On the Blog
Congratulations to Washington Elementary Teacher of the Year! Melissa Bagneris
I was recently honored by my peers with the highest recognition of my 11 year career so far. I was nominated and voted by my faculty and staff as the winner of the 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year for my elementary school in Jefferson Parish, Washington Elementary. They say do what you love and you’ll never truly work a day in your life and though I couldn’t love what I get to… Read More
Liberation in Education: Why Don’t We Just Tear the Whole Fence Down?
As I sat in an Alexandria, Virginia conference room along with other powerful, thought-provoking, expert parent-leaders, strategizing and organizing upcoming movements in the world of parent advocacy, the topic came up about the equality/equity picture. Yes, you know the one that has been used and circulated more times than any of us could probably name. The ballgame, the fence, and three individuals being affected by their positions as it related to the… Read More
Meet Gina Womack, A powerful advocate for Juvenile Justice reform
Gina Womack, the executive director of Families and Friends of Louisiana’s Incarcerated Children (FFLIC) went on to lead the campaign to close the country’s most notorious juvenile prison and continues to fight for services and treatment for Louisiana’s children. This video is about families who were looking for help for their children and being unable to find the help they so desperately needed.
Parents Who Teach- Two Everyday Moms Who Stopped Their Kids’ School from Closing
Latoya Douglas and Dana Wade refused to sit idly by and allow test scores and hasty community/political leaders to decide the fate of their kids’ school. Without prior training, these two mothers organized and mobilized what is today called the ‘Parent Advocators’. This group was not only successful in keeping their kids’ “failing” New Orleans charter school from closing, they also led the charge to improve its letter grade and the overall… Read More
Can Black Men Afford to Teach? We Can’t Afford for Them Not To.
For the record, I’m not certain teachers can really afford to teach if speaking in terms of financial compensation. After spending so much time criticizing the limited representation of teachers of color, especially males (1.81% nationally), in New Orleans schools, I’ve had to seriously question whether or not teaching is even a career that would allow black men to adequately take care of their families, as society subscribes men to do. A… Read More