featured-1st

Inside the Decade-Long Plan to Recruit, Hire and Retain 9,000 Black Educators Across the Country

by

Featured Posts

Posted Mar. 1, 2021

Across the entire United States, there aren’t nearly enough Black teachers inside classrooms.  According to the National Center for Education Statistics, less than 7% of…

Posted Feb. 26, 2021

We know all too well Black and brown students in marginalized communities are now bearing the brunt of the pandemic’s effect on schools—with inadequate technology,…

Posted Feb. 24, 2021

A month ago, as Amanda Gorman shared her beautiful prose during President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ inauguration, students at KIPP Rise Academy in Newark had…

Browse by Date

February Is Black History Month. Periodt.

by

Featured Posts

Posted Feb. 26, 2021

I swear I wasn’t trying to end Black History Month with white people and skinfolk that ain’t kinfolk foolery but … Yesterday my homie, Dr.…

Posted Feb. 26, 2021

We know all too well Black and brown students in marginalized communities are now bearing the brunt of the pandemic’s effect on schools—with inadequate technology,…

Posted Feb. 24, 2021

A month ago, as Amanda Gorman shared her beautiful prose during President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ inauguration, students at KIPP Rise Academy in Newark had…

Browse by Date

Want a National Effort to Combat COVID Learning Loss? Study Your Black History.

by

Featured Posts

Posted Feb. 26, 2021

We know all too well Black and brown students in marginalized communities are now bearing the brunt of the pandemic’s effect on schools—with inadequate technology,…

Posted Feb. 22, 2021

“I am a white ally,” the 30 something-year-old white teacher declared emphatically in the diversity and inclusion professional development session. She snapped her fingers to…

Posted Feb. 24, 2021

A month ago, as Amanda Gorman shared her beautiful prose during President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ inauguration, students at KIPP Rise Academy in Newark had…

Browse by Date

Oakland’s School Board Cares More About Politics Than It Does About Kids and Families

by

Featured Posts

Posted Feb. 23, 2021

Reyna Morales lives in Oakland, California, and is the parent of two students at a high-performing charter school located in an area with a dearth…

Posted Feb. 22, 2021

“I am a white ally,” the 30 something-year-old white teacher declared emphatically in the diversity and inclusion professional development session. She snapped her fingers to…

Posted Feb. 17, 2021

On January 6, as my students were learning about the history of trench warfare during World War I, I had no idea that our own…

Browse by Date

I Can’t Pretend That What I’m Doing Right Now Is Helping My Students, So I Quit

by

Featured Posts

Posted Feb. 17, 2021

I have been navigating majority (or all) white spaces for a very long time. Whether it was the tracked gifted and talented classes or my…

Posted Feb. 16, 2021

I came across an image on social media the other day and it made me stop and think. In it, two boys—one white and one…

Posted Feb. 17, 2021

On January 6, as my students were learning about the history of trench warfare during World War I, I had no idea that our own…

Browse by Date

I Love Teaching, But I’m Not a Martyr

by

Featured Posts

Posted Feb. 17, 2021

I have been navigating majority (or all) white spaces for a very long time. Whether it was the tracked gifted and talented classes or my…

Posted Feb. 16, 2021

I came across an image on social media the other day and it made me stop and think. In it, two boys—one white and one…

Posted Feb. 17, 2021

On January 6, as my students were learning about the history of trench warfare during World War I, I had no idea that our own…

Browse by Date

The Government Is Still Preventing the Rise of the Black Messiah in Schools Today

by

Featured Posts

Posted Feb. 12, 2021

I was gifted an advanced screening of “Judas and the Black Messiah” earlier this week and it affirmed just how much education equals power, while…

Posted Feb. 10, 2021

Prior to COVID-19 upending American education, some state legislatures around the country considered moratoriums or “pauses” on public charter schools; while others, like in California,…

Posted Feb. 11, 2021

A war has been waging in my home state of Illinois, and the battle lines have been drawn. In one corner of the ring—the “uber…

Browse by Date

To the People Pushing Back on Culturally Responsive Teaching During Black History Month

by

Featured Posts

Posted Feb. 11, 2021

A war has been waging in my home state of Illinois, and the battle lines have been drawn. In one corner of the ring—the “uber…

Posted Feb. 10, 2021

Prior to COVID-19 upending American education, some state legislatures around the country considered moratoriums or “pauses” on public charter schools; while others, like in California,…

Posted Feb. 8, 2021

Although the United States has always had a diverse population, public school curricula are overwhelmingly built around a white, male perspective. Students are learning a…

Browse by Date

What AP Classes Can Teach Us About Building Stronger Curriculum for All Students

by

Featured Posts

Posted Feb. 9, 2021

When millions of parents became de facto teachers during COVID-19, they saw firsthand a deep-seeded, widespread problem in American education: lackluster content and curricula that…

Posted Feb. 4, 2021

Whether you support your state’s reopening plans or not, the reality is families locked out of learning for nearly a year are getting fed up.…

Posted Feb. 8, 2021

Although the United States has always had a diverse population, public school curricula are overwhelmingly built around a white, male perspective. Students are learning a…

Browse by Date

Cardona Matters, But the Most Important Decisions Will Happen at the Local Level

by

Featured Posts

Posted Feb. 3, 2021

President Joe Biden has certainly kept busy during his first days in the Oval Office. He has issued a call for national unity, doubled down…

Posted Feb. 1, 2021

Here at brightbeam, our North Star is “How Are The Children?” As parents look back over the last nine months of COVID-related school disruptions and…

Posted Feb. 2, 2021

The societal turmoil, protests, and unrest—all a cry for justice. The focus is on Black lives; however, this goes beyond Black lives being protected from…

Browse by Date