The Return to Creating

 I was a classroom teacher, for at least part of the day, for 22 years. I was never a fan of the resources provided to me, and always supplemented with my own materials. Somewhere around 2009, I started becoming a true "creator" of curricular resources. Frankly, it was all thanks to Lucy Calkins, and the literacy "experts" in my district that tried to force her "Units of Study" on me when I became a fifth grade teacher. It is 2023 now, and national news is talking about how millions of kids have been impacted by the shift to the Calkins model for teaching reading and writing, which missed the boat on so many levels. Even Lucy admits that her materials may be in need of revision (rolls eyes). She started discussing foundational skills and such, turns out kids DO need phonics, and they DO need to know the parts of speech. WHO KNEW???

I did. 

I even wrote about it. And so did other teachers like me that were handed the infamous "Units of Instruction" and asked, "wait, what?" There was nothing there that would support my students learning the important skills they needed. I am going to upset some people with this next statement, but literacy education has been dominated by white women for FAR TOO LONG. It is like they have a monopoly on teaching reading and writing, and frankly, they have failed miserably. I live in Michigan and we are in a race to the bottom in literacy, projected to be dead last soon if we do not make radical changes to our literacy instruction.  Nevertheless, districts everywhere are still holding on to the curriculum their literacy leaders say will eventually work, if only teachers would do it right. SPOILER ALERT: It isn't going to work. 

It has been four years since I left the classroom, and I have seen the belly of the beast. The decisions around literacy instruction are being made by all of the wrong people, and year after year, more kids hate reading and writing. College professors have been complaining for years that the incoming students just can't write, and lack critical analytical skills college students need to survive. They aren't wrong. Of course some of our kids are brilliant writers, and brilliant readers. But in the overall scheme of things, the skills needed to become a competent, skilled writer aren't being taught well in our schools. Most of the teachers that bucked the system, and never embraced the new way of teaching, did so in order to hang on to the way they have always done things. They often teach whole class novels, and bad ones at that. So many teachers force their favorite books down the throats of our kids, and guess what? They hate reading now. 

One thing I have heard often being a central office administrator is the disparaging remarks about teachers finding resources on "Teachers Pay Teachers" which is now simply known as TpT. They act as though the problem is that teachers have gone rogue and refused to do what they are told. I have news for you. Some of the best resources out there are sold on TpT. But educational leaders, many of whom haven't stood in front of a classroom of students in over a decade, act like this is the reason their scores have declined. They respond by implementing programs, and canned curricular resources that corporations call "evidence-based" and promise success if only teachers would teach it with fidelity. I cringe whenever I hear that word. Teaching a program with fidelity is the absolute best way to screw up literacy education. There is no program in the world that can know the kids in your classroom, or provide them with the differentiated instruction they need. Egos are getting in everyone's way. I tell people all the time, "I am a content creator. I have taught my own curriculum. And when I could see that the lesson wasn't working, I STOPPED." The best teachers are the ones that respond to the kids in front of them. I have stopped a lesson cold in the middle of class, and if you are a great teacher, you have too. 

I haven't created curricular materials in years, but I am about to start again. TpT has changed and is different than it was when I left the classroom, but I am going to try to catch up with the times and join the masses to create and post materials that allow for teachers to differentiate instruction, are culturally relevant and provide kids with CHOICES about what they read and write. Visit Doc's Shop to see what I have, and send me a message if you have any ideas for how I can create materials teachers truly need to engage their kids in literacy once again. 

Teachers Union Stops School District from firing woman for being pregnant. 48 years later, teachers' union sues the baby.

To say that I am a supporter of unions is an understatement. Unions are responsible for providing workers with so many things, including weekends, overtime, safe working conditions, protection from discrimination, and so many other things. I've always been a union supporter, and when I began teaching I was more than happy to join the MEA, and even became a union leader. For over a decade, I was a union rep, on the executive board of my local EA, organized political campaigns, and engaged hundreds of teachers in the political process. I have never considered WHY I supported unions, I just always knew it was the right thing to do. 

The year was 1973, and a teacher's union had to stand up for a young kindergarten teacher who had been fired for being pregnant in 1972.  Her union sued the district and they won. This case set a precedent for women in Michigan, and no longer allowed employers to fire women for being pregnant. This was a win for women's rights, as well as for teachers. 

It has been roughly 48 years since this incident. And the baby born during the lawsuit of Shamey v. Taylor Schools, grew up to be a teacher too. And like her mom, she grew into quite a fighter in her own right. She unapologetically challenged authority whenever kids were being mistreated. She spent her entire career fighting for the underdog. She fearlessly stood up to racists, and corrupt administrators, who would sacrifice the safety of the children for the comforts of the white adults. 

The young woman that was fired in 1972, when she was 25-years-old, is my mom. And the baby that was born in 1972? Well, that was me. I've always been proud to say that my mom and I set a precedent in Michigan, and that women had more rights because of us. No woman should be fired for being pregnant! But that was a time when things like that happened. But my mom was a fighter, so there was no way her 25-year-old self was going to go quietly. She loved her job, and loved being a teacher, even when she got in trouble for wearing a pants suit instead of a dress to work. I got in trouble too. But for me, it happened when I reported to central office that four little girls in my class were uncomfortable with the principal touching them. That was the end for me. But in the beginning, I was just the baby born in 1972. 

I set a precedent in the State of Michigan, with the help of my mom and the teachers union, to ensure fair and equal treatment for women. And today? The MEA, my former teachers' union, is suing me. If I could go back in time, I would have done things so differently. I believed in the good of people. I believed in the good of unions. After all, they saved my mom, who went on to have an amazing career in her district, saving more kids than anyone can possibly count. She became a legend in her own right, fighting for kids that were living in poverty, or homeless. She never rested, and always fought for what was right, and taught me to do the same. I followed in her footsteps, and am proud of my own accomplishments.

But I was forced out of teaching. By the UNION and the corrupt administrators they were friends with. I loved being a teacher, I was so damn good at it. It was who I was for so long, and I was grateful to make the salary I did, I never once complained. The union had done well in protecting those of us that made the most money. But my union leadership allowed the district to illegally investigate me, spending over $400,000.00 on lawyers, in hopes they could prove I asked my young 11-year-old girls to lie about the principal touching them. I left teaching because my union and everyone else, let me down in every way possible. The MEA has lost their way, and they need to be reminded of why they exist. Upon leaving my district, and becoming a central office administrator in another community, I learned that the MEA was suing me. Must be a mistake, right? Nope. Over the last few years of my teaching experience, I stopped paying my union dues. The President of my union had set me up to take a pretty big fall with my colleagues, and then allowed my district to investigate me after I reported a principal for touching the kids. He even expressed his disdain for me, and his intent to "knock me down off of my pedestal."  It was far more important to the union leadership to make the white power structure, which included my principal, comfortable. It didn't matter that kids suffered, as long as the white adults were comfortable. 

I called for help. I called and wrote to the Board of education. I begged for help from my former friend, the superintendent. I called the MEA when the threats started. Nobody responded. I begged for help, thinking that if they only knew the truth, they would stop this madness. I believed someone would stop the union from protecting racists and from protecting those that mistreat children. I believed in the good of people, and learned the hard way that a lot of people are more interested in themselves, and their comforts and privilege.  MEA leaders across the state have done very well financially, considering the teachers in the state of Michigan have been hit hard, and some have lost everything. I really believed that if they just knew...

But they DID know. They knew our local EA hadn't had a legal election in 17 years. They knew that our local EA allowed teachers of color to suffer needlessly, being fired, dismissed, and mistreated. The MEA KNEW that the union leadership was in cahoots with the district central office admin, and they had a mutual arrangement to protect their own comforts. They knew that our EA leaders used the professional development funds for their own personal travel needs, attending conferences all over the country, while most teachers have had no decent PD in years. They knew. 

A month ago, the "MEA" made their endorsements for the Board of Education in my community. We are a community suffering racial strife. They selected the white people, those that are endorsed by the current Board members and central office leadership. I used to wait for the MEA endorsements, so I knew who to research and usually vote for. But now, I would never trust an endorsement from the teacher's union. They let grown people call young kids things like the N-word. And they don't do anything. They don't help the kid. They choose to be silent. They protect the racist adults. Time and time again. 

I want to go back to being a union supporter. After all, I am the baby that was born in 1972 that made it illegal to fire a woman for being pregnant. Unions did that, and the possibilities are endless.  

Seven Black Boys

It's been quite some time since I wrote a blog post. I took up blogging because writing is, for me, a coping mechanism, and a way to get the thoughts and frustrations that plague my mind out into the world. Over the past 5-6 years, most of my thoughts and frustrations were about feeling helpless. I felt helpless teaching in a school system that allowed overt racism, and punished teachers like me for standing up for children of color. And I did so unapologetically. The writing helped.

Nine months ago, I resigned from my teaching job. And nine months ago, I got my life back. I am part of a secret club now, whose members have been liberated from what I can only say is the most racist school district I've ever known of. We are the only people that know the peace that comes from  leaving such a toxic environment.

I have had nine months to recover. I am a central office administrator now,  someplace else, and essentially have my dream job. The skills I built as a result of fighting the white power structure in an affluent and racist school district have served me well. But the stories of the students continue to plague my thoughts. I am gone now, I am free of the sickness, but the stories stay with me. For the past few weeks one in particular has weighed heavily on my mind.

After ten years in the same school, a school I loved, I was transferred out as my punishment for reporting the principal when four little girls expressed their discomfort when he put his hands on them. It wasn't really up to me, it's the law. Teachers are mandatory reporters when things like this happen, but nevertheless, I was severely punished, and the principal, well...he wasn't. He is a member of the white power structure that protects the whiteness and power of its members, and has a stranglehold on a diverse school district that deserves so much better.

I went to my new school silently. I intended to remain silent, other than what I needed to do for my students. I was a fish out of water, and knew that the only things this new staff knew about me were the suburban legends they had heard about my hatefulness. I tried to just stay away form the fray, teach, and go home. Months into this new assignment, I was in the gym with the rest of the teachers and the entire student body. We were waiting for a diversity assembly to begin. The kids were waiting patiently, talking, giggling and laughing, as they should be. I kept my eyes on my students, as any teacher should. But the makeup of my class is worth telling you about.

This was the year that a social worker, with big aspirations of power and control, was put in charge of instruction. Her claim to fame was what we called W.I.N. - WHAT I NEED.  It was a class that was supposed to provide students with support or enrichment, depending on what they need. I was assigned 15 Black males. Each one was an 8th grader, and I was told to teach a reading intervention for fluency. Fluency? For 8th graders? Are you sure? I had questions. How were these students identified for this intervention? They were identified based on one NWEA score. I said repeatedly, as I am a data person, "NWEA DOES NOT MEASURE FLUENCY." But they basically told me to do it anyways. I spent a little time making sure I was right, and I looked into each students academic history, only to discover that maybe 2-3 of them needed help with comprehension, but the rest were more "teacher-challenged" than they were reading challenged. I was happy to have each one of them with me, because it meant they were not subjected to some of the other teachers that have such disdain for students like them.

When we got to the gym, we were the first ones there and my kids went straight to the top of the bleachers where they waited for the assembly to begin. I stayed in the middle of the gym, checking on them, talking to other kids when this happened...

A white teacher made eye contact with me from across the gym, she had a look in her eyes like, "Watch this..." And I most certainly did. She climbed to the top of the bleachers, to the top row. She yelled at seven of my Black male students to stand up, she counted them off, and ordered them to walk down the bleachers and out of the gym. They complied. They didn't argue. They walked out, in a line, seven 8th grade Black males, in front of the entire student body and the teaching staff. I followed them. The teacher had taken a different route and met up with us out in the hallway. She was shocked to see me there talking to them. She immediately began to berate them. She was yelling. I don't like yelling. She called one of my students out by name, wondering where he was, and angry he wasn't standing there waiting for her. I cut her off and explained to her that I had given him permission to use the restroom. She yelled some more. At me. And then continued to berate my seven young students. You are probably wondering what they did, I think that is a fair question.

When the student she had identified by name returned, the yelling and berating continued, and their big offense? Giggling and laughing. I wondered if maybe she had seen something I didn't, and there was a reason they were being removed in such a disgusting and embarrassing way. This is where I stepped in and stopped her.

You cannot understand this feeling until you have done something similar. But I put myself between those seven Black boys, and that loud, racist white teacher and told her to stop. Then she amped up her rhetoric and yelled at me about how this was none of my business and she didn't understand why I was there. She had a genuine look of shock on her face that I would do this. How dare I stand up for these children? How dare me.

She turned really red and stomped away in anger. I turned to the kids. I asked them what they wanted to do. She told them the only way they could go back in was if they sit right up in front where she could humiliate them further. I was reminded by their responses to me that they were just kids. They were kids in Black bodies though, some of those bodies were that of a grown man. But they were kids. They said they didn't want to go back in and be embarrassed because everyone on our side of the gym had watched. But they really wanted to see the show. My heart broke. I had been here before. And now I was angry. I turned and looked at the dozen or so white teachers that stood silently through this entire scene.

I turned around, walked right past each one of them, walked across the entire gym in front of the entire student body, and asked my principal for help. I didn't know her well, and knew that most of what she knew about me was what a bunch of salty white people told the masses to convince everyone I was crazy. If expecting Black and Brown children to be treated with dignity makes me crazy, then yep. I am batshit crazy.

I don't remember the words I said, they were packed with emotion, and probably curse words, but she got right up and did exactly what the kids needed her to do. We went out the other side of the gym, walked around back to where the boys were waiting for me. The teacher was back out there yelling again, and when we walked up she started yelling at me in front of the principal. She was told to leave in no uncertain terms. The principal talked to the kids, asked them what they wanted and needed, and they told her. They wanted to watch the assembly. So we all walked to the other side of the gym, where they didn't really see everything, and she found a spot for them where they stayed for the duration of the assembly, the remainder of their dignity in tact.

After, I had to meet with the teacher since she was yelling at me too. I remember in the meeting when I mentioned race, she almost left. She was livid, and said "I am not going to sit here if you make this about race." I think what I said was, "You identified seven Black boys, marched them out of the gym in front of the school and berated them. This is about race." The meeting ended well, I assured all that I would not have an issue working with her, and I wouldn't, until she starts screaming at Black kids again.

She humiliated those boys that day. I will never forget their faces while she was yelling. They did not argue, they did not respond, they just took it. They took it, and then took it some more. They were used to this. They KNEW if they tried to ask why they were lined up and removed they would end up in trouble. They knew because this is their life. I watched all seven of those faces that day. They still haunt me, along with so many others.

Many of us wrote to the superintendent and the Board of Education. Letters from a small handful of teachers and parents went ignored. Not one of us received a response, and certainly no apology. That was the same year the white US History teacher told the three Black boys in his class they they were "sleeping through their own history" and that when Black people are killed, they deserve it. He doubled down the next day, and told the class that the Black kids were lucky to even be able to attend that school, since it wasn't long ago they would not have been welcome.

I don't know what happened behind the scenes of any of this. But I do know neither teacher was punished or disciplined. One was transferred, to a school where that kind of behavior would be far more acceptable, especially since I was transferred out of it. The other left on his own accord and is now teaching in a predominantly white district. But there was no outrage about the incident.

Correction, there WAS outrage. There was outrage that these teachers were called out for their racist and disgusting behavior. There is always outrage when the white adults feel attacked.

I woke up this morning at 4:00 am. Like normal. And I checked my Twitter feed to see what was happening in the world. A video popped up. It was a video of three white men chasing and murdering a Black male while he was out jogging.

This man was murdered over two months ago, and no charges had been filed. But the video, which the authorities have had the entire time, shows very clearly that he was murdered for jogging. If an anonymous person had not released this video to the public, this man's family would never see justice. They may STILL never see justice. Trevon Martin was gunned down too. His killer is free.

This may seem like a stretch when I tell stories of Black male students being screamed at, and humiliated, but it really isn't. When I watched the video this morning, which I will not share, I thought about all of the times I have put myself between Black or Brown children, and the white people that believed they had the right to destroy them. It wasn't necessarily the screaming teachers I thought about, and there had been many before this assembly incident, and more after. It was the faces of the silent white teachers, knowing that this was wrong, and doing nothing about it. It was the faces of every person that has stood silently, while people like me try like hell to protect our most vulnerable children.

Screaming in the face of a young Black male is a far cry from murder. But the sickness is the same. It starts with schools, and communities, that treat our Black and Brown children like they are not worthy of sitting in the same classrooms as their white privileged counterparts. And it ends with law enforcement covering up the murder of a Black man trying to take a jog, but instead being shot and killed for absolutely no reason at all. Every silent person is complicit in the death of this man. Every silent teacher is complicit when Black boys end up on the school-to-prison pipeline, having missed out on the education they deserve and have a right to, but do not receive because they walk around in Black or Brown bodies.  Everyone who remains silent, because THEIR kids are ok, or because THEIR kids are getting what they need, is complicit in allowing a society that makes it unsafe to drive while black, or to sit in your backyard while black, or to sit in your own apartment while black, only to be gunned down by a stranger.

Schools are supposed to be a beacon of hope and safety. They are anything but.

Teach with FIDELITY? No thank you.

Have you heard the latest buzzwords in the education world? Fidelity. Rigor. Research-based. College-ready. They get thrown around like chicken nuggets in a cafeteria food fight.

The first time someone told me to teach a program with "fidelity" was roughly 10 years ago and I remember doing a double take when I was told that if I JUST teach the math program with FIDELITY my students will learn. If I don't, that's why they don't get it. I even tried it once, for a hot second. And then I knew it was a buzzword that had to go. But it is still swirling in the heads of people that make decisions about teaching...but never actually do it. 

What does it mean to teach with "fidelity?" It means you are loyal to the program. You teach it EXACTLY as it says to teach it. And you never ever waiver. And that is an AMAZING plan! If you want your students to fall behind or to get stuck wherever they may be in their learning. I fought it in the beginning because I felt like I needed to be a voice for my students. I tried to teach a math lesson with "fidelity" to my 5th graders all those years ago. And in the middle of the lesson I could clearly see that some of them were completely and totally lost, while others had already figured it all out and were ready to move on. But my directive was to teach with "fidelity" and apparently that meant that the kids who were lost, and the kids that already mastered the skill, would just have to suck it up. What was important? Teaching the PROGRAM with fidelity. I have never and will never teach a program with fidelity. I refuse to, due to the fact that my job is to teach the KIDS and not PROGRAMS. Thankfully for me, nobody has asked me to teach anything with fidelity in some time. 

I was talking about the amazing resources teachers create with one of my nerdy teacher friends and she said, "I feel like fidelity is the antonym of differentiation." She is so smart. The idea of teaching a program with fidelity is everything that is wrong with our schools. People that don't teach, telling people that do teach, how to do something that they aren't able to do, is what is wrong with education. It's about control. It's about money in some cases (new programs cost a fortune). And it is about blame. It's about blaming teachers for the failures of our students on standardized tests. Educational "leaders" can then sit around and discuss how the teachers have failed to teach with fidelity. The worst test scores I have ever seen are from people that teach to a program. And it's not rocket science to figure out why. 

Real teaching is about figuring out where your kids are, and meeting them right there. Rick Wormelli said, "Fair is not always equal." And he couldn't be more right. If you hear someone tell you to "teach with fidelity" you can be certain they haven't stood in a diverse classroom in quite some time. And if they have, they didn't do a very good job. Students come in all shapes and sizes, at every level, with emotional needs, with learning disabilities, with genius IQs, and with a plethora of experiences that makes each one of them unique. There is NO program that can meet all of their needs. 

Instructional programs can be an excellent framework and starting place, but that's all they can be. Great teachers use them that way, but find innovative strategies, engaging lessons, and differentiated resources to teach each kid, on any given day, based on what THEY need and not what the program says to do next. 

When you tell teachers to teach programs with fidelity, you strip your greatest resource of their ability to create and innovate and help the kids they have right in front of them. So my advice to any teacher that is told to "teach it with fidelity" is to smile and nod. And then do what you know you have to do for your students. Our kids deserve better than a canned program that promises the world. They deserve a teacher. And teachers deserve some credit. 

Recently I was sitting with some administrators that I had just met. We were talking about the work I do in curriculum and assessment, and the ELA materials I create for teachers.  They figured I must have the right answer since I have a doctorate in curriculum and instruction and have taught all subjects and numerous grade levels. They asked me, "How would YOU make sure that teachers teach a new program with fidelity?" 

My answer was simple. I wouldn't. Ever. 

SIX DAYS LEFT: Black History is OUR History

There are still six days left to teach Black History to the nation's children.

Why do we need Black History Month? Personally, I wish we didn't have to have a special month. But without it we may never know that there is more to Black American history than slavery. Morgan Freeman said it perfectly when he stated, "Black history is American history."

All throughout the year we teach the curriculum required of the state and national government. If we never veer away from the required curriculum, students may never learn of some of the most amazing historical figures, or learn of some of the most tragic events in the history of this nation.

I am 45 years old. I have multiple degrees including one in social studies. I only recently learned about the Chicago 50 from a friend preparing to use this event as an anchor in her ELA class.

A few months ago I was talking with another friend about something I was creating and he suggested I include information about Emmett Till. And my response was, "Who is Emmett Till?"

Last year while I was on vacation I was searching for a movie to watch on the plane. I picked Hidden Figures. And my mind was BLOWN. I had never even heard rumblings about the amazing women of NASA, without whom space may not be quite so well traveled.

Just days before I watched it I was in my 7th grade classroom wrapping up a lesson about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  I was pretty proud of myself for having taken the time to teach some important Black history to my students that February and I asked them what they thought. I asked them what they learned. And I will NEVER forget what happened next. One of my most brilliant students (I have so many BRILLIANT kids!) raised his hand and said, in the most respectful way, "Dr. Shamey, we don't learn anything new during Black History Month. I didn't really learn anything."

WAIT...WHAT??? But I just spent three weeks teaching about Rosa Parks and MLK, and watching his inspiring "I have a Dream" speech. We made wall posters of the faces of Black History Month that I bought on Teachers Pay Teachers. Certainly I hadn't wasted everyone's time when I showed the movie Ruby Bridges!

Oh but I did. Just like so many teachers do every single year. I had no idea! I asked for him to explain to me what he meant, and this amazing young man that I am quite certain will change the world one day, explained it so eloquently. He said we all do the same stuff. He said we mean well, but we teach kids about the same few people every single year. He started to name some of the movies they've seen a million times. He mentioned the cartoon "My Friend Martin" and I saw the recognition on the faces of every single kid in the room! They had seen that movie so many times. He said, "We watch it every year." And the kids around the room all agreed by nodding or agreeing with his statements.

Was it true? Was I wasting everyone's time every year during Black History Month? I was supposed to be among the enlightened! But this amazing 12-year-old certainly enlightened me last year. And I took what he said very seriously. This year I decided to create something for teachers to use during BHM that would be different. I wanted to teach things the kids didn't already know. I wanted to use clips from speeches they hadn't already seen a million times. I wanted to be different. I wanted to actually TEACH something they didn't know.

Last week one of my kids raised his hand and asked me this question: "Why are you so passionate about Black History Month? I have never had a teacher care so much about it. And I had a Black teacher that didn't care like you do!"

I looked around at the silent agreement on their faces and explained. The student that asked me was a young 11-year-old African American male. I told him quite simply, "YOU are the reason I am so passionate about Black History." And I pointed right at him. And then I pointed at the student next to him, and the one next to her and then the next one and the next one. Because I heard my students the year before. I wasn't going to do the same old thing this year. I was going to make a difference. And it seemed that I had in that moment and I was proud of myself as well as my students for engaging in such amazing discussions about things that really matter.

I had just finished showing a clip from Season 4 of Blackish and I had watched it so many times that I could sing every word and dance right along with the characters. And, of course, I did.

I used that episode as the focus of one of the activities I created for teachers. It was meant to be a one day lesson. It took me three days to get through it because of the dialogue, new learning, questions, and discussion that took place as a result of watching the clip WE BUILT THIS.

That clip changed my world.

It puts to words what I must have known intellectually, but hadn't quite wrapped my brain around. This country was built by Black people. For free. The White House. UVA. Railroads. All of it. Built FOR FREE. That clip changed me. And requires me to ask more questions and teach more truths and be more vigilant about knowing the real history of this country.

When we dissected the clip "FREEDOM" my kids couldn't believe that it was not long ago when it was illegal for a black person to marry a white person. Their faces said it all. They found that to be the most asinine thing they had ever heard! But it was real. And in some ways still is today.

We have a long way to go in our education system to actually teach Black History. It is time to acknowledge and act on the fact that Black History is OUR history. Black History is AMERICAN history. 

Until Further Notice: ONLY KIDS VOTE

It's been one heck of a week for kids and teachers. My Facebook feed is flooded with articles, memes, comments and declarations about gun control and how incredibly stupid it is that a teenager can walk into a store and purchase an automatic weapon. My newsfeed tells me that there are so many people that believe what I do. We want gun regulation. We want gun laws. I am not one of those people that would say "I don't want to take your guns! I just want background checks!" If you hear me saying that, you know I have gone crazy. I don't just want laws that say mentally ill people can't purchase semi-automatic weapons. I WANT THE GUNS GONE. I want them destroyed and dismantled and turned into something that has value. Like maybe a table or some furniture. I don't know what they are made of, but I am sure we could melt them all and make pretty things for living rooms and kitchens across the country. Or maybe patio chairs? I don't really care. Just get rid of the guns because the kids and teachers are afraid to go to school. Our SCHOOLS have become a battleground.

I also know, however, that there are plenty of people that check their Facebook Newsfeed and see stories about how guns don't kill people...people do. And deranged people at that. I know that Facebook can tell which of us will appreciate memes or articles that say mean things about the teenagers that are letting their voices be heard. If your Facebook feed includes a lot of criticism of the children and the teachers that are begging for help, you might be a part of the problem.

Last week a teenager armed with an assault rifle walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida and open fired. 17 people, children and teachers, lost their lives. This was the 18th school shooting since January 1. It is February. The first 17 seemed to go largely unnoticed. But this one is different. Yes, the number of casualties makes it even more newsworthy. But this one is different because the kids have had enough. And they are taking their message to social media, the legislature and to the streets. And some conservatives just don't care for their opinions.

This young woman, Emma, gives me hope for our future. If you haven't watched her message to the NRA and to POTUS, WATCH IT NOW.

Some of the things being said about the children include:

"Their sorrow is being hijacked by left-wing groups. They are being used to further a liberal political agenda."  (Former Rep. Jack Kingston R-Ga)

"Do we really think 17-year-olds on their own are going to plan a nationwide rally?" (CNN Contributor)

"The kids are not even Parkland students, they are attention-seeking actors." (Aide to Florida Representative, Republican Shawn Harrison)

"The kids are children of FBI agents trying to cover for the mistakes of the FBI."

And my personal favorite:

Yes, Bill. They should. Do you want to know WHY they should? Because these teenagers just experienced the most horrific thing I can ever imagine because you and your friends can't help but pander to the NRA and all of the power and influence they have. And Mr. O'Reilly, we have all seen your meltdowns when someone doesn't have the cameras ready for you. You aren't exactly the pillar of remaining calm and not being overtaken by emotion. And didn't you just lose your job at FOX News because you can't treat women with any decency? Should the media be promoting what YOU think? Particularly since you are facing extreme peer pressure and are likely still very emotional about having lost your pulpit to spread your grossness?

The President's lovely son has taken the time to "like" some of the crazy stupid conspiracy theories..which says a lot about his intellect and ability to analyze information.

Stephen Colbert disagrees with them all. And SO DO I. I have said it before and I will say it again...kids will change the world.

Stephen Colbert Believes in the KIDS

"There is one group that does give me hope that we can do something to protect the children, and sadly, it's the children." - Stephen Colbert.

He is right. The Parkland kids filled up busses and headed to the State's capital to have their voices heard, only to watch the lawmakers vote NO on a ban of assault weapons.

Stephen Colbert said, "Well I hope these kids don't give up. Because this is their lives, and their future. Someone else may be in power, but this country belongs to them. And there is reason for hope."

Colbert said the first thing that made sense to me in so long. Let's FLIP the voting age. Colbert suggests..."I think we need to change the voting age - until we do something about guns, you can't vote if you're over 18."

I will give up my vote. Because I have spent more hours in rooms full of children than you could imagine. I have also spent plenty of time in rooms full of adults. I am not an expert on much. But I know this...the kids are so much wiser. they are kinder and more accepting. They see the craziness around them and want it to stop.

And if anyone thinks for two seconds that KIDS can't change the world? You should try talking to them. They're brilliant. They know more about the world than most adults I know. They are insightful and thoughtful. And they think what we are doing is insane. And they're right. And they aren't going to take it for much longer.

Last week I walked into my classroom to find a sixth grader stuck between a cupboard and a wall, in a little "cubby" in my room. This isn't something out of the ordinary when you teach 11-year-olds, except that when I asked what he was doing, he explained that they were searching for safe places to hide in our classroom. When I asked him what he was doing, I would have preferred one of the standard answers, like "just seeing if I fit." Or "I wanted to see if I could lick the wall all the way in the back." But he wasn't. He was searching for a safe place to hide in case we are faced with an active shooter in our school. It's not right. But there is something that can be done. We can stop and listen to the kids. They're right. And THEIR lives are the ones in danger when they are simply trying to do their social studies.

Get ready America. The KIDS are coming. 

Their, They're, There...

I don't know if anyone else has noticed...but A LOT of young people are suffering from lack of guidance and knowledge of all things grammar related. Punctuation. Parts of Speech. Words. Spelling.  At some point over the past decade or two...we have lost our way.

When I was a kid, we diagrammed sentences. I loved it! 

Diagramming Sentences = AWESOME

Yes. I am one of the people that is ALWAYS silently (or not-so-silently) correcting your grammar.

And I KNOW I am not the only one. And because I am not the only one...we HAVE to remember to teach kids about grammar. The pendulum of what/how we teach is always swinging. People in positions of power will say...you can't teach grammar in isolation, it should be done in an integrated way through all subjects and while reading and writing. The only problem with this is that it doesn't work. I went to school in the 70's and 80's. I can recite 20 adjectives on demand. I can come up with 30 prepositions in a short minute. And I know the difference between they're, their and there. I also know how to correctly use to, too and two. And never screw up your and you're. I can identify the subject, object (direct and indirect), and verb of any sentence. 

When did we stop teaching the basics? How does one become a brilliant writer if they can't put together a sentence, or spell basic words? Or know how to use punctuation? I've had entire papers turned into me over the course of the past decade that didn't include a single period, comma or exclamation point. And the use of dialogue in writing? Forget about it. Kids aren't being taught sufficiently about how to use dialogue in writing. I contend that we do a disservice to American children each and every day when we ignore the Language Standards, because the state assessments are more focused on reading comprehension. And our focus on comprehension seems to have us moving n the wrong direction as well. When the third grade rule goes into effect in Michigan, we are going to have grown people in third grade. 

When I first started digging into the Common Core for ELA, (and I had to do that all on my own...) nobody mentioned the Language standards. I found them later on, and decided to make some things that would help teachers to teach LANGUAGE. It is the cornerstone of reading and writing. I compare grammar, punctuation and spelling to kids knowing the basic facts in math. It is SO MUCH HARDER to do algebra or geometry if you are not fluent in numbers. If you don't have multiplication tables memorized, or know how to divide numbers the long way, or know how to add/subtract/borrow and all of the other basic math concepts that give children the confidence to do higher level mathematics. 

4th Grade Language                        5th Grade Language                6th Grade Language

                    

When I discovered the Language Standards, I decided to dissect them and create something that would make it EASY AS PIE (like my simile?) to teach all aspects of the CCSS for your grade level. I even started making the middle school version. But I put my focus back on elementary because, frankly, middle school teachers aren't that nice. I get to say this 'cause I am one of them. But whenever I get mean feedback on a product that I spent 100 hours making, it is usually a middle school teacher that says it. What is that all about??? 

Seventh Grade Language

I didn't really know what I was going to make once I started digging into the CCSS for Language. But it ended up being something cool that I loved using with my sixth graders.

Please. Do us all a favor and explicitly teach grammar, punctuation, word origins, parts of speech, and sentence structure. Even if someone tells you that it is all integrated into your reading unit or your writing unit...do it anyways. Your students won't understand different types of pronouns, or parts of speech, or how to use a semicolon, UNLESS YOU TEACH THEM. Kids shouldn't be starting high school with no knowledge of words, commas, sentences, or parts of speech.

We gotta start teaching the basics. We all know that the kids WILL be judged if they can't tell a future employer the difference between to, too and two.

Stop Being Racist

A couple of weeks ago my associate superintendent tweeted the following...and three simple words caused SUCH A STIR. Which words? STOP BEING RACIST.

When his tweet first went out I had no idea. I don't go on Twitter all that much, but after getting some text messages I decided I should. And I am SO glad I did! What Dr. Johnson had to say on this day was something teachers and educators all over this country need to hear.

When I first started getting texts about his tweet, they were all similar, and from the people I am close to in my school district. My friends said things like, "It's about time." and "Yay...Thank you Dr. J!"

And then I started to hear all of the things that people I am not surrounded by all the time thought about his tweet. The comments were more like:

"This isn't leadership."

"I can't believe he said we were racist."

"He should have to take that tweet down, it is offensive and wrong."

I have actually had some really valuable conversations about racism in our schools as a result of his now-infamous tweet.

Teachers I value have asked me things like, "Do you really think we are racist? I am not racist!" We talked through the difference between being overtly racist and being a part of a system that is plagued with institutional racism, as many of our country's schools are...including my own district. I always go back to the data to reason with people and to help them see the impact schools have on kids of different races.

Here is one data point that I have been using to respond to this idea that institutional racism doesn't exist:

You are reading this right. By the end of 5th grade, 89.9% of our African American students are not proficient in mathematics. (Source: mischooldata.com) I can't imagine how kids feel sitting in math class, just starting middle school without basic math skills. And they received the same instruction all the way through. That's how institutional racism works. And we have to start talking about it, in every community, in every state. Here is a glimpse of reading proficiency:

Out of the almost 200 African American students that just started high school, almost 70% of them are not proficient readers. High school is hard enough when you can read anything that is put in front of you. Imagine how difficult it is to keep up in a chemistry class when you can't understand the text.

The anger around his three simple words was startling. Even to me. And for all that think he should have to take it down, or that saying "stop being racist" is in some way a testament to his leadership abilities, I ask you to sit down and really think about that. If you were offended by those words, it's time to look within.

I am here to tell you that THIS is leadership. We have to look institutional racism right in the face and do something about it. Every single one of us. I have no criticism for my leader, I have only one thing to say to Dr. Johnson...Thank you. And I double down on his message to all of us.

Stop being racist.

The starting line...

Watch this. Just watch it. I am going to write about this amazing video...as soon as I stop crying.

https://www.facebook.com/mikey.wycoff/videos/10210529953382118/

I just sat down at Starbucks to create some curriculum and write some assessments...and I checked my Facebook. My former teaching partner, who I have not blogged about yet...because I always cry when I consider where we are today, sent me the above link to the most important video I have seen in a long time. Shawn is the most amazing teacher I know. We shared five years and hundreds of kids during our time together. It was the most amazing experience of my life. We called it KASHAM. (He is KA and I am SHAM) More on KASHAM later...but this reminded me why I believe what we did for five years was magical. The video was sent with a simple message: "What an honest lesson about life."

Shawn and I made it work for five years because we could have conversations like this one. We could discuss with each other the different experiences our kids had, and that they were all coming from different backgrounds. We both believe that every kid deserves the very best education we can give them, but understand that some came to us with hurdles in front of them, while others had a clear path to the finish line. If you watched the video you know that it shows you very clearly that kids have NOT all had the same opportunities. As teachers we MUST acknowledge this...even if society will not.

"We would be foolish to not realize we have been given more opportunity. We don't want to recognize that we have been given a head start. But the reality is...we have. Now...there is no excuse. They still gotta run their race. You still gotta run your race."

Yesterday I blogged about Operation Common Good. And this video reminded me of exactly why I started OCG over a decade ago. I realized that the kids in my classes were not starting on the same line to begin the race. Some were hungry. Others were worried about not fitting in with their more wealthy counterparts. Why would you try out for cheerleading when you know you can't afford all the swag that the coach will require you to purchase? In a world full of UGG boots and North Face coats, it is brutal for a kid that cannot afford either. My colleagues and I, along with thousands of kids, we made sure that we did our part to help the kids that are already starting behind everyone else.

"Because the reality is, if this is a fair race and everyone is back on that line...I guarantee some of these Black dudes would smoke all of you. And it's only because you have this head start that you are possibly going to win this race called life."

Look at the faces of the kids left in the back when the race begins. Not one of the things that allowed others to move closer to the finish line before the race started was a decision that they made, or a choice that they had. This is EVERY DAY in school. When we start a new unit in our classes, we have to remember that some of our kids are far behind their peers. When I worked with Shawn, I saw every day how he helped kids to get closer to that line. He gave up his lunch just about every day for five years. And by choice, our kids would come in and sit with him and practice math. I have never seen anything like it, or ever worked with anyone more committed to leveling the playing field.

"Nothing you have done has put you in the lead right now."

I would have been one of the kids in the front of the line. I am clear about that. Having never known hunger in my life, and having supportive parents and an amazing extended family, I know what I don't know. I know so many people that believe that the world provides the same opportunities to all kids. They think it is up to individuals to decide whether or not they will utilize those opportunities. I wonder if they have ever looked behind them to see who is starting the race from far behind.

"If you didn't learn anything from this activity...you're a fool."

Every teacher, administrator, parent, child, human should watch this video. And we should all work together to build opportunities for kids that haven't ever been up front when the race begins. For some kids, that is every hour of every day they spend in school. This must change.

Operation Common Good

Every once in a while...you get to be a part of something so amazing, so perfectly perfect that there are not words to describe it. Operation Common Good is that thing for me.

This morning I woke up and I wanted to write. Yesterday one of my most favorite people told me to blog this weekend. She knows I have so much to say and she knows I have to do something to help people...especially kids. I see and feel injustice all the time. I can't pretend it isn't there. I can't compartmentalize my need to fight for people that can't fight for themselves. I have to do SOMETHING. And the world seems to have gone mad, and I see it impacting our kids every day. I want to fight and speak out and make a difference. I kept thinking about what I want to write about. Racial injustice? The treatment of children of color? Legislation that hurts schools? The Pledge of Allegiance? The dismantling of public education? The fact that I came across some sixth graders this week that think Mexico is our enemy? My frustration with people making decisions about classrooms that haven't been in one? Ever?

Nah.

I'll get back to that. Today I want to write about the most amazing thing I have ever been a part of, and encourage anyone that reads this to do something in their own community to help kids that need it. Somebody has to.

Sometimes I feel like I have hit a wall and can't find a way to help kids. And then I remember OCG. And this has to be where I spend my energy. Because what happens when I do??? Hungry kids get fed. Families with chronic lice get the help they desperately need. Seniors living in poverty get to go to prom and 10-year-olds aren't left out of field trips because they can't afford to pay the $15.00 fee. And lots and lots of little kids get snow pants. LITTLE KIDS NEED SNOW PANTS! But when putting food on the table is the only thing parents can focus on, snow pants and boots have to take a back seat. I would love to tell you that our schools are in tune with the needs of children, particularly the most vulnerable of them. But we aren't.

I apologize in advance that I am the star of this video. I prefer to put kids front and center of all things...but in this case, I guess I AM the face of OCG. I am the founder. I am the one that speaks at events and goes out into schools and communities to get support. It works too...but only, I believe, because this is truly an organization created BY kids FOR kids. And often...kids need their teachers to help them save the world. So that is what I do.

Operation Common Good started in 2005 when my 8th grade history class learned about a family I was helping during the holidays. We were learning about the Core Democratic Values, and supporting the "common good" is one of them. I told them about a mother in a nearby community that I was helping. She was dying of cancer and had five young children and no support. Within a couple of weeks, my kids had raised over $3000.00 by carrying a jug around and collecting change. (And some kids asked their parents for checks!) We provided everything on their Christmas wish lists, and then some. And were able to help multiple other families as well.

It was an extraordinary experience. But we soon learned of a family with five children, some our own Warner Vikings, who were living in their car. My partner, Hatty, and I decided we needed to focus our efforts on helping kids in Farmington from that point forward. It seemed that kids living in poverty, but in an affluent community, had greater challenges. They were going to extreme measures to avoid being "caught" being poor, after all, we are Farmington. And most of us have all of our needs being met and then some. We raised money in a jug for years...and got so big that our (AMAZING) principal started nagging us about becoming a legal 501c3. He worried that we may have outgrown our "tin can method." (That was an understatement) Having a principal committed to social justice and supporting kids at all costs allowed us to turn OCG into a big deal (Thank you, Mark, for being our hero and the reason OCG has made such an incredible impact). We are now a legal 501c3 under the umbrella of the Farmington/Farmington Hills Education Foundation.

Over the past 12 years we have raised almost $100,000.00 through school and community fundraisers. The above video clips are from an amazing event at the Faith Covenant Church in Farmington Hills. The amazing women hosting that day raised over $8000.00 in one afternoon. And EVERY SINGLE PENNY helped a kid in their community. When I walked in that day, I had NO IDEA what I was about to see and do. I had spoken at numerous events, but this one was different. This was BIG. I realized that day just why so many community organizations wanted to help us. They love that we have no overhead. They love that kids are included and in charge of the fundraising. And they WANT to help families in our own community. The only thing I could think that day was...WOW...my cup runneth over.

We got to the point at Warner where we were able to raise $10,000.00 in one week...thanks to the energy of elementary teachers and the most amazing 10 and 11-year olds. We had it down to a science. Our 5th and 6th graders were raising ALL of the money for a district of 10,000. And they did it with smiles on their faces and kindness in their hearts. But then...just like that....it came to an end. Our school was no longer our school and our platform for fundraising was gone. I learned a lot about the consequences of doing good things just for the sake of doing good things. In an environment that is wrought with competition and focused on adult comforts first, people like me breed resentment. My OCG partners and I have even been invited to present OCG at the National Homelessness Conference. We didn't get to, but it was so cool to be asked. I want the opportunity to share OCG because it is an amazing way to give kids in your community a chance to feel like they are not watching the rest of us from the other side of a glass wall.

Last year, at my new school, a couple of dedicated teachers, my new administrators, and the PTA president found a way to keep OCG alive. We were running out of money.  I had accepted the fact that I could no longer do what I do. I had essentially been defeated. But my new school community proved to me that there are amazing people everywhere. One incredible human being (another principal) even ate a worm to support OCG. Yes. She ATE a live worm. And if I remember correctly we raised over $700.00 just hoping to watch her consume a slimy, squirmy, dirt-covered worm. Great educators (great people) will do anything when they know the result is the ability to feed and clothe a hungry child.

I am exhausted from fighting for equity and basic decency for children in my community. I am exhausted from trying to keep my own name off of my own non-profit so as not to build more resentment. I am exhausted. But I remembered this morning just how energized I feel when I am depositing thousands of dollars into our account, and imagining all of the kids whose lives will be just a little bit better because we took the time to raise money and awareness.

We are almost out of money again. So I am going to commit myself to spreading the word about Operation Common Good. I hope teachers around my own district see this and ask what they can do in their schools. Schools have become fundraising factories, but when you start to ask outside organizations about the percentage of donations that will be spent on overhead, it is disheartening. Especially when the kids could be raising money for their own friends (unbeknownst to them) and classmates that desperately need help. I hope this spreads to more local businesses and organizations looking for a way to give back to their own communities. I hope I get tons of requests to speak at different events this year. I hope kids that are worried, hungry and scared are a little less worried, a little less hungry and a little less scared.

It is starting to get cold. We are going to need help to keep kids in Farmington and Farmington Hills warm and fed. People still don't believe that poverty exists in such an affluent community. But one out of five children in our community is food challenged. And they do NOT want you to know. They just want to feel and look like any other student.

And that is why I do this.

Want to make a donation? Go to http://www.operationcommongood.org/

To Pledge or not to Pledge? That is the question...NOT.

You may have caught the story in the news over the past week or so about a 6th grade student making a decision to sit out the Pledge of Allegiance at school. And Colin Kaepernick is still fighting for his right to "take a knee" during the National Anthem. In the wake of these small acts of patriotism, it seems that everyone has something to say. POTUS does.

At a rally this weekend, the President of the United States said, "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get the son of a b**** off the field right now. Out! He's Fired!"

No. No I wouldn't... What I would like to see is a NFL owner or two take a knee. Now THAT would be a true show of patriotism.

I work in the public school district dealing with "Pledge-gate." And the debates are similar to the national debate about taking a knee. Ironically, I wrote about the pledge a couple of weeks ago, before this happened and before the national news media had ever heard of us.  Should kids be allowed to take a Knee?

I do not know the child involved in this pledge incident. I have no idea who the teacher is. I feel horrible for everyone involved. I wasn't going to follow up on my earlier pledge post...but then I started reading the comments on an article about the incident. And all I want to do is scream. This is a little boy. I teach sixth grade, and spend all day every day surrounded by 11-year-olds. They are just starting to formulate opinions about the world on their own. They are inquisitive and hilarious and amazing. And I am just sick about some of the things grown people have written about a little boy. I have only ventured to read the comments on one article. That was plenty for me.

THIS IS NOT OK. 

AND THIS IS NOT OK. 

AND THIS IS LITERALLY INSANE. 

And THIS? Well this sums up the ridiculousness. 

This little boy is 11-years old. He is a baby. And he is an American. You may not like it, but it's true. People post all over the internet about how "these kids" need to show some respect or "go back to their country." So let me get this straight. These adults (white adults...I should point out) want us to teach this kid and every other kid to have respect for the flag, the country and for each other. But they publicly call an 11-year-old boy names, use racial epithets, and suggest he and his family leave this country. "He deserved to be assaulted," one commenter said. "Your family should move back to Kenya," another genius wrote. I could write a book about this right now. I am embarrassed that we believe these things about our own CHILDREN. I am not going to write that book, at least not today. But I am going to write this: 

STOP DEBATING THE RIGHT TO SIT DURING THE PLEDGE OR TAKE A KNEE IN PROTEST DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM.  

There is no debate. And no reason for us to fight over it. This decision was made for us all a very long time ago and is right here for all to see. 

And guess what...neither the little sixth grade boy nor Colin Kaepernick owe you an explanation for their decision to take a knee. That is the beauty of freedom and democracy. Their decision NOT to pledge or sing is just that...THEIR DECISION.

I have been in school all of my life. I have said the Pledge of Allegiance a million times. I honor the flag and the freedoms that it represents. I honor every veteran that fought for our freedoms. And until people fully comprehend the First Amendment and every American's right to free speech, I'll be taking a knee in solidarity with everyone that has ever been attacked for exercising their first amendment rights. Now THAT's American.

Teachers, What do YOU make?

I watch this video often. I do it for inspiration.

My favorite part of Taylor's speech is this:

I make parents tremble in fear when I call home...Hi. This is Mr. Mali. I hope I haven't called at a bad time. I wanted to talk to you about something your son did today. He said, "Leave the kid alone, I still cry sometimes, don't you?" And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen. I make parents see their children for who they are and what they can be.

Take a second to remember why we became teachers. Before we get all caught up in the curriculum and all the "stuff" that can take away from our real work...remember why we became teachers and let's do this.

We are about to start a new school year. This is my bit of inspiration for my fellow teachers, and my wish for an amazing school year. Go Super Teachers! You make a DIFFERENCE every single day. Don't you forget it!

Would you let YOUR kids take a knee?

Last week one of my dear friends and colleagues posted the following video on Facebook:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkKFC4rv2rg

The caption on the video says: During the 2016-2017 NFL season Colin Kaepernick took a knee in protest of police brutality of African Americans. The league responded by blackballing him. 

The creator of the video goes on to encourage a boycott of the NFL. I watched the entire video and I wanted to do something. A boycott isn't really going to work for me...I don't watch football. I don't buy tickets. I don't even know which team Colin played for. But I do know Colin. I know him because young men of color, just like him, sit in front of me every day while I teach social studies. Because I don't watch football, or follow it in the least, I didn't quite know what was going on last year when a large portion of my class "took a knee" during the daily reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance. We say the pledge every day at school. But on this particular day, I saw something I hadn't seen before. When the announcers came on and directed us all to face the flag, multiple faces turned in my direction. Looking for permission for something I didn't understand. The pledge was said during a time of day when the kids in my class were all children of color. Almost all of them were Black males. 

They didn't really know me very well yet, and didn't know what I would do when they made their decision to take the proverbial knee during the pledge. One of my students was the first to make it clear that he didn't want to participate, but he is a rule follower and one of the most respectful kids I know. I remember his face looking right at me, and he saw the confusion on my face. I could tell he didn't want me to think he was a trouble maker. I wandered over and he said, "Do I have to say the pledge?" 

I started to put some pieces together, having heard rumblings about Kaepernick on the news, I had a feeling the two were related. I said to him, "Nope. Your first amendment rights allow YOU to make that decision." 

After a few of us were done pledging our allegiance to the flag, we had an awesome class discussion. They told me about Colin and why they wanted to take a knee. They were genuinely in shock that I wasn't mad at them or forcing them to participate in this daily ritual. They couldn't believe I would engage them in a conversation about the benefits of a protest. They couldn't believe I wasn't mad at them. I was just getting to know this particular group of students, but this was probably what led to the relationships I was able to build with them. From that point forward, some kids pledged, some didn't, and the deal was...you have to be respectful during the pledge. But I was certainly not going to force these young men of color to pledge allegiance to something they felt was in direct opposition to who they were. 

I know some teachers would whole-heartedly disagree with me. I know some people whose blood will boil just reading this. I am really OK with that. Because that's how we make change. We engage in dialogue. We think about how it might impact someone else. We consider the feelings of others that have an experience we can't understand. I have no idea what it is like to be a Black male in the United States right now. From what I have heard and read, Colin isn't even on a team anymore. I've heard he is a great football player (I have no reference point for that) and that doesn't matter because the NFL doesn't want him. They don't seem to mind players that are criminals and have forgiven players for egregious acts. But this kid isn't playing football because he gave a voice to the voiceless. 

Shame on the NFL for building their franchises by employing mostly men of color, but not letting one voice be heard because the white fans and team owners might feel uncomfortable. I want to hear from teachers on this. Would you let your kids take a knee? Would you let them take a stand? Do we fight for a 13-year-old's right to stay silent during the pledge? Do we respect their wishes and let their voices be heard? Or do we force them to pledge allegiance to something they don't believe represents them?

We can't avoid discussions of racism in school. Our kids are feeling it and experiencing it more than ever before. I think about this all the time and I want to do what is right by my kids.