Blog

Tackling curriculum in a teacher preparation program is complicated work. At Jackson State, we have three pathways and 18 teaching faculty members across multiple course offerings in the junior and senior course sequence run by the college of education. But we knew that if we wanted to truly transform the experience and eventual effectiveness of our teacher candidates, overhauling the...
Read more >

The topic: do the ends justify the means? The assignment: now that we’ve talked about this question, and why characters in our story have made the choices they did, do you agree? Kevin is frozen in a panic, his mind has gone blank and he can’t find a place to start. Shatira puts her hand down slowly; she didn’t have...
Read more >

Back in 2015, a group of department chairs, administrative leadership, program directors and faculty at Jackson State University formed a task force to write a plan for transforming our teacher preparation program. In that plan, we identified areas of strength and areas we needed to improve. We wanted to build on the deep experience and wisdom of faculty, while taking...
Read more >

As we gear up to begin a new school year, we cannot help but hear the many voices involved in the process of opening our schools. With decisions being made by politicians, education state officials, health officials, and district and school administrators,  it is no wonder that teachers and families whose voices are usually not represented are confused and angry....
Read more >

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall over southeast Louisiana and Mississippi, unleashing unprecedented devastation. Flood waters eventually covered 80 percent of New Orleans and caused more than $125 billion in damages across the South. Today, fifteen years later, the Gulf states are facing not one, but three unprecedented challenges—the devastation of eerily similar Hurricane Laura, a national reckoning...
Read more >

As a parent of a school-aged child, I have spent most of this summer overwhelmed with worry about my son’s academic, mental and social-emotional well-being in the upcoming school year given school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to safety concerns, I am worried about how my son’s needs will be met this year as our district struggles to...
Read more >

With all the changes due to the pandemic, it is understandable that most teachers and staff already feel stressed and burnt out. A decade ago, self-care was about getting a massage, playing golf, or splurging on a vacation. However, in this time of isolation, illness and inequity self-care is no longer a luxury.  Schools have a new face now. Teachers...
Read more >

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 and to wellbeing. We sat down with Dr. Debra Duardo, Superintendent of the Los Angeles...
Read more >

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 Gabby Pelosi, a rising high school senior from North Salem High School, a small public school in Westchester County, New York. Growing up, I have always aspired to be politically progressive. I...
Read more >

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...
Read more >