It was a breath of fresh air—the City of Brotherly Love, Rocky Balboa, and the most recent Super Bowl. Philadelphia, PA didn’t disappoint, most crucially because I was there to join a collective of over 1000 Black male educators to discuss key issues that matter most to kids of color, particularly Black boys, at the Fellowship of Black Male Educators…
Massachusetts Teachers – Do You Know Where Your Union Dues Go?
Hey teachers — do you know where your union dues go? And if you do, are you happy about what they’re being spent on? The folks at the Pioneer Institute are making a lot of folks pretty pissed off, apparently for just providing some transparency around where the money that is deducted out the paychecks of teachers really goes. (Here’s…
Blue Wave? Pink Wave? Let’s Just Call it Major Progress.
Were the midterm elections a blue wave for Democrats? The pundits are still debating. Let them. The fact is a wave occurred and it was blue … and also pink, and maybe rainbow. Let me explain. The Democrats may not have won the Senate, something many believe was virtually impossible due to partisan gerrymandering, but we killed it in the…
Parents of New Bedford are speaking up. We are proud to stand with them.
Wagdy Mahmoud and Souzan Ghonim, parents of three children in New Bedford, wrote an awesome op-ed on the importance of school choice for South Coast Today. Read about how Alma Del Mar Charter School helped their children dramatically improve their academic achievement in, “YOUR VIEW: Family wants others to have same access to Alma Del Mar’s quality education.” We are…
Chelmsford Teachers Deserve ANSWERS
This week we’re revisiting the union drama up in Chelmsford and their never-ending hot mess surrounding former Chelmsford Federation of Teachers President Jennifer Salmon. You’ll remember Chelmsford came to our attention last year when the American Federation of Teachers in Massachusetts launched a state-wide petition to support Jennifer Salmon, then-President of the Chelmsford Federation of Teachers. Salmon had been tossed…
Listen up! Exciting News About 413 United
I love what I do as the Western Massachusetts Organizer for MPU, but every once and awhile, something truly extraordinary and exciting comes together. One of those moments is now! So, LISTEN UP. We are launching a one-stop shop for parents and families to become familiar with and access community organizations, agencies, and groups for support! It’s called 413 United…
Springfield Public Schools: We Hurt Your Feelings By Telling You That You’re Failing Kids. We’re Not Sorry
We’re had alot of reaction to our blog on the Springfield Public Schools — and frankly, we’re pretty happy about it. It’s about damn time that we started having a real conversation about the crisis in education that is happening in the western part of the state. We’re glad so many of you agree. We were even able to get…
Hey #Idaho13, Keep the Apologies, Resign Now!
By Leticia Chavez-Garcia via La Comadre. EduMom is proudly affiliated with the La Comadre network. “When someone shows you who they are, believe them…” Maya Angelou By now we’ve all seen the images. Folks on social media, especially among us Latinos, are chiming in on the group of teachers in Idaho who showed up to the traditional public school they…
Nearly 80% of Springfield 8th Graders are Failing Math and English, But Superintendent Says the Schools are Better than Ever!
The fastest way to recovery is first, to admit you have a problem. Massachusetts Parents United has been highlighting the growing educational inequality in our schools throughout Massachusetts. We are part of several coalitions who have revealed two important data points about MA education. Educational equity is our jam. Here’s the problem (expect to see these facts repeated over and…
The BTU Asks Members What they Want in the Next Superintendent – Closing the Achievement Gap and Improving Student Outcomes Not on the List
The Boston Teachers Union put out this email to their membership today asking for input on the upcoming search for the next Superintendent. So what are the issues the Boston Teachers Union feel would be most important? The following ARE NOT present on the survey: Demonstrated track record of improving student learning and outcomes Ability to close achievement…