaa Weathersbee oversees Chalkbeat Tennessee’s education coverage. Reach her at tweathersbee@chalkbeat.org.

Newark school leader returns home, aims to create joyful and welcoming classrooms

2024-02-15T11:45:00+00:00

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Islah Tauheed’s return to Newark schools is a much-anticipated homecoming that carries on her family’s legacy.

The Newark native who recently became vice principal of Avon Avenue Elementary School comes from generations of educators and advocates for public education in the city. She started her career at the now-closed Miller Street School, where her grandmother went to school as a child. Her grandmother later became a school cafeteria worker and Tauheed’s mother spent 30 years as a special education teacher in the city.

As a school leader, Tauheed is now focused on creating a welcoming environment for new immigrant students and a joyful workplace for staff. She’s also prioritizing small group literacy instruction for K-3 classes.

When we last caught up with her, Tauheed was teaching English language arts at P.S. 567 Linden Tree Elementary School in the Bronx. After 12 years there, she returned to Newark last summer. “I thrived as an educator in New York City, but for every amazing thing I did, there was a voice in the back of my head that said, ‘I wish I was doing this for my own community,’” she said in a recent interview with Chalkbeat Newark.

In her new role, she works closely with Kinyetta Bird, a first-year principal at Avon Elementary. For Tauheed, this holds special meaning to be able to work alongside someone whom she identifies closely with, she says.

“Being a young Black woman leader and having her mentorship has been life-changing even in these short few months,” Tauheed said of Bird. “It changes your confidence to feel affirmed, validated, and understood. We speak often of how representation matters to students — but it matters to leaders as well.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What issues have come up for you as a school leader this school year, and how have you addressed them?

This is my third year as a school leader, but my first as a school leader in Newark. One major event happening this year is an influx of newly immigrated students into our school. This is a demographic shift for this community which has historically been largely African American, African, and Caribbean. As a leadership team, we are prioritizing hiring more Spanish-speaking staff. Our climate and culture committee came up with a welcome plan for families to reduce feelings of isolation. We’ve also moved to a more inclusive model where our new students are supported by our ESL teachers beyond pull-out services. Our teachers are helping our new students within all content areas, including math.

Another less tangible effort this year is creating a culture of joyful persistence within our school. With all the demands in education, this job needs to feel sustainable. Our community has experienced a lot of loss due to COVID and instances of violence. It was a priority for us to balance giving grace to the staff, understanding that change is not easy, while also holding high expectations for academics. The wellness of both students and staff is promoted within our school. For example, my principal holds Wellness Wednesdays, during which our physical education teacher leads morning yoga for the staff. The care that the staff feels trickles down to the students.

How is your team helping younger students boost their reading levels and refine their literacy skills?

My young learners are busy! To support building and maintaining those foundational literacy skills, we implement daily small group work where there is a focus on phonics and phonemic awareness. Teaching early elementary school for 14 years, I’m aware that managing small groups is tough for a classroom teacher to do on their own, especially with the other daily demands.

I work very closely with my literacy coach, my academic interventionists, my resource teachers, and my amazing paraprofessionals to provide support for my classroom teachers. They push in during the literacy block and assist with small group instruction every single day. There are no fewer than three adults leading small group work daily in my kindergarten through third grade classes — it’s all hands on deck!

I say that teaching reading is rocket science and that all my teachers are action researchers. We spend lots of time progress monitoring and analyzing data so that we are responsive to student needs and adjusting instruction accordingly. We’ve been seeing movement, especially in the second grade, where 93% of the students have moved reading levels. It’s lots of work but it’s work of love, and I’m really proud and grateful to my team for passionately jumping on board.

Islah Tauheed is the vice principal at Avon Elementary School in Newark.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

This is an ongoing challenge as I’ve been trying to establish a work-life balance since I’ve entered education, but The Nap Ministry has been instrumental in me seeing rest as a revolution.

Part of my rest is seeking out spaces of comfort. I find being in nature really grounding, yet challenging when you live in an urban city. But even on my busiest days, I’ll drive to a park and sit by the river and feel the air on my skin.

I also love to cook, which many may find as more work! However, I enjoy putting meals together. Cooking is a creative outlet for me. I subscribe to NYT Cooking, and I try new recipes whenever I can. Lastly, everyone who knows me knows that I love to travel. Catch me on a plane!

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Chicago counselor focuses on building relationships to get students to share

2024-02-15T00:35:02+00:00

Marlita Ingram was an English teacher at Chicago’s Manley Career Academy High School in the early 2000s when she realized that she wanted to be a school counselor.

She noticed that students who struggled in class were often dealing with a problem outside of school. She learned that if she built a relationship with them, then they would sometimes open up.

Ingram, who has been a counselor for the past 18 years, helps students work through a range of problems – from issues with their class schedule to dealing with gun violence, which recently claimed the lives of four students near three Chicago schools.

Even as a seasoned educator, Ingram, a department chair at Foreman College and Career Academy High School, is still learning new ways to connect with students. Recently, as the school has welcomed many new migrant students, Ingram has relied on Google Translate, bilingual staff, and trusted friends of her Spanish-speaking students to facilitate conversations.

“I’ve had kids who are not even on my caseload [say], ‘Can I talk to you?’ I’m like, ‘OK, yeah, baby, you can talk to me,’ and it’s because one of their friends brought them,” she said. “The more approachable you are … I think they gravitate, and they are willing to tell you more than what you want to know, but they’ll tell you what they have on their mind.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a counselor?

Outside the classroom, I was doing a lot more community-based work with my students. They needed help with navigating different things in the community. They were having issues at home with family, and I started engaging with that work. And then one summer, I kinda helped out the school counselor at the school, and I was like, “I think this is what I want to do.” I still always tell people my passion or my niche is to teach or to help educate. I just do it in a different way with school counseling.

How do you get to know your students?

It varies. Kids say my presence is always “automatic” when I come in the room because I’m very boisterous. I’m very alive when I’m doing class instructions or class lessons with students. But I’m also a person who notices the small things.

If it’s a student I’ve never known before and they’re on my caseload, I might do a general introduction via email. We can see kids’ pictures; I just do a random look at the pictures so that I can start putting names and faces together. If I start seeing them in the hallway, I’m just like, “Hi, I’m Dr. Ingram, your counselor. What’s your name again?” I start that very general conversation, and then I build from there.

I try to be in the hallway during passing periods so I can observe how kids are interacting with each other. Do I see anything that’s not positive – bullying or something like that? I stay away from being security because that’s more punitive, and that’s not my role. But you will hear me in the hallway be like, “Ay!” Especially if it’s one of my kids that I’ve known for a while [like], “Uh-uh, Joshua, you already know where you’re supposed to be. I know your schedule by heart.” I don’t, but they think I do.

Every interaction builds to the next interaction. I’m in the middle of programming, so we sit one-on-one with our kids, and we start having conversations, like, “So what do you want to do? … Let’s start seeing where we need to plug in classes that might fit well with what you think you may want to do, and you can change your mind.” Kids flock to you when they know that you care.

Over the past month, multiple students in Chicago have been fatally shot near school, causing a lot of grief for not just the families, but also for students and staff. What are the first steps you take to support students experiencing grief?

On a school level, we may do some acknowledgment. We have these two groups, right, that don’t necessarily live by each other. They live in certain pockets of the city. One of our African American students may have heard about something in that particular area, whereas my Latino students may not know because they don’t live in that area. It’s sometimes challenging to be able to finagle what’s happened in what community, but when we do have that information, we do offer crisis services for students here at the school with our social workers. We have great outside partners, with Youth Guidance, with BAM and WOW. They chime in and help as much as needed. On a daily basis, in the counseling suite, we have a wellness room. It’s a space for students to utilize to kind of regulate their emotions. [One student was] dealing with the loss of her father. That was her saving grace when she transitioned back into school.

And then we are starting to help teachers get more involved in the regulation because sometimes kids won’t come to us. So we’re in the process [of] ordering different things that kind of help create a space, that if a kid just wants to take a timeout, and they don’t want to come all the way down to the counseling office, teachers can have these chair corners already established in their room that have gadgets and fidgets, meditating things, some breathing exercises, coloring, all the different things that can kind of help a student regulate and refocus.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your school?

We have [had an] increase in one part of the community of robberies. I’ve got a couple of kids who have been stuck up for shoes, jackets.

[Separately], we have an influx of our migrants that are coming in. Our bilingual numbers have doubled. So learning how to communicate with the students and make them feel welcome and safe.

I have learned over the years a few phrases, but I cannot hold a complete conversation in Spanish, but I utilize Google Translate. [Students learning English] become very resourceful, and they’ll find a peer partner to help translate. We have a list of staff that are bilingual or trilingual that I can reach out to like, “Hey, can you translate for me real quick?” especially with a parent and or a student. So we just try to maneuver, and I’m still trying to learn Spanish because I think I should just learn it anyway.

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective or approach.

I had a student who didn’t know how to come out to his family. That transition was a very hard time for him. And this was early on in my career. It was the first time I had a student who came out to me, right? And the love and support that I saw from [his mother and aunt]. It really, truly made me understand the need for that full circle, for that student to be that courageous, to be able to say, “This is who I am, and this is why you know. I’m not going to hide it anymore.” So it made me very much more in tune to try and check to see if I had any biases, and if I did, to try to correct those to be a support.

What part of your job is most difficult?

The meetings. As leaders in the building, we are pulled into quite a few meetings, and balancing that with being available for students in need [is a challenge]. Our leadership, our administration, only allows students to see us during the lunch period. (If a kid is in crisis, it doesn’t matter when it is.) But trying to balance being a presence, providing our perspective, being in leadership roles in the building, and being available to students — sometimes that just totally throws off your day. I’ll have days where I’ve been in meetings most of the day and I feel like I haven’t been available for my students. I’m learning as a department chair that sometimes your impact may be indirect because you’re making decisions … that are going to affect students indirectly. So I’m servicing them, it’s just not the direct service. And my passion is the direct service, right?

The second part is student advocacy. If I’m advocating for a student, be it for an academic issue or social-emotional or something like that, that is part of my job. It sometimes makes that tension [with another teacher or administrator] a little strong, I’m gonna say. [Teachers] feel as though I’m taking the kid’s side — I’m not.

What was the biggest misconception that you initially brought to teaching?

In teaching, my biggest misconception was that I thought all kids wanted to learn. I figured, if you came to school, you want to be there. That’s not how it is. We got kids who come for other reasons. It took me a while to learn that. I believe that a lot of students come to school for socialization. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have kids who want to learn — that’s not what I’m saying. But I am saying, kids feed off of interacting with their peers and growing those relationships.

As a counselor, I think my misconception was that I would have more freedom and fluidity throughout my day, and I really don’t. It’s very structured. Like [people will say], “Oh, you don’t have a class, so what are you doing?” When I walked in the door, it’s literally boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, sneak in a lunch, boom, boom.

What’s the best advice you’ve received?

With school counseling, the best advice was for me to be transparent to students and families, to be vulnerable. If I can show them I was OK being transparent and I was comfortable being vulnerable with them, then they would do the same. If we can have that baseline of vulnerability and respect, we can go wherever we needed to go.

Esta maestra de Colorado lucha por lograr un cambio para los estudiantes bilingües

2024-02-14T23:05:35+00:00

Read in English.

En segundo grado, Carlota Loya Hernández pasaba mucho tiempo coloreando en su asiento. No hablaba inglés y su maestra no hablaba español, así que los lápices de colores y el papel eran su actividad favorita en la escuela de San Luis Valley en Colorado.

En la escuela intermedia, las cosas habían cambiado. Loya Hernández estaba tomando la clase de matemáticas avanzadas y estaba en camino a tomar clases más avanzadas en la secundaria. Con el tiempo, obtuvo su diploma universitario y se convirtió en maestra en el distrito escolar del Boulder Valley.

Hoy tiene un doctorado y aboga por los estudiantes bilingües, trabajando para asegurar que ellos tengan las oportunidades educativas que merecen.

“El mayor problema de las escuelas públicas es la falta de respuesta al brillante e increíble talento de todos y cada uno de los niños, especialmente los bilingües y multilingües”, dijo ella.

Carlota Loya Hernández.

Loya Hernández, que es especialista en matemáticas y en programas para estudiantes sobresalientes y talentosos en la Escuela Bilingüe Pioneer, una escuela de inmersión en dos idiomas en Boulder Valley, fue nombrada maestra bilingüe de primaria del año 2023 por la Asociación de Educación Bilingüe de Colorado. Ella habló con Chalkbeat sobre cómo aseguraba que las reuniones de padres y maestros tuvieran un 100% de asistencia, qué le dijo a la mamá de un estudiante y por qué le preocupan los sentimientos en contra de los inmigrantes.

Esta entrevista ha sido levemente editada para acortarla y hacerla más precisa.

¿En qué momento decidiste ser maestra?

Como estudiante de intermedia y secundaria, recibí capacitación para ser tutora de estudiantes porque con frecuencia venían a mí para que los ayudara. En la universidad, fui tutora de matemáticas y ciencias. Nunca tuve planes de ser maestra y quería ser ingeniera arquitectónica por mi amor a las matemáticas y al arte. Pero era mi vocación.

Abandoné la universidad por dificultades económicas y por no saber sobre las ayudas financieras. Conseguí un trabajo como gerente de un restaurante y comencé mi carrera en el distrito de Boulder Valley como una tutora de idioma natal. Disfruté mucho trabajando con estudiantes inmigrantes y refugiados, que a menudo eran ignorados o no recibían apoyo en los salones de clase regulares. Esto me enfureció y me impulsó a volver a la universidad y obtener un diploma de maestra.

¿Cómo influyó tu propia experiencia en la escuela en tu manera de enseñar?

Recuerdo mi primer día de segundo grado en la Center Elementary School. Acabábamos de mudarnos a San Luis Valley desde Silverton. Tuve apoyo bilingüe en Kinder y en primer grado porque acababa de llegar al país, pero en segundo grado mis opciones eran nadar o hundirme. Mi maestra no me entendía y yo no la entendía a ella. Me dio lápices de colores y me dejó colorear. Yo era muy feliz porque me encantaba el arte.

En la escuela intermedia, me asignaron a una clase de matemáticas avanzadas. En la secundaria tomé clases avanzadas de lenguaje, matemáticas y ciencias. Como hija de trabajadores agrícolas con pocos recursos en casa, la escuela se convirtió en un refugio seguro. Me iba muy bien en todas las clases, excepto en Educación Física. La única C que recibí fue en educación física porque tenía que vestirme para la clase. Mi papá no me permitía usar pantalones cortos y tampoco contaba con los medios para comprarme pantalones de sudadera.

La Center High School me abrió las puertas a un mundo de oportunidades y me nominó para la beca Spud Bowl del Adams State College en Alamosa (que ahora es la Adams State University). Gané la beca completa, y fue la clave para acceder a una educación superior y a un futuro lleno de posibilidades. Se convirtió en mi boleto para salir de la pobreza.

Cuéntanos cuál es la lección que más te gusta enseñar. ¿De dónde salió la idea?

Me encanta desarrollar lecciones que realmente conecten con los estudiantes, impacten en su forma de pensar y les ayuden a entender conceptos importantes. Para enseñar conceptos matemáticos importantes, como fracciones, decimales y porcentajes, preparé una lección utilizando el libro If the World Were a Village de David J. Smith.

El enfoque era muy matemático, pero los estudiantes pudieron analizar los datos y llegar a sus propias conclusiones. La lección permitió que mis estudiantes pensaran más allá de su propia existencia en su ciudad, más allá de las fronteras, y se enfrentaran a las graves desigualdades en el acceso a educación, atención médica, condiciones básicas para vivir, como acceso a agua potable, vivienda y alcantarillado, y pudieran imaginar la gran pobreza de tantos que literalmente se están muriendo de hambre. Nos permitió entender lo agradecidos que debemos estar por todo lo que tenemos en Estados Unidos, lo afortunados que somos y la gran cantidad de oportunidades que tenemos.

¿Cuál es el mayor reto que enfrentan tus estudiantes bilingües?

Los sistemas de opresión en todos los ámbitos de la vida de los estudiantes. Las manifestaciones de racismo incluyen programas de doble idioma adaptados para las familias blancas. La mayoría de los estudiantes de nuestro distrito que obtienen el Sello de Alfabetización Bilingüe (que demuestra que pueden leer y escribir tanto en inglés como en otro idioma) no son hablantes nativos de ese otro idioma.

Los estudiantes bilingües siguen estando sobrerrepresentados en educación especial, en referidos por disciplina y en escuelas alternativas con currículos técnicos en vez de en programas preuniversitarios y cursos AP/IB. Y no están suficientemente representados en clases avanzadas de todas las áreas, incluidas las de español. [A menudo], no se les identifica como sobresalientes y talentosos.

Estos son los sistemas contra los que lucho a diario. En mis tres semestres en la Escuela Bilingüe Pioneer, tenemos 25 estudiantes en matemáticas avanzadas solamente en cuarto y quinto grado. Cuando empecé en Pioneer solo había seis estudiantes. Hay otros 30-40 estudiantes en los grados más pequeños que están encaminados a toma clases de matemáticas avanzadas.

Como soy nerd para los datos, llevo cuenta del progreso de los estudiantes e identifico a los que tienen altas capacidades, tanto en matemáticas como en leer y escribir en ambos idiomas. Estamos en nuestro tercer año del Boulder Universal Advanced Math Program para estudiantes de cuarto y quinto grado.

La mayoría de los líderes de distritos y escuelas se enfocan en el nivel más alto de desempeño. Hay una urgencia por trabajar en la “brecha”, pero eso hace poco para mejorar una escuela. Tenemos que adoptar la mentalidad de desarrollar talento y oportunidades de aprendizaje avanzado para “subir la barra”.

¿Qué fortalezas notas en tus estudiantes bilingües?

Los estudiantes bilingües/multilingües están por encima del estándar, pero la fijación es que están por debajo del grado. Ellos logran un nivel más alto de lenguaje y de desempeño académico y social. Son el futuro de nuestra sociedad, ya que son ciudadanos con mentalidad global y serán los cuidadores del planeta. Los estudiantes bilingües/multilingües tienen más conciencia social a la hora de respetar y valorar diferencias, ya sean culturales, de idioma, religiosas, espirituales o de otro tipo.

Cuéntanos alguna anécdota memorable, sea buena o mala, en la que el contacto con la familia de un estudiante cambió tu perspectiva o estrategia.

Mis papás nunca pudieron ir a mi escuela cuando yo era niña porque trabajaban todo el día en los campos de lechugas o papas y llegaban tarde del trabajo. No tenían atención médica ni beneficios, y por lo tanto no podían darse el lujo de faltar al trabajo. Como maestra, me aseguré de quedarme hasta tarde y visitar los hogares de mis estudiantes para conectar con sus padres. Siempre me propuse y conseguí el 100% de asistencia en mis conferencias.

En mis 30 años como educadora, nunca vi a un padre o madre que no se preocupara por su hijo(a). La idea de que los padres no se preocupan, que están mal equipados para apoyar a sus hijos, tiene una base cruel y racista que contribuye a que los estudiantes de color sean vistos de manera más desfavorable, especialmente los que provienen de poblaciones de inmigrantes y refugiados. Por el contrario, esas familias cruzaron el continente a pie, huyeron del peligro y el hambre en su país de origen, y dejaron todo y a todos atrás para poder ofrecerles a sus hijos la mejor oportunidad para el futuro.

Una vez llamé a la mamá del payaso de la clase. Era un niño brillante que se negaba a hacer su tarea. Interrumpía la clase porque siempre estaba haciendo otra cosa y era muy gracioso. La madre contestó el teléfono: “¿Qué hizo Mario ahora?” Como estaba altavoz, Mario y el resto de la clase escucharon lo que dijo. No pude evitar reírme un poco, porque la estaba llamando para felicitarla por lo bien que Mario había hecho un examen o una actividad. Pero ese niño era y es brillante. Estoy seguro de que actualmente es un ciudadano exitoso y bilingüe que está aportando a la sociedad. No seguía las instrucciones siempre, pero tenía un potencial increíble. Para mí era tan obvio como el día; pero no todo el mundo es capaz de ver más allá del color de piel, trasfondo o comportamiento de un estudiante.

¿Qué está ocurriendo en la comunidad y afecta lo que pasa en tu salón de clases?

Nuestros estudiantes se ven afectados por el sentimiento antiinmigrante de este país, los asesinatos de latinos y negros a manos de la policía, los sistemas de prisión que alejan a los padres de sus hijos, la amenaza de los servicios sociales, y la falta de recursos en la comunidad, como vivienda básica, alimentos, atención médica, un salario digno y seguridad. La elección de un presidente — Donald Trump — que en su discurso y acciones proyectaba tanto odio, trajo miedo y angustia a las escuelas bilingües.

Los estudiantes estaban llorando mientras los maestros estaban en shock. Ese día tuve que quedarme en casa porque no podía afrontar la realidad de las elecciones. Este miedo ha regresado en 2024 porque el odio vuelve a afectar a todos los estudiantes de color, limita su humanidad y amenaza el bienestar y la seguridad de sus familias.

¿Qué estás leyendo en tu tiempo libre?

“Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal” y “We Want to Do More than Survive,” ambos escritos por Bettina L. Love. Me interesa mucho este tipo de literatura que trae a la luz y expone las causas raíz de las desigualdades en educación y sociales en la escuela y la sociedad. Este podría ser el enfoque de la siguiente fase de mi vida: enseñarle a la próxima generación la historia del racismo y la opresión en Estados Unidos para que puedan contribuir a cambiar la sociedad para que sea más equitativa.

Ann Schimke es reportera senior de Chalkbeat y cubre temas relacionados con la educación en la niñez temprana y la alfabetización temprana. Para comunicarte con Ann, envíale un email a aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

Traducido por Milly Suazo-Martinez

Bilingual students miss out on advanced classes and gifted education. This teacher fights for change.

2024-01-30T20:24:49+00:00

Leer en español.

In second grade, Carlota Loya Hernández spent a lot of time coloring at her desk. She didn’t speak English and her teacher didn’t speak Spanish, so crayons and paper were her go-to activity at school in Colorado’s San Luis Valley.

By middle school, things had changed. Loya Hernández was taking advanced math and headed for even more advanced coursework in high school. Eventually, she earned her college degree and became a teacher in the Boulder Valley School District.

Today, she has a Ph.D. and is a champion for bilingual students, working to ensure they get the educational opportunities they deserve.

“The greatest problem in public schools is a lack of responsiveness to the brilliance and incredible talent evident in each and every child, especially bilingual and multilingual children,” she said.

Carlota Loya Hernández poses for a school photo.

Loya Hernández, who is a math and gifted and talented specialist at Escuela Bilingüe Pioneer, a dual language immersion school in Boulder Valley, was named the 2023 bilingual elementary teacher of the year by the Colorado Association of Bilingual Education. She talked to Chalkbeat about how she ensured 100% attendance for parent-teacher conferences, what she told the mother of a class clown, and why she worries about anti-immigrant sentiments.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

As a middle and high school student, I was trained as a peer tutor because my fellow students would often come to me for help. In college, I tutored other students in math and science. I never planned to become a teacher and wanted to become an architectural engineer due to my love of both math and art. But it was my calling.

I dropped out of college due to financial hardship and a lack of knowledge about financial aid. I got a job as a restaurant manager and began my career with the Boulder Valley district as a native language tutor. I greatly enjoyed working with immigrant and refugee students who were often ignored or not supported in the mainstream classroom. This angered me and propelled me to go back to college and get a teaching degree.

How did your own experience in school influence your approach to teaching?

I remember my first day in second grade in Center Elementary School. We had just moved to the San Luis Valley from Silverton. I had bilingual support in kindergarten and first grade as I was new to the country, but in second grade it was sink or swim. My teacher did not understand me, and I did not understand her. She gave me crayons and let me color. I was happy as could be as I loved art.

By middle school, I was pulled for an advanced math class. I was in advanced language arts, math, and science in high school. As the child of farm workers with few resources at home, the school became a safe haven. I thrived in all my classes, except PE. The only C I received was in PE because I had to dress for class. My father did not allow me to wear shorts nor did I have the means to buy sweatpants.

Center High School opened the door to a world of opportunities and nominated me for the Spud Bowl Scholarship at Adams State College in Alamosa — now Adams State University. When I won the full-ride scholarship, it was the key to accessing higher education and a future full of possibilities. It became my ticket out of poverty.

Tell us about a favorite lesson to teach.

I love to develop lessons that really connect with students, impact their thinking, and help them understand important concepts. To teach important math concepts, such as fractions, decimals and percentages, I created a lesson using the book ”If the World Were a Village” by David J. Smith.

The focus was very mathematical, but students were able to analyze the data and come to their own conclusions. The lesson allowed my students to think beyond their own existence in their town, past borders, and to grapple with the grave inequities in educational access, medical care, basic living conditions, such as access to clean water, housing, and sewage, and to imagine the great poverty of so many that are literally starving to death. It allowed us to understand how grateful we should be for all we have in the U.S., how fortunate we are, and the great amount of opportunity we have.

What is the biggest challenge your bilingual students face?

The systems of oppression in all realms of students’ lives. Racist manifestations include dual-language programs tailored to white families. The majority of the students in our district who earn a Seal of Biliteracy, showing that they can read and write in both English and a non-English language, are not heritage speakers of the non-English language.

Bilingual students continue to be overrepresented in special education, discipline referrals, and alternative schools with technical tracks instead of pre-collegiate programs and AP/IB coursework. They are underrepresented in advanced coursework in all areas, including Spanish. [Often], they are not identified as gifted and talented.

These are the systems I fight against daily. In my three semesters at Escuela Bilingüe Pioneer, we have 25 students in advanced math just in fourth and fifth grades. There were only six students when I started at Pioneer. There are another 30-40 students in the younger grades who are in the pipeline for advanced math.

As a data nerd, I monitor students’ progress and identify students that have high ability, in both math and biliteracy (both languages). We are in our third year of the Boulder Universal Advanced Math Program which serves students in fourth and fifth grade.

Most district and school leaders do not focus on the high end of achievement. There is an urgency to work on the “gap,” but, that does little to improve a school. We must develop a mentality of talent development and advanced learning opportunities to raise the bar.

What unique strengths do you observe in your bilingual students?

Bilingual/multilingual students are above standard, although the fixation is that they are below grade level. They rise to a higher level of language and overall academic and social achievement. They are the future of our society as they are globally minded citizens and will be the caretakers of the planet. Bilingual/multilingual students have more social conscientiousness in respecting and valuing differences — whether it is cultural, linguistic, religious, spiritual, or otherwise.

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective or approach.

My parents were never able to go to my school when I was a child as they worked all day in the lettuce or potato fields and arrived late from work. They had no medical care or benefits, so they could not afford to miss work. As a teacher, I made sure I stayed late and did home visits if necessary to connect with my students’ parents. I always aimed for and achieved 100% attendance at my conferences.

In my 30 years as an educator, I never saw a parent that did not care for their child. The idea that parents do not care, that they are ill-equipped to support their child, has cruel and racist underpinnings that contribute to the deficit perspective of students of color, especially immigrant and refugee populations. On the contrary, families have walked across the continent, fled danger and hunger in their home country, leaving everything and everyone behind so they can provide the best opportunity for their child’s future.

One time, I called a mom whose son was the class clown. He was a brilliant child who refused to do his work. He was disruptive to the class as he was always off-task and hilarious. The mom answered the phone with, “What did Mario do now?” She was on speaker phone and both Mario and the class heard her response. I could not help but chuckle a bit as I was calling to congratulate her on how well Mario had done on a test or activity. But that child was and is brilliant. I am sure he is a very successful and highly bilingual citizen contributing to society. He was not compliant at all times but he had incredible potential. It was as obvious as day to me; but not everyone is able to see beyond a student’s color, background, or behavior.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on in your classroom?

The anti-immigrant sentiment in this country, police killings of Latinx and Black people, the prison systems that keep parents from their children, the threat of social services, the lack of community resources such as basic housing, food, medical care, a living wage, and safety all impact our students. The election of a president — Donald Trump — with all of that hate in his speech and actions brought fear and anguish into bilingual schools.

Students were crying as teachers were in shock. I had to stay home that day as I could not deal with the reality of the election. This fear has returned in 2024 as the hate returns to impact every student of color and limit their humanity and threaten the well-being and safety of their families.

What are you reading for enjoyment?

“Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal” and “We Want to Do More than Survive,” both by Bettina L. Love. I have become very interested in this type of scholarship that addresses and exposes the root causes of educational and social inequities in schooling and society. This might be the focus for the next phase of my life; to teach the next generation the history of racism and oppression in the U.S. so they can contribute to changing society to be more equitable.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

This Queens teacher went from being an accountant to teaching entrepreneurship

2024-01-17T21:38:18+00:00

Lorena Izzo was working as an accountant about 20 years ago when she was assigned to oversee a college intern and realized her true calling: to become a teacher.

She returned to her alma mater, Hofstra University, to get a master’s in math education (on top of her MBA). She landed a job at the Academy of Finance and Enterprise in Long Island City, Queens, and she has remained there for nearly 17 years, teaching entrepreneurship, financial services, and accounting.

“My students create business plans from scratch,” Izzo said, “starting with the research phase and finishing with viable business ideas that are ready to be presented at national competitions in front of potential investors.”

Some teens have even won seed money for their ideas, with one such student marketing a homemade hand cream to local nail salons and another selling napkins and towels that she personalized with embroidery.

In raising the question, “What is the purpose of school?” New York City schools Chancellor David Banks often talks about the importance of ensuring students have real-world workforce experience and are financially literate. Banks visited Izzo’s class on entrepreneurship last year to see her in action and hear from her students about how they’re preparing for their futures, Izzo recounted.

Izzo began teaching entrepreneurship by chance. Soon after she started working at Finance and Enterprise, her principal asked her to join a class for educators held by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, or NFTE, a nonprofit focused on empowering students to build their own businesses. That experience changed her path — as well as that of many of her students.

The organization provides Izzo with a curriculum and professional development. It offers mentors and coaches to her students, who often go on job-shadowing trips and take career readiness workshops.

Several of Izzo’s students have participated in the organization’s National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge. Two students recently made regionals for their subscription company for culturally diverse treats, inspired by their own challenges finding authentic Vietnamese and Algerian desserts. Another student who always longed for more help with styling her curly hair created an app that recommends styling products and tips.

“It’s very inspiring to see how they take something they see as a problem, and they come up with their own solution,” Izzo said.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I went into teaching because every day is different. That’s what made me want to come out of accounting. Every day was the same.

I’ve been teaching the entrepreneurship class for over a decade now, but it is different every year because the students are always different. Technology is constantly changing along with styles and trends.

I remember 10 years ago, a student told me they were going to send their product to someone on YouTube. I didn’t see how that was a business plan and gave her a zero. Then I saw that person [from YouTube] on television, and the student explained what an influencer was. She was like, “Did you change my grade?” Yes, I did.

Why did you decide to focus on entrepreneurship education?

I loved the class that first year of teaching it. It’s very different from teaching finance and accounting. When teaching entrepreneurship, you get to really know your students through the businesses they want to start. You get to know what drives them, and you’re part of the whole process of making that happen.

My entrepreneurship class is not just about memorizing facts and dates but applying those skills students are learning in class. They can apply them to anything, even if they’re not going to start a business. Maybe students are going into the medical field and want to become doctors. Regardless of the career choices my students make beyond this class, when they face a problem, they will already be thinking about all the opportunities to come up with a solution. And this will open many doors for them.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

One of the lessons I absolutely love to teach in my Entrepreneurship 1 class is our LEGO activity because it also touches upon accounting.

It’s a very hands-on activity where the students get to play with LEGOs and create a toy. But they also have to tell us a few things: They need to identify the target market for the toy they created, the cost of the materials, and the labor that will be needed. So it helps them figure out what to do for their own projects while practicing on LEGOs.

I mean who doesn’t like to play with LEGOs? The students have so much fun with this one.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom or your school?

My classroom did see an increase in English-language learners, and with that came the need to adapt our curriculum to several languages including Spanish and French. Google Translate has been a major tool to overcome language barriers. I speak Spanish but not French, for example, so when I can’t translate for students personally, I rely on Google Translate.

But at the end of the day, the lessons of the curriculum are so universal and applicable to everyday things that, even if it takes them a little bit more time, they always learn and have fun in my classroom.

I have a student who is an English learner, and his business is a [bilingual English-Spanish] tutoring company that caters to both languages. So if there’s a language barrier, they will have a tutor who can teach you math and science in that language.

In your more than a decade in the classroom, what changes have you seen in terms of the skills your students need now?

I think that the dynamics of extracurricular activities outside the classroom have changed in the past couple of years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We used to do a lot of trips where we would visit companies and give students the opportunity to shadow people in the industry, but this has become more challenging as companies aren’t all back in the office.

Our students absolutely love to be able to go out, go to companies, and talk to professionals to see what jobs and careers are out there for them. It’s also the little things that give them quite an impression, like, “Wow, look at their desk.” There was one trip last year where the students got free snacks, and they were like, “You give these out for free?”

It’s these experiences outside the classroom that broaden their horizons on what kind of workplaces to strive for and how to get there. And they can only get that from the people who work there.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

This goes for all teachers, especially those who are still starting out: Always have a plan B for the unexpected.

It’s not just about trying to make things work while they’re working. I faced this issue during my first year of teaching where I had a lesson plan, tested it all out, and the next day the website my entire lesson plan was focused on was taken down. And another teacher told me, “You just didn’t have a plan B.”

Always have a plan B, whatever it may be. The last thing you need is chaos in the classroom.

Amy Zimmer is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat New York. Contact Amy at azimmer@chalkbeat.org.

Conoce a Caleb Flores, el maestro bilingüe de Colorado que ganó un ‘Oscar de Enseñanza’

2024-01-13T00:41:58+00:00

Read in English

El maestro bilingüe Caleb Flores sabía que se había planeado una asamblea secreta en su secundaria al norte de Colorado. El director quería que la escuela se viera perfecta y que los estudiantes se comportaran lo mejor posible. Flores se preguntaba si ese día de diciembre estaría de visita algún funcionario importante.

En realidad, los visitantes, los discursos y el gimnasio lleno de estudiantes eran para él.

Flores, que es maestro de inglés y maestro de estudiantes que están aprendiendo inglés en la Greeley West High School, había ganado un premio Milken Educator Award, también conocido como los “Oscar de la Enseñanza” El premio, destinado a maestros que están empezando o a mediados de su carrera profesional, incluye $25,000 en efectivo.

“Me quedé sin palabras”, dijo Flores, el único maestro de Colorado premiado este año. “Todo el día fue fenomenal y es algo que siempre atesoraré”.

Flores, que se crió y fue a la universidad en Greeley, habló con Chalkbeat sobre cómo haber sido entrenador de un equipo de fútbol americano de niños cambió su trayectoria profesional, por qué empezó a incorporar la música en sus lecciones y cómo se sintió cuando un estudiante le pidió una carta de recomendación.

Esta entrevista ha sido levemente editada para acortarla y hacerla más precisa.

¿En qué momento decidiste ser maestro?

En la universidad estudié marketing empresarial en la Universidad del Norte de Colorado. Durante mi segundo y tercer año, fui entrenador de la liga de fútbol americano de niños con mi compañero de cuarto de la universidad. La pasamos de maravilla conociendo a los niños del equipo, y el tiempo que pasaba entrenándolos era siempre la mejor parte de mi semana. En mi tercer año de universidad decidí cambiar mi carrera a inglés para dedicarme a ser maestro.

El momento en que decidí dedicarme a ser un maestro con diversidad cultural y de idioma fue después de la universidad. Como cambié de carrera en el tercer año, no pude graduarme con una licencia de maestro. Empecé mi carrera en el Distrito 6 de Greeley-Evans trabajando como defensor de los inmigrantes. Mi trabajo incluía ayudar a las familias y estudiantes inmigrantes a graduarse y la mayoría de ellos estaban aprendiendo inglés. Me enamoré de mi rol y vi que esa población era el área a la que me quería dedicar como maestro.

Luego solicité ser maestro de desarrollo del inglés en Greeley West y me inscribí en un programa alternativo de licencia para obtener la mía mientras trabajaba mi primer año.

¿Cómo influyó tu propia experiencia en la escuela en tu manera de enseñar?

Mis padres nos tuvieron a mí y a mis hermanos cuando eran jóvenes, así que no tuvieron la oportunidad de ir a la universidad hasta que fuimos mayores. Mi padre se graduó de universidad cuando yo estaba en el secundaria, y mi mamá y yo nos graduamos el mismo día. Mis padres siempre nos decían que su expectativa era que fuéramos a la universidad inmediatamente después de graduarnos de secundaria, así que la escuela siempre fue algo muy serio para mí.

Siempre fui un estudiante hablador en clase, pero tuve la suerte de tener maestros que fueron pacientes conmigo y me exigieron mucho. Estas altas expectativas fueron cruciales para yo desempeñarme lo suficientemente bien y recibir una beca universitaria. Mis padres y maestros pudieron cambiar la trayectoria de mi educación y la de mis hermanos. (Mis dos hermanos también se graduaron de la universidad.)

Esto es algo que por experiencia sé que puede influir en mis estudiantes. Yo les exijo mucho a mis estudiantes y me comunico a menudo con sus familias para animarlos a que se desempeñen bien en la secundaria y que, con suerte, tengan la oportunidad de ir a la universidad.

Cuéntanos cuál es la lección que más te gusta enseñar. ¿De dónde salió la idea?

Como maestros de inglés de noveno grado, incorporamos la cultura de los estudiantes en nuestras clases para que ellos puedan verse a sí mismos dentro de nuestra clase y nuestra enseñanza. La idea de mi lección favorita surgió de un comité asesor de currículo compuesto por estudiantes de noveno grado. Ellos querían incorporar música en nuestra unidad de poesía, y específicamente, música que les representara.

Uno de mis poemas favoritos que anotamos es una canción en español llamada “Corrido de Juanito” de Calibre 50. La canción es una narración en primera persona que describe la vida de un inmigrante a Estados Unidos llamado Juanito. La canción está escrita completamente en español (al principio no ofrecemos traducción), y por lo tanto los estudiantes que lo hablan son los expertos de la lección. Después de anotar la canción, los estudiantes se dividieron en pequeños grupos para discutir lo que interpretaron de la canción y los temas que presentaba. Luego de las discusiones, los estudiantes hacen un proyecto de análisis comparativo basado en una canción de su elección y los temas que presenta. Hemos tenido conversaciones y proyectos increíbles que los estudiantes han creado con esta unidad.

¿Qué estrategias usas para conectarte con los estudiantes nuevos, ya sean nuevos en la escuela o nuevos en el país?

Cuando se inscriben en mi clase, primero me reúno con el estudiante y su familia.

Esto es un paso crucial porque ayuda a que la familia se sienta a gusto con su decisión de inscribir a su hijo o hija en una escuela de Estados Unidos. Me aseguro de que los estudiantes entiendan su horario de clases, les entrego los materiales escolares que necesitan y les enseño la escuela a ellos y a sus familias.

Cuando los estudiantes llegan a mi clase de desarrollo del lenguaje, siempre los presento a los demás y los incluyo en la actividad colaborativa del día para animarlos a conocer a sus nuevos compañeros. Tener este tiempo para que los estudiantes cooperen ha sido crucial para crear un sentido de comunidad en mi clase.

Como mentor de maestros nuevos, ¿qué consejos tienes?

La enseñanza no debe hacerse de forma aislada; conoce al personal y a la comunidad de tu escuela y aprende de los expertos que han tenido éxito. Eso definitivamente me ayudó mucho a aprender y crecer cuando empecé.

También animaría a los maestros nuevos a aceptar la diversidad de los estudiantes. En mi caso, enseñaba a estudiantes que estaban aprendiendo inglés. Puede que no sean los estudiantes más fáciles de educar. Llegan con lagunas en su aprendizaje, han pasado por traumas emocionales y tienen muchas responsabilidades fuera de la escuela. Sin embargo, son algunos de los estudiantes más amables, inspiradores y gratificantes a los que he tenido el placer de enseñar. Aprender a educarlos correctamente me convirtió en mejor maestro.

Caleb Flores, maestro de la escuela secundaria Greeley West y reciente ganador del premio Milken Educator Award, en el centro con una túnica negra, posa para una fotografía con los estudiantes en su graduación.

Cuéntanos alguna anécdota memorable, sea buena o mala, en la que el contacto con la familia de un estudiante cambió tu perspectiva o estrategia.

Uno de los momentos más memorables fue con un estudiante de mi clase regular de inglés. Me había preguntado si estaría dispuesto a escribirle una carta de referencia. Cuando llamé a su tío, que era su tutor legal, me enteré de que la carta era para presentarla ante un juez porque el estudiante estaba enfrentando una orden de deportación. Sabía que era un momento crucial para el estudiante y su familia, así que nos pusimos en contacto con varios de sus maestros para obtener cartas de recomendación en su nombre. Mi esposa y yo asistimos al tribunal con él y vimos de primera mano las batallas legales y las barreras adicionales a las que se enfrentan mis estudiantes solo para recibir una educación. A mi estudiante le permitieron quedarse en el país, y fue un gran momento. Ahora es estudiante de undécimo grado y está encaminado a graduarse.

Esta experiencia me permitió ver una muestra de lo que mis estudiantes estaban enfrentando. Para mi fue un honor que ese estudiante y su familia confiaran en mí para compartir lo que estaba pasando, y me recordó lo importante que es ser accesible para mis estudiantes.

¿Cuál fue el mayor mito que tenías cuando empezaste a enseñar?

Mi mayor mito estaba relacionado con el manejo del salón de clases. Decidí ser maestro pensando que tendría que ser fuerte, estricto y poco amable para dirigir bien un salón de clases. Llegué a descubrir lo contrario: la mayoría de los estudiantes no respondían a los maestros que gritaban. Mi estilo en el salón de clases se basa más en establecer relaciones. Sigo exigiéndoles responsabilidad a los estudiantes y tengo grandes expectativas para ellos, pero cuando se portan mal o distraen a los demás, puedo resolverlo sin avergonzarlos ni faltarles al respeto.

¿Qué estás leyendo en tu tiempo libre?

Acabo de terminar el libro Brown Enough de Christopher Rivas. Es un libro de memorias y un comentario social sobre el hecho de ser latino en Estados Unidos y cómo encontrar identidad propia, sentido de pertenencia y un lugar para encajar.

Meet Colorado’s ‘Oscars of Teaching’ winner

2024-01-12T23:27:04+00:00

Leer en español

Teacher Caleb Flores knew a top-secret assembly was planned at his northern Colorado high school. The principal wanted the building to look flawless and for students to be on their best behavior. Flores wondered if an important government official was visiting on that December day.

Turns out that the visiting dignitaries, speeches, and gym full of cheering students were for him. Flores, who teaches English language development and language arts at Greeley West High School, had won a Milken Educator Award — also known as the” Oscars of Teaching.” The award, which is for early and mid-career teachers, comes with a $25,000 cash prize.

“I was speechless,” said Flores, who was the only Colorado teacher to win the award this year. “The entire day was phenomenal and something that I will always treasure.”

Flores, who was raised in Greeley and attended college there, talked to Chalkbeat about how coaching youth football changed his career path, why he began incorporating music into his lessons, and how a student’s request for a letter of reference humbled him.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

As a college student, I was a business marketing major at the University of Northern Colorado. Throughout my sophomore and junior years, I was a little league football coach with my college roommate. We had a blast getting to know the kids that we coached, and coaching was always the highlight of my week. I made the decision in my junior year to switch my major to English to pursue a career in teaching.

The moment that made me decide to pursue culturally and linguistically diverse teaching was after college. Since I switched majors as a junior, I could not graduate with a teaching license. I began my career in Greeley-Evans District 6 working as a migrant advocate. My job involved supporting migrant families and students, most of them English learners, to make it to graduation. I fell in love with the role and saw that population as the subject area that I wanted to teach. I then applied to be an English language development teacher at Greeley West and enrolled in an alternative licensure program to receive my teaching license while working my first year.

How did your own experience in school influence your approach to teaching?

My parents had me and my siblings when they were young, so they did not have the opportunity to pursue a college education until we were older. My dad received his degree when I was in high school, and my mom and I graduated college on the same day. My parents always told us that they expected us to attend college right after high school, so I took school very seriously growing up.

I was always a talkative student in class, but I was fortunate enough to have teachers who were patient with me and held me to a high standard. These high expectations were crucial to me as a student to be able to perform well enough to be able to receive a scholarship to attend college. My parents and teachers were able to change the trajectory of my and my siblings’ education. (Both of my siblings also graduated from college.) This is something that I know firsthand can influence my students. I hold my students to a high standard and communicate with their families often to encourage them to perform well enough in high school to, hopefully, have the chance to pursue post-secondary education.

Tell us about a favorite lesson to teach. Where did the idea come from?

As an English 9 teacher, we incorporate students’ culture within our lessons so that students can see themselves within our classroom and our instruction. The idea for my favorite lesson came from a 9th grade student curriculum advisory committee. They wanted to incorporate music within our poetry unit — specifically, music that represented them.

One of my favorite poems that we annotate is a Spanish song called “Corrido de Juanito” by Calibre 50. The song is a first-person narrative describing the perspective of an immigrant to the United States named Juanito. The song is entirely in Spanish (we don’t provide a translation at first), so it makes my Spanish-speaking students the experts for the lesson. After annotating the song, students dispersed into small groups to discuss what they interpreted from the song and the themes it presented. After discussions, students do a comparative analysis project based on a song of their own choice and the themes that it presents. We’ve had amazing conversations and projects that students created from this unit.

What are your go-to strategies for connecting with new students, whether they’re new to your building or new to the country?

When they enroll in my class, we begin with an enrollment meeting with the student and family. This is such a crucial step because it helps ease the family’s apprehensions about enrolling in a school in the U.S. We make sure that the students understand their schedule, provide them with any school supplies that they need, and give them and their families a tour of the school.

When students arrive in my language development class, I always introduce them and involve them in the collaborative classroom activity for the day to encourage them to get to know their new classmates. Allowing this time for students to cooperate has been so crucial to building a sense of community within my class.

As a mentor to new teachers, what advice do you share?

Teaching is not meant to be done in isolation; get to know the staff and community of your school and learn from the experts who have found success. That definitely helped me learn and grow when I first started.

I would also encourage new teachers to embrace the diverse student populations. For me, it was teaching language learners. They may not be the easiest students to educate. They come with gaps in their learning, emotional traumas, and many responsibilities outside of school. However, they are some of the most thoughtful, inspirational, and fulfilling students that I have had the pleasure of teaching. Learning how to properly educate language learners made me a better teacher.

Caleb Flores, a teacher at Greeley West High School and a recent recipient of the Milken Educator Award, center in the black robe, poses for a photo with students at their graduation.

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective or approach.

One of the most memorable moments came from a student who was a part of my Language Development class. He had asked me if I would be willing to write a character reference letter for him. After calling his uncle, his legal guardian, I found out that the letter was to be presented to a judge because the student was facing an order for deportation. I knew that this was a pivotal moment for the student and his family, so we went and contacted several of his teachers to get letters of recommendation on his behalf. My wife and I attended court with him and saw firsthand the legal battles and additional barriers that my students face just to receive an education. My student was allowed to stay. It was a great moment. He is a junior now and is on track for graduation.

I was humbled that my student and his family trusted me to share what was going on, and it reminded me how important it is to be accessible to my students.

What was the biggest misconception that you brought to teaching?

My biggest misconception was about classroom management. I went into teaching thinking that one had to be stern, tough, and unkind to run an effective classroom. I came to find out that the opposite was true; most students did not respond to teachers who yelled. My style of classroom management is more around building relationships. I still hold students accountable and have high expectations for them, but when students misbehave or distract others, I can address it without embarrassing or disrespecting them.

What are you reading for enjoyment?

I just finished the book “Brown Enough” by Christopher Rivas. It’s a personal memoir and a social commentary about being brown in the U.S. and how to find one’s identity, sense of belonging, and place within it.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues. Contact Ann at aschimke@chalkbeat.org.

This Detroit teacher became an educator to fight for equity in the classroom

2024-01-12T22:14:52+00:00

Peggy Clark dropped her career as a hair salon owner to become an educator after an interaction with her daughter’s second grade teacher that left her baffled.

“One day, my daughter came home and told me that all the kids that looked like her were in the lower academic groups in her second grade classroom,” said Clark.

Her daughter had been reading before entering kindergarten, and still, she was placed in a lower reading group, composed mostly of Black students, like her.

Clark asked the teacher about her child’s placement at the Ohio magnet school she attended but to no avail. Only after a meeting with the principal was Clark’s daughter moved to another classroom.

Though the student body of the school was diverse, Clark said the mostly white teaching staff did not reflect the student population.

“I think that’s really important,” Clark said. “If kids see someone else who looks like them in different positions modeled for them, they internalize that they, too, can attain those things.”

Clark, now a fourth grade English language arts and social studies teacher at Erma L. Henderson Academy in Detroit Public Schools Community District, has been an educator for nine years. She was recently named a Michigan Collaborative Teacher Leader in a program co-led by the Education Trust-Midwest and Teach Plus, which picks 20 educators across the state to meet with lawmakers, share their classroom experiences, and learn more about statewide education policies.

In the program, Clark is working on a committee focused on equitable school funding. She said her experience as a parent and an educator seeing inequity in schools first-hand informs her work.

“I’ve worked with students in poverty for most of my career,” she said. “Teaching has given me a variety of experiences and I’ve seen the things that students are going through. It made me be more empathetic to those students and realize that instead of just focusing on learning, we need to be wrapping our arms around them and supporting them.”

Peggy Clark

Was there a moment when you decided to become a teacher?

Teaching is a second career for me. When my daughter was a student, before I became a teacher, I got to see the public education system from an adult perspective. As I was going through the ordeal with her teacher, I began to wonder about what happens to children who don’t have parents who advocate on their behalf. From that moment forward, I wanted to do more to ensure equity for all students.

How do you get to know your students?

I get to know my students by providing them with various opportunities to talk about themselves. I spend the first couple weeks of school engaging them in various games and activities focused on building relationships and getting to know each other. I share personal information and stories about myself to make my students feel more comfortable with sharing about themselves.

I use a variety of get-to-know-you activities so I can reach all of the various types of learners in my class. Many of the activities involve movement and provide students with opportunities to interact with each other. Some of my favorite activities include the games 4 Corners, When the Wind Blows, and Teacher Hot Seat. In addition to classroom activities, I also make it a point to join my students for lunch in the cafeteria, so that I can talk to them and, hopefully, learn some of their interests as they interact with their peers.

Tell us about a favorite lesson to teach. Where did the idea come from?

I do not have a specific favorite lesson, but I do have a favorite lesson delivery method. I enjoy escape rooms, which can be used to teach a wide variety of different topics. I like escape rooms not only because my students enjoy them, but also because they provide the opportunity for students to practice a wide variety of skills that include collaboration, critical thinking, and academic standards. I got the idea of escape room activities from the 10-Minute Teacher podcast and subsequently did more research on them.

The most recent escape room that I used had students use context clues to determine the meaning of words and then place them in puzzles or riddles to identify a code. Once students determined the code, they delivered it to me, the Emoji Queen, to receive the next challenge. My students found the activity to be both challenging and fun.

What object would you be helpless without during the school day?

The object that I would be helpless without during the school day is my smartboard. My smartboard has a touch screen, which provides students with opportunities to take turns manipulating and annotating previously loaded activities or materials. I use a smartboard to guide students through lessons and assignments as I model expectations and my thinking for them. I also use it to guide students through the navigation of and use of various apps and software programs. My smartboard displays timers, videos, choice boards, and anything else that can aid students in their learning.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your class?

Something happening in the community that I think is having the greatest impact on what goes on in my classroom is the obsession with technology. I think that technology has many useful benefits and can provide students with many advantages that I did not have when I was in school. For example, it provides immediate access to dictionaries, translation services, calculators, learning videos, and many other things that can be used to advance the attainment of knowledge.

On the other hand, I think that technology is being overused. When I’m out with my family, I often see other families sitting at a table with everyone’s head buried in a phone or another device. I witness the impact of this lack of human interaction and dialogue in my class in the form of limited vocabulary, lack of critical thinking skills, inappropriate conversation etiquette, attention-span deficits, and writing deficiencies.

There must be a balance of tech and human interaction so that students — at home and school — develop skills important to their future. I do use laptops within my classroom because I want my students to have the ability to navigate various programs on their devices and to use the internet to become independent researchers and designers of fabulous print and video materials.

Tell us about a memorable time — good or bad — when contact with a student’s family changed your perspective or approach.

During my first year of teaching, I called the home of a student who was sleeping a lot during class. As I was speaking with the parent, she shared that they were currently homeless and did not have a stable place to stay. This significantly changed my perspective and approach. I had been thinking that the student was either being lazy or staying up late to play the latest video game. Upon learning about the student’s situation, I realized that I needed to extend more grace to students and spend additional time trying to make them comfortable to share the why behind their actions. Now, I try to listen more and talk to students when they are exhibiting undesired behaviors.

What part of your job is most difficult?

The most challenging, and also exciting part of my job is meeting the needs of every student. I teach a district-mandated curriculum and spend a great deal of time with my students on that content. I also intentionally work with students who are reading below grade level to teach them the necessary foundational skills they might have missed so that they can persevere through a complex text or math problem independently. I believe we must strongly focus in the elementary grades on the development of these foundational skills so students can achieve and thrive in the latter years of school. I also hone in on each student’s needs by meeting with small groups of about six to eight students daily to focus on a particular skill or standard that they may be struggling to master.

What was the biggest misconception that you initially brought to teaching?

The biggest misconception that I initially brought to teaching was that teachers can only impact education from within the walls of their classroom. I now know differently. Through communication with other teachers, I have realized that we share many commonalities when working with diverse students, including building opportunities and policy levers to support our student’s emotional well-being, physical health, nutrition, and learning challenges, to name a few.

My desire to support as many students as possible has led me to Teach Plus, which helps teacher leaders like me advocate for student needs by empowering us to elevate our voices. This year, I’m looking forward to working with a cohort of Michigan teachers to push for changes in the areas of equitable school funding, early literacy, teacher retention and recruitment, transition to post-secondary education, and social-emotional and academic development. As a group, we will advocate for students by making policymakers and other stakeholders aware of the issues important to teachers, students, and communities.

Recommend a book that has helped you be a better teacher, and why.

The book that helped me be a better teacher is “Teach Like a Champion, 2.0″ by Doug Lemov. The author provides classroom management techniques for teachers to use and details specific actionable steps to help them to implement high expectations for students. It includes well-scripted routines accompanied by videos demonstrating how to implement them with students. It remains a resource that I sometimes refer to, and most of the strategies have become ingrained into my daily practice.

For example, one of the techniques from the book is called “Threshold,” which involves greeting students at the door as they enter the classroom so that I can assess how they are feeling to attempt to curtail any future problems or concerns. Another technique is establishing a routine of having students complete a brief 3- to 5-minute task that Lemov refers to as a “Do Now,” allowing me time to take attendance and/or speak with students as needed.

What’s the best advice you’ve received about teaching?

The best advice I’ve received about teaching is to remember to take time for myself. When I first started teaching, I would arrive early and often stay late after the school day ended. I wanted to make sure I was providing my students with the best education that I could. I found myself tired and missing out on something important to me: family time. Since receiving the advice, I still arrive to work early, but I get up even earlier to ensure I’m putting myself first. I go to bed early and try to get a good night’s sleep so I can make it to the gym at about 5 a.m. Sleep and exercise help me to be in the best physical and mental shape possible for both my students and me. Additionally, I meditate, eat healthy foods, and set time limits when I take work home to ensure that I have time to engage in activities with my family and friends.

Hannah Dellinger covers K-12 education and state education policy for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.