New York Post attacks Black Lives Matter at School movement, “Teaching for Black Lives,” and “The New Teacher Book”

With the new school year underway, antiracist educators around the country are back at work uplifting Black students--and the New York Post is back at work spewing racist garbage. For their back to school coverage, the Post decided to give column space, not to experts in closing opportunity gaps or promising new approaches to supporting Black …

Continue reading New York Post attacks Black Lives Matter at School movement, “Teaching for Black Lives,” and “The New Teacher Book”

“Proving the impossible”: Teacher’s union president Mercedes Martinez on the mass uprising for justice in Puerto Rico

First Published in The Progressive Jesse Hagopian spoke with Mercedes Martinez, president of the teachers union Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico, the Teachers Federation of Puerto Rico or FMPR, as it is known, on July 26, one day after former Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rosselló announced his plan to resign amid mass protests and strikes …

Continue reading “Proving the impossible”: Teacher’s union president Mercedes Martinez on the mass uprising for justice in Puerto Rico

Huge Victory for Washington State’s Students: Exit Exam Requirement Struck Down!

Cue Pomp and Circumstance because many more Washington State high school seniors will be walking across the stage and handed a diploma! Beginning with the class of 2020, high school students are no longer required to pass the "Smarter Balance Assessment" high-stakes standardized test to graduate. They will still have to take at least one …

Continue reading Huge Victory for Washington State’s Students: Exit Exam Requirement Struck Down!

Meet the 2019 “Black Education Matters Student Activist Award” winners: Youth leaders of an uprising for racial justice!

At the first NAACP Youth Coalition Racial Justice Conference on Saturday, ethnic studies teacher Jesse Hagopian and Superbowl champion/bestselling author Michael Bennett presented the Black Education Matters Student Activist Award (BEMSAA) to three of the most dynamic and powerful changemaking youth in Seattle. The 2019 BEMSAA award winners are: Rena Mateja Walker Burr, Cleveland High …

Continue reading Meet the 2019 “Black Education Matters Student Activist Award” winners: Youth leaders of an uprising for racial justice!

Rainier Beach High School’s dramatic gains for students to be featured on HBO’s “Problem Areas”–even as the school is struggling to stop disruptive educator displacements

  If you haven't heard, there's a new season of Wyatt Cenac's "Problem Areas" show on HBO and it's fire. The show is in the middle of its second season all about education, and its the best exploration of education I've seen on national TV. This week's episode, Friday, May 3 at 8:00 pm Pacific, …

Continue reading Rainier Beach High School’s dramatic gains for students to be featured on HBO’s “Problem Areas”–even as the school is struggling to stop disruptive educator displacements