Teacher Voices

Commentary

Substitute teachers can serve as mentors; we need more of them

December 20, 2023

The best substitutes are passionate mentors who play a role in student success because they share all their outside career experience in the classroom.

Thelonious Brooks

Commentary

How veteran teachers can support new ones and keep them in the profession

November 27, 2023

Making new teachers feel welcome and supported is critical to keeping teachers in the profession.

Kati Begen

Commentary

Invest in high-dosage tutoring to boost student achievement and recruit new teachers

November 19, 2023

College students can provide students with one-on-one attention and instruction while test-driving teaching as a career option.

Roxane Knorr

Commentary

How we can harness the power of debate in the classroom

November 6, 2023

Helping students learn how to constructively debate and respectfully disagree should be part of every class.

Kati Begen

LGBTQ+ students in conservative crosshairs

October 5, 2023

Parental notification policies being passed by school districts are dividing communities, pitting teachers against students and creating fear and anxiety for LGBTQ students.

Diana Lambert

Commentary

Let's shatter stereotypes about what an AP class — and students — look like

September 13, 2023

Teachers have the power to make young people feel better about themselves, and eventually to help them become more confident as they consider what kind of humans they really want to be.

Leonard Finch

Can teachers be legally liable if district policy requires they break the law?

August 15, 2023

Because of policies being enacted by conservative school boards across the state, teachers are having to choose between violating district policy and risk losing their job, or disobeying federal and state laws and ending up in court.

Diana Lambert

Commentary

Education's power lies in the connection between teachers and their students

August 7, 2023

Cultural proficiency is essential for teachers to understand and connect with their students.

Tamra Simpson

Commentary

LAUSD's approach helps struggling readers; don't mess with it

July 9, 2023

The current method for closing the educational achievement and equity gap in Los Angeles Unified schools is working for disadvantaged students. But now the district is launching a vague new program to take its place.

Ari Campbell

Commentary

Get smartphones out of K-12 classrooms

June 26, 2023

Smartphones and other mobile devices are incompatible with the purpose of education.  

Heath Madom

Commentary

‘Willful defiance’ suspensions hurt those they claim to protect

June 21, 2023

Alternatives to punitive classroom discipline hold students to account without piling on additional trauma and robbing kids of an opportunity to succeed.

Alex Robins

Community schools model should lift a heavy burden off teachers. Will it last?

June 13, 2023

"Now we can focus on the learning," one teacher said about the impact of special state funding that will transform five disadvantaged Fresno schools.

Lasherica Thornton

Commentary

California needs better support for students and teachers of color

April 26, 2023

Just one experience of being isolated is enough for me to contemplate leaving the classroom. We need to do more to ensure teachers of color are coming into and staying in the classroom.

Allison Zamora

Commentary

Our newcomer students deserve better

March 28, 2023

A teacher with a specialized credential to help California's latest English learners faces the truth: Her training falls far short, and the state must do more.

Jenna Hewitt King

Commentary

Want to connect with students? Keep up with the latest trends

March 24, 2023

Taking time to keep up with trends can help you connect with your students and even your own children.

Kati Begen