SPEAKING BACK: UPDATE

A quick update on the “Speak Back” effort: A month went by fast, and I will be the first to admit that it has been both a painful and hopeful learning process. A painful process because I am feeling a little less trust in this community. A little less trust that people presume best intentions […]

The Oppressive Schools letter

I said it would be a week before I posted on the Oppressive Schools letter and it’s been longer than that. The honest truth is that I struggled about whether or not to sign my name to it; the back-and-forth in my mind and heart has led to lost sleep and moments of anxiety. It’s […]

Speaking Back

Embed from Getty Images Last Wednesday evening was one of those nights when I was struck by what it means to really be an ally for those who don’t feel they have power or voice. I live in Denver, CO, a wonderful city on many levels. As is the case with many wonderful cities, its […]

The Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations

I took the summer off. Not from thinking, but from writing. Because honestly, who can manage to be disciplined when the kids are out of school? But welcome back to the Third Rail. Even though I haven’t been writing, I’ve been doing a lot of traveling and interviewing and have a whole host of fun […]

Our kids reveal our values

Since becoming a mother I have come to realize that one of the most powerful statement of my values comes in the choices I make about and for my children. I give far more thought to the food I buy for my sons than I did when I was making choices about my own food […]

Our biographies as our leadership

In my last post I shared stories of some of the students I interviewed at the MET schools in Providence, RI. What I am finding most interesting about my MET experience is what happens when I tell people about it. It drives home to me the fact that our leadership and our notions of success […]

Reformers as parents: the early years

I have to admit being wryly amused these days after conversations with colleagues who have been on the “reform” side of education policy conversations over the last four years. The reason? Many of them are now parents whose children are getting ready to enter preschool or kindergarten. People whose day jobs often entail wholesale advocacy […]

What college prep charters can do

College prep charter school models like KIPP began as middle schools.  The idea was to catch kids before they went to high school and to ensure that they were brought up to levels of proficiency in basic math and literacy.  In other words, these schools focused on academic remediation.  The fastest way to achieve this […]

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