Essential education reporting across America

First Person is where Chalkbeat features personal essays by educators, students, parents, and others thinking and writing about public education.

A student holds up a sign that says, “This can’t wait until I finish school.” It has two pictures of the earth on it.
From Chalkbeat Chicago First Person
Teaching civics is increasingly fraught, but I won’t stop doing it
The messy work of democracy means holding power to account.
By Donald Z. Davis
3d render of many Traffic Cones on Orange Background
First Person First Person
In my classroom, I offer trigger warnings. Sometimes, I worry they do more harm than good.
I don’t want my students to suffer needlessly, but I also don’t want them to fear discomfort.
By Jess D. Taylor
 
Mother taking her daughter to school. The little girl wears a pink backpack
First Person First Person
I never thought my child would need a school social worker, but I’m so glad she’s in our lives
When Mrs. D first told me she wanted to meet with my daughter, I was filled with wrongheaded ideas about what a school social worker does.
By Fabiola Mejia
 
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From Chalkbeat New York First Person
ChatGPT caught NYC schools off guard. Now, we’re determined to embrace its potential.
After a cautious start, our approach to AI technology is evolving.
By David C. Banks
 
An orange sign says “testing in progress, do not disturb” as students work in the background.
From Chalkbeat Indiana First Person
As problem behaviors persist, is state testing making things worse?
We’re preparing young people for the past, and students feel the disconnect.
By Ronak Shah
 
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Want to share your own story?
By Chalkbeat Staff
 
A jar filled with with marijuana.
From Chalkbeat New York First Person
I research addiction. Today’s cannabis landscape demands a new approach to curb teen drug use.
We know science-based sex education works. We need to apply a similar strategy to drug abuse prevention.
By Diana Martinez
 
Protesters in Times Square rally against police violence and prison conditions. A digital Americna flag is in the background.
From Chalkbeat New York First Person
AP U.S. History is a ‘race across time.’ That’s an outdated way to teach.
What if we taught the class thematically rather than chronologically?
By Jeremy Kaplan
 
The brick exterior of Stuyvesant High School in Lower Manhattan.
From Chalkbeat New York Student Voices Fellowship
I’m a Stuyvesant junior. Here’s what I wish I’d known about the high school I’ve grown to love.
My NYC campus is famous for its academics. It’s also an incredibly creative, supportive, and idiosyncratic place.
By Vanessa Chen
 
A group of elementary-age children singing. They are holding sheet music.
From Chalkbeat Colorado First Person
It’s tough to build school community post-pandemic. Music helps.
Turnout for school events has been sparse, but a student concert packed our gym.
By Christine Ferris
 
Close-up photo of a grey credit card.
From Chalkbeat New York First Person
I know what it’s like to struggle with bad credit, so I piloted a youth personal finance course
Students need a basic financial education well before they are bombarded with credit card offers.
By Emmanuel Jeanty
 
A Socrates statue in front of the Academy of Athens.
From Chalkbeat New York Student Voices Fellowship
I used to see college as just a prerequisite for med school. A philosophy course changed my mind.
Exposure to the humanities will make me a more open-minded and compassionate physician.
By Jasmine Harris
 
A student wearing a white shirt talks to a teacher wearing a black shirt inside of a classroom.
From Chalkbeat Newark First Person
At our parent-teacher conferences, students lead the way
It takes a lot of maturity, Lauren Whidbee writes, but I see a genuine effort from all of my students.
By Lauren Whidbee
 
A green and yellow sign that says Great Mills High School. Near it is yellow police tape.
First Person First Person
I survived a school shooting. Here’s why you probably haven’t heard about it.
Everyone tells me to be thankful that the shooting at my high school didn’t claim more lives. That’s cold comfort.
By Mollie Davis
 
A student wearing goggles works on a piece of heavy machinery.
From Chalkbeat Detroit First Person
Career and technical education needs a mental health revolution
Our school-based occupational therapy labs teach job skills that take the whole student into account.
By Michele Morgan
 
An inside view of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. United States on March 22, 2023.
First Person First Person
White students need more information about race and racism, not less
It’s not about making white children ‘feel bad.’ It’s about teaching them how to build a better future.
By Kathryn Wiley
 
Photo of a male teacher assisting a young girl in a preschool classroom.
From Chalkbeat Chicago First Person
I’ve worked in child care for three decades. It’s been a long, tough road.
Here’s why it’s so hard to keep early learning centers afloat — and what we can do about it.
By Azar Khounani
 
A principal speaks in front of a half dozen adults seated at round tables.
From Chalkbeat Chicago First Person
I teach future teachers. They don’t need the edTPA.
The assessment exhausts and excludes student teachers, Kate Sjostrom writes.
By Kate Sjostrom
 
A person holds a sign that says #TransKidsLivesMatter.
From Chalkbeat New York First Person
I’m a trans student. Here’s what my chosen name means to me.
In high school, I’ve been ridiculed and misgendered by some, and celebrated and cared for by others.
By Spencer Katz
 
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From Chalkbeat Chicago First Person
My students and I talk about gun violence. This week, I was out of words.
Back-to-back shootings, one a block from my Illinois house and another at a Tennessee elementary school, have me wondering how to support future teachers.
By Freesia McKee
 
A group of six books is arranged side by side on a table, with two vases placed behind them.
First Person First Person
The books we ban are the books we need
“All Boys Aren’t Blue” might have brought my brother comfort, Jennifer Boulanger writes.
By Jennifer Boulanger
 
A group of high school students collaborate in class. They have laptop computers on the table.
From Chalkbeat New York First Person
My high school is exempt from Regents exams. Other schools should be, too.
Standardized testing promotes rote memorization. Consortium schools raise the bar.
By Alexander Calafiura
 
A child with braids and wearing a mask and a pink and gray sweater writes on a piece of paper with a pencil while standing at a desk
From Chalkbeat Detroit First Person
Racial violence can follow students into the classroom. Here’s how tenderness can make a difference.
Students may confuse the attention of caring adults with punishment.
By N’Kengé Robertson
 
Child adding numbers on a printed maths sheet of homework. Space for copy.
First Person First Person
I was once a struggling math student. Now I teach the subject that terrified me.
Who better to demystify this often-feared subject than someone who knows what math anxiety feels like?
By Braxton Hall
 
People participate in a demonstration to seek age raise for AR-15 sales in Austin, Texas, the United States, Aug. 27, 2022.
From Chalkbeat Colorado First Person
I train future teachers. Gun violence has them on edge.
They ask themselves, ‘Would I be able to step in front of a gun for my students?’
By Deena Gumina
 
text on a page
From Chalkbeat New York First Person
As we embrace the ‘science of reading,’ we can’t leave out older students
As a new middle school teacher, I was shocked by the number of students who entered my classroom unable to decode text.
By Shira Engel
 
A screen at the entrance of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church displays the celebration of life for Tyre Nichols.
From Chalkbeat New York First Person
When I think about the violence that killed Tyre Nichols, I feel betrayed
We must use our power to uplift our community, not tear it down.
By Enoch Naklen
 
Freshly baked cookies wrapped and tagged for a Bake Sale.
From Chalkbeat New York First Person
I know how unfair NYC school fundraising is — and why that’s so hard to change
As a school leader and a PTA member, I see the disparities up close.
By Steven Evangelista
 
A teacher wearing glasses and a striped shirt speaks to a group of young students while they work at a whiteboard in a preschool classroom
From Chalkbeat Chicago First Person
Future teachers need to hear the good stuff, too
Yes, our jobs are hard. They are also incredibly joyful.
By Margi Bhansali
 
The backs of students as they walk through a hall at Adams City High School
From Chalkbeat New York Student Voices Fellowship
I’ve been code-switching since kindergarten
Changing my mannerisms and voice requires agility. It’s a skill and a burden.
By Enoch Naklen
 
ChatGPT sign in the website displayed on a laptop screen and OpenAI logo displayed on a phone screen.
First Person First Person
How ChatGPT made my lessons more engaging
In my history, economics, and speech and debate classes, the AI tool has been a force for good.
By Spencer Burrows
 
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