We Need Teachers: The Case of Mass Vacancies
The 2018-2019 school year is over and we are well into summertime. Classrooms are packed, students are enjoying their favorite summer activities, and teachers are (hopefully) in recovery mode. Administrators are looking towards the next school year, reflecting on data…
Spring is Here: Teachers, Take Care of Yourself.
The weather is warming up. The trees are blooming. The days are longer. Spring is in full effect. Most school districts here in Georgia are gearing up for Spring Break in the next week or so. If you’re not in…
My Experience with PTSD as an Educator in Atlanta
As an Army wife, it feels strange writing about my own experience with PTSD. I do not take the experiences of veterans who have suffered from PTSD lightly. But the reality is that PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is more…
The ‘D’ Word: The Overwhelming Effects of Data on Schools.
[Based on the state’s CCRPI scores] “Elementary schools had total scores ranging from a high of 81.3 to a low of 39.8 points. The average elementary school score was a 64.2, while the state’s average elementary school score was 77.8,”…
Superhero: The Black Male School Counselor
It’s the first week of school, I’ve been paged… I know it’s probably one of my students- a first or fifth grader. I turn the corner to the downstairs First Grade Hallway and see Matthew*. He’s flailing and yelling at…
Teachers Must Not Only Be Non-Racist, But Anti-Racist
“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces…
Four reasons why parents should attend all IEP meetings
As a former special education teacher I know first hand how valuable an IEP is to a students education. Watching students struggle to understand their assignments because they are not given the appropriate accommodations. I’ve had students ball up timed…