First Person is where Chalkbeat features personal essays by educators, students, parents, and others thinking and writing about public education.
Gender and sexuality alliances once led the charge for queer student activism. Student reporter Mher Melikyan says it’s time for GSAs to rebrand and reclaim that power.
Credit-recovery programs give students the chance to earn credits they need for the next grade or graduation. But do these second chances to pass give the system permission to fail?
New York City schools are increasingly adopting restorative justice practices, but are students bought into the new approach? A student journalist investigates.
Websder Corneille uses own journey as a Haitian immigrant to build connections with students and their caregivers. His job goes beyond serving students and the school to serving the community
Here’s how our school librarian fostered our love of reading and new ideas.
Policy changes and budget cuts could deprive immigrant students of the safe, engaging learning environments they deserve.
These practices can feel like luxuries, but they are necessities.
Students of color deserve teachers who look like them. But the responsibility to educate Black students shouldn’t fall disproportionately on Black educators.
Amid threats of detention and deportation, we can no longer promise ‘safe spaces.’ But we can offer ‘brave spaces.’
The new curriculum is famously rigorous. My Algebra I students are rising to the occasion.
They need stipends and support. Their supervisors do, too.
I watched my student complete a hands-on science project. It reminded me of what AI can’t do.
When we take students’ feedback seriously, we get more than just better design. We get better schools.
Academics were newly challenging. So, too, was finding others who walked a similar path.
I told my students about a digital library card. The fallout has put my career on hold and left me traumatized.
It’s challenging to sell my students on the merits of democracy when the instruments of government are being used to attack their communities.
At first, I worried that I wasn’t worthy of my specialized high school seat. Now, I know better.
This is my story of eviction and resilience.
By the time I was 11, I was exposed to toxic comments and content.
Nearly a third of city students start kindergarten at age 4. Not all of them are ready.