School is fundamentally one of the greatest sources of humor. The premise of mainstream schooling is that a lot of young people, at different developmental stages, are packed into a room with an adult who is trying to get them to do something they often have little idea why they should care about. That basic …
Jesse Hagopian is a Seattle teacher, anti-racist activist and co-editor of Teaching for Black Lives who helped organize the founding actions of “Black Lives Matter at School.” He recently talked to Socialist Worker's Danny Katch about the importance of this year’s BLM at School week of action, set for February 4-8, as the initiative spreads …
Continue reading Black Lives Matter At School Makes Educator Unions Stronger
My friend Gillian Russom teaches high school in the L.A. public schools. She is also a union activist in the United Teachers of Los Angeles, a fierce advocate for social justice, and an outspoken opponent of high stakes testing. Gillian recently wrote this short post about the out-of-control testing happening at her school and I …
Continue reading More Teaching, Less Testing!
I recently went to Santa Fe, New Mexico to join best selling author Diane Ravitch in dialogue about the struggle for public education for the Lannan Foundation’s “In Pursuit of Cultural Freedom” forum. Below are the videos of my introduction to Diane, her speech focusing on the struggle against high-stakes testing, and our dialogue about …
Continue reading In Pursuit of Cultural Freedom: Diane Ravitch with Jesse Hagopian
Recently I flew to New York City for film project called, "8 Powerful Voices for Public Education." Below is the address I delivered to make the case for teaching skills that will empower students to challenge oppression and solve societal problems--not just prepare them for the next mind-numbing standardized test. #TeachWhatMatters. Pass it on. https://youtu.be/eXBHmpHLPZ8 …
Continue reading Teach What Matters
I AM AN EDUCATOR 
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