By Maya Pottiger, Word in Black As the saying goes, even in darkness, there is light. States across the country are removing books from classroom shelves and school libraries, and there are bans and challenges against books with topics ranging from race and racism to LGBTQ+ content and activism. Even so, teachers haven’t stopped requesting […]
Author Archives: Maya Pottiger Word in Black
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We aren’t worrying enough about declining student literacy
By Maya Pottiger, Word in Black Doomscrolling, or the habit of skimming through consecutive depressing news stories for extended lengths of time, has become something of a national pastime — and it’s easy to tune it all out or wonder if things really are as bad as they seem. But when it comes to student […]
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Only seven percent of teachers are Black– this project plans to change that
By Maya Pottiger, Word in Black It had been a crazy summer. And, at the end, Sharif El-Mekki was in tears. He was watching students perform in their end-of-the-year showcase, showing off the singing, dancing, and cultural skills they had learned during the summer of 2019. El-Mekki had worked in schools, both as a teacher […]
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Are we finally getting after-school programs right?
By Maya Pottiger, Word In Black There’s some good education news: As students, parents, and educators work to make up for setbacks caused by virtual learning and the COVID-19 pandemic, extra academic help is getting to students who need it More than half — 56 percent— of public schools in the United States reported offering […]
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The case for arts education
By Maya Pottiger, Word In Black Arts education changed the course of Fedrick C. Ingram’s life. In ninth grade, while living in housing projects in Miami, Ingram, a saxophone player, planned to enlist in the military. But his band director, William McKenzie, saw an “academic way” about him and encouraged him to go to college, […]
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Black students are still experiencing pandemic trauma
By Maya Pottiger, Word In Black People aren’t rubber bands. Even as kids attend school in-person full-time again and life slowly returns to normal, they aren’t going to snap back to who they were and how they felt before the COVID-19 pandemic. It had a deep and lasting impact on everyone, especially Black families and […]
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Striving for success: six tips for avoiding holiday learning loss
By Maya Pottiger, Word in Black The holiday break is just around the corner, and you and your kids might have very different ideas of how to spend the time off from school. Though it’s absolutely critical for students to rest their bodies and minds — seriously, let them sleep! — it’s also important to […]
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The kids are not alright: addressing student trauma
By Maya Pottiger, Word in Black There’s a new incident every day. Most recently, it was three Black football players being shot to death following a school field trip. Right before that, there was the video of a White teacher telling Black students that his race is “the superior one.” Earlier this year, a different […]
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Education was on the ballot; Here’s how key issues played out
By Maya Pottiger, Word in Black A week after the midterm elections, not all of the races have been called, but we’re starting to see how key issues in the K-12 space will play out amidst new leadership and policies. With at least seven state superintendent seats and 51 state boards of election seats up for […]
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Why do holidays take a toll on teen mental health?
By Maya Pottiger, Word in Black It’s the happiest time of the year — right? Not for everyone. Actually, 3 in 5 Americans — more than half — report that the holiday season negatively impacts their mental health, according to a 2021 Sesame report. Though a break from school is supposed to be celebrated by […]
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STEM is the future. How do we get more Black kids involved?
By Maya Pottiger, Word in Black Last year, an elementary school principal in rural Mississippi wanted to get her students excited about science. So, after receiving grant funding, she bought robots for third and fourth graders to assemble and then held a white coat ceremony for them, complete with their names embroidered on the jackets. […]
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The Latest Attack on Affirmative Action Heads to the Supreme Court
The court heard arguments seeking to eliminate consideration of race in college admissions. If the policy is overturned, experts predict a substantial drop in the admissions of African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans. by Maya Pottiger, Word in Black WASHINGTON, D.C. — Chants of “this is what democracy looks like” filled the air outside of […]