Nick was a 6th grader who, before joining my classroom, had been suspended from several of his previous schools. He is easy to pick out in a class of thirty students not because he is Hispanic, but because he is markedly older, taller and more mature looking. When I met Nick at the back of the room during our end-of-year…
Author: Kathleen Campbell
Restorative Practices: A Critical Component to Closing the Opportunity Gap
Last year at this time, Stuart (a sixth grader whose name I’ve changed to protect his privacy) had torn other students’ work to pieces, pulled large projects off the walls, thrown books and chairs, and yelled in frustration during challenging times. Despite this, I never asked Stuart to leave my classroom. All-too-often, educators like me are challenged to decide whether…
A Denver Teacher’s Call for ‘More Urgent Path Forward’ on Improving Schools
The Denver Board of Education last month voted to phase out or close three elementary schools for poor performance and declining enrollment. In the wake of that tough decision, Denver teacher Kathleen Anderson wrote this piece about the importance of strong school accountability. By Kathleen Anderson Students and families in Southwest Denver have been underserved for nearly 20 years. Kepner Middle…