A place for educators to find thought-provoking news, conversation and support for those who care about diversity, equal opportunity and respect for differences in schools
When a Student Says No to College
John was in my eighth-grade class. He was a rascal and my favorite kind of student. He was rambunctious and smart as a whip. And he and his family lived in poverty. His favorite memory of middle school is when I gave him detention time after school.
“Why’d I get this?” he exclaimed.
“Because you’ve racked up four deductions for talking and disrupting class,” I calmly said.
He looked down at the detention slip, “Well, OK then.”
It’s one of our favorite stories.
Deafness Isn’t a Deficit
Every prospective parent hopes for a healthy baby.
But when it comes to hearing and Deaf cultures, “healthy” is defined differently. Four out of 5 deaf children are born to hearing parents. When told this prognosis, hearing parents often experience what psychiatrist and grief expert Elisabeth Kübler-Ross characterized as the Five Stages of Grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance).
Placing Value on Education, Equity — and Soap
I’m standing at my customary position in the cafeteria during lunch duty one day, watching students pass by, lunches in hand, heading to their usual tables. Some students say hello to me. Others give a quick wave. Some avoid eye contact at all costs.
Seeing Students, Not Threats
My third-period students rushed in at the start of class, wide-eyed and excited. Something had happened.
“Quentin hit Ms. Combs!”
Helen Combs was my friend. She taught language arts. “He knocked her down,” one student reported. “They took her to the hospital, and the police took him away in handcuffs!”
Humanizing Middle Schools with Compliments
Name-calling is pervasive in our culture. According to advocacy organization Mental Health America, teens hear anti-gay slurs approximately 26 times a day. Other anti-bullying websites such as Bullying Statistics.org cite name-calling as the most common type of harassment in schools.
A Day of Silence that Left a Lasting Impact
Four years ago, we held our first Day of Silence, an annual event where students at schools across the country take a vow of silence in support of LGBT students who are harassed and bullied.
That first Day of Silence was an anxious experiment for our suburban private school. We followed resources offered by the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Our diversity club faculty sponsors and student leaders planned a series of announcements, acquired administrative approval and fielded concerned questions from faculty members who didn’t embrace the event and felt it would disrupt their classrooms.
Protecting the Future from Genocide
After the Holocaust, Elie Wiesel eloquently stated “never again.” Since he first uttered this compelling sentiment, genocides have erupted across the world—from Guatemala to Cambodia.
April was chosen as Genocide Prevention Month since the Holocaust, Rwandan, Bosnian, Armenian and Cambodian genocides are commemorated during this time. The commemoration began in April 2009 and combined genocide remembrance with prevention.
Students Must not be Treated as Criminals
I don’t remember exactly what instigated it, but something had made Cashanda mad. She positioned herself—and her desk—right smack in front of the board. She was defiant. Her physical placement made it impossible to continue my lesson.
Our new guide, 
