Local Heroes: Nicole Bouie and the Community Commitment Education Center

Amid all the talk about student testing, education policy and what not, it’s easy to forget that at the center of the conversation are actual children. But there’s plenty of hard work going on at the ground level by individuals and organizations dedicated to the needs of our children. They include social workers, engineers, mentors, and teachers just to name a few. Some are professionals, some are volunteers, and most have mobilized… Read More

A Higher Bar: Necessary But Not Sufficient to Close the Gap

“Why you tryin’ to teach us ratios and half of us in here can’t even do long division properly?” One of my sixth-grade students emphatically asked this question during class in my first year teaching in North Baton Rouge. Her question took me by surprise on two fronts. First, I was in the middle of unpacking the skills needed to solve questions covered by the sixth-grade Common Core standards around ratios.  Secondly… Read More

Black Male Educators of New Orleans: An Interview With Charlie Vaughn, Jr.

Exhibit the likeness. Provoke imagination. Instill into minds. Establish perception. The seeds of change are planted with intention. They are nurtured, watered, and cultivated with love. Then the results are set free to flourish and plant seeds of their own. In a city with unemployment for black males at over 50 percent, according to a recent study released by the Urban League of New Orleans, black youth need positive role models in… Read More

Poverty Within our Schools

With the holidays coming up, you think about the families who have love, respect and support for each other but lack money. Parents always want better and more for their children than what they had as children. They want to give them the best money can buy. Most important, parents don’t want their children to see them struggle or stressed out. But we live in a time where the cost of living… Read More