Blog

Across the country, education systems leaders are in the middle of an unusually complex summer. Between ongoing pandemic response and the recent groundswell of interest and attention on issues of racial justice, they are dealing with monumental challenges ranging from housing, to food, to safety, to addressing the digital divide—all while trying to ensure that all students receive the education...
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After several weeks of Black-led organized demonstrations since the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, education agencies and organizations across the nation scrambled to make statements condemning racism and affirming that Black Lives Matter. While reading these statements, I couldn’t help but wonder, “But where are all the Black teachers in your schools or Black representation in your organization...
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As the 2020-21 school year begins, state and district leaders are working closely with teachers, families and other stakeholders to map out a plan that meets the needs of all learners. They are taking lessons learned from the abrupt and often messy transition to remote and blended learning this spring and are asking themselves what it will take to make...
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As states and districts develop their plans for reopening schools in the fall, one key question is on the minds of many systems leaders: How can we best serve our English Learners if public health guidance requires instruction to be delivered virtually? In response to this question, the English Learners Success Forum pulled together a team of experts and practitioners...
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This spring, Brooklyn Laboratory Charter Schools (Brooklyn Lab) launched a series of two-week design charettes to determine the school’s plans for reopening in the fall. The product of the second charette, the Brooklyn Laboratory Charter Schools’ Back to School Instructional Program Scheduling Map, is intended to help Brooklyn Lab and other school communities think about the who, what, when, where...
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Every year, millions of people across the globe come together in their communities to celebrate Pride month. This year marks the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and the 50th anniversary of the parade that happened a year later.  If we are being honest, this year seems like a strange time to be celebrating. Not only are we still in...
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Education First is dedicated to amplifying and elevating the voices and unique lived experiences of students, families and educators across the country. This guest blog is authored by Ava Jolley, a high school junior from North Salem Public High School in Westchester County, New York. Her perspective as a biracial American drives her to look for solutions to dismantle systemic...
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America’s racial injustices are on full display this week. The cumulative death toll from COVID-19 in the United States has surpassed 100,000. Black, Latinx, Indigenous people and individuals from low-income backgrounds are disproportionately losing their lives. Leaders could have made different decisions to prevent thousands of these deaths, just as leaders could have prevented the killings of George Floyd, Breonna...
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I sit quietly, as nine pairs of eyes stare up at me, expectantly. The third graders before me are familiar with me coming into their classroom for special Social-Emotional Learning lessons. In the past, we sang songs, played games, and created art. We discussed how to be active learners, respectful friends, and accepting of differences. But those days were different...
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Across the country, districts and states are taking a variety of approaches to their sudden transition to distance learning. We sat down with Rebecca Kockler, former Assistant Superintendent of Academic Content for the Louisiana Department of Education, to learn more about her recommendations for parents, districts and states in the short term and as they look forward to the fall....
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