World Braille Day is January 4, because this is the birthday of Louis Braille, credited as the creator of this language in the 19th century. For blind and visually impaired individuals, braille can offer an opportunity to access information and knowledge. But millions of individuals worldwide
Every day, educators strive to implement engaging and meaningful lessons that are relevant to and reflective of the lives and communities of all the students in their classrooms. We see this becoming more and more prevalent, not just in English language arts and history or
WHY? Consider how your students would answer the following questions: During math lessons, how are your ideas about math valued? How does learning math relate to the rest of your life, in and out of school? Students’ responses to these questions can help gauge the sort of
Children enter our classrooms with curiosity: they are curious about themselves, curious about the content, curious about their classmates, and curious about the world. This curiosity can extend to thinking about how students experience and understand issues of fairness, equity, power, and justice in their
Our commitment to equity and excellence has never been more important. Over the past decade, college- and career-ready standards have dramatically shifted our expectations for student learning. It is no longer enough to raise a hand and give the right answer. Instead, we want students
When students participate in the Youth Equity Stewardship (YES) program, they not only learn how to engage with complex concepts around equity, inclusion, and excellence in constructive ways. They learn to see themselves as agents of change, and that shift in beliefs can have lasting
The Story of DuPage High School District 88 Not long ago an event took place at DuPage High School District 88 that has become all too common: A high schooler posted a video on social media in which the student uttered a racial slur. Rather than
The battle to outlaw race talk is everywhere. Anti-Critical Race Theory (CRT) laws have been passed or proposed in thirty states. Banned books include everything from The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison to The 1619 Project to—unfathomably—the children’s book Ruby Bridges Goes to School. Critical
Change can be challenging, but it can also be rewarding. As the new school year approaches, there is still lingering uncertainty surrounding the ongoing pandemic and the devastation it has caused. Adding to this, civil unrest, mass shootings, and heightened trauma are still impacting our
It’s tough out there. The threats against schools and teachers have never been more devastating. No school appears safe from mass shootings. Schools are redesigning their architecture to protect themselves against gun violence, and dress codes are being rewritten to prevent students from wearing body armor,