First Person is where Chalkbeat features personal essays by educators, students, parents, and others thinking and writing about public education.
I’ve needed special medical devices, classroom accommodations, and a sense of humor.
My students had learned about the Holocaust since middle school. So why was our school facing a rash of antisemitic graffiti?
I know what it’s like to feel unsafe in my own neighborhood. Now I’m determined to do something about it.
Unraveling education protections for newcomer students would put millions of children at risk.
La eliminación de las protecciones educativas para los estudiantes recién llegados al país pondría en riesgo a millones de niños.
These six high school students from Detroit and New York City will be taking part in our signature essay-writing fellowship.
As a digital native, I worry about my students’ screen time — and my own.
Young people don’t stop needing help, or being deserving of patience, forgiveness, and an education the moment that they turn 18.
In the hands of my students, a tiny gray pebble becomes ‘noticing what others may not see.’ An arch-shaped Lego becomes ‘creating communities where people feel connected.’
When the LA high school where I teach banned cell phones, I brought in a boombox and my CD collection. It’s changed the classroom dynamic.
The Detroit Free Press reported that the judge who had a Detroit student handcuffed for falling asleep in his courtroom during a field trip has been temporarily removed from his docket. He also has been ordered to undergo training.
Trump questioned Harris’ racial identity. Back in high school, my classmates considered my own.
Could Kamala Harris’s vice presidential pick change how people see teachers? Educators hope so.
Our paid essay-writing fellowship for teens is returning to NYC and launching in Detroit.
Now I hope to amplify the experiences of students who struggled like I did.
Violence has shaped much of the nation’s trajectory, as almost every high school student knows.
Access to acceleration has long been wildly inequitable. Here’s what schools can do to reduce the financial and logistical barriers.
It’s important to teach 'hard history.' But we must also teach the 'hard present.'
Too often, educators of color are tracked into disciplinary roles and tapped to lead equity efforts. I’ve been there.
As of this past weekend, amid deadly political violence aimed at former President Trump, there had been nearly 300 mass shootings in America this year. Students like me are desperate for a safer future.