Toxic Teachers Need to Go

This article was first published on indy.education There is not enough self-care in the world that can shield a person from a toxic work environment. I had a few jobs before I became a K-12 educator. I worked in my dorm’s cafeteria, at Villa Pizza in the student union at Purdue, and at a church daycare. The work environment was nice. People were supportive, kind, and courteous. When I accepted my first… Read More

Strong Connections

Jim Mustian of The Advocate writes about Xavier University and New Schools of New Orleans joining forces in an unprecedented way to develop a program dedicated to educating and preparing college seniors to become public school teachers.  This first of its kind partnership between a charter school and an HBCU will be called the Norman C. Francis Teacher Residency and its mission is to diversify the teaching force in New Orleans Public Schools… Read More

Breakfast with Steve Perry

  100 Black Men of Metro New Orleans recently hosted a breakfast with Steve Perry, CEO of Capital Preparatory Schools, in Hartford, Connecticut. He is a commentator on CNN, MSNBC and a motivational speaker. Given Perry’s upbringing, it is surprising he has accomplished all he has. His mother was 16 when he was born and he grew up in the projects of Middletown, Connecticut. Despite such adversity, Perry has become a leader… Read More

The Positivity of the Black Male Teacher Experience

Encouraging. Empowering. Inspiring. These are just a few characteristics of many Black male teachers within the country’s school systems and the gifts that they offer children in their classrooms. Black male teachers are low in number, as the majority of the teaching population is female and white; however, the presence of Black male teachers is beneficial for students of color and white students alike.  The scope of the Black male teacher is often… Read More

Return to Local Control Means Parents Must Be Heard

Senate Bill 432 has passed. Orleans Parish Schools are being returned to local control. Education officials announced thirteen members of a committee that will steer the process. It includes a mix of charter school heads, education advocates, and nonprofit leaders. It is a distinguished committee whose members have extensive backgrounds and experience in education. However I have some important questions for members of the committee. Who will ensure that the parents’ narrative… Read More

Celebrating 51 Years in Education!

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week!  For the second year, New Schools for New Orleans  has announced their Excellence in Teaching Awards.  One  educator they are celebrating is Sylvia Crier. Ms. Crier, a social studies teacher at McDonald 35 Senior High School, has been teaching for 51 years. That’s dedication! “She makes sure we leave her class with the most gained knowledge. She’s one of those kinds of teachers you are going to remember… Read More

Bridging the Gap: The Educators Perspective

Many times educators feel that they all have to take the blame for the children who are struggling.. At times we group teachers all into one category and forget we  have many who go above and beyond for our children. During my last two blogs I have been addressing the gap between home and school. It’s no secret that this is a serious issue and needs to be addressed. For this post,… Read More