Journal of a Black Teacher

  By Don Allen, Ed.S., M.A.Ed., MAT Something has gone terribly wrong in Minneapolis Public Schools, and we can no longer afford to keep pretending that everything is fine. For decades, the Minneapolis Public School (MPS) system has been in a state of institutional collapse, a crisis unfolding in plain sight. Despite countless initiatives and promises of reform, the achievement gaps for Black children continue to widen, and a significant majority are not acquiring basic literacy and numeracy skills. This is not merely a systemic failure; it is, as I have argued, the operation of a "social cabal" that actively harms learning, prioritizing bureaucratic self-preservation and political expediency over the educational well-being of our most vulnerable students. The current state of affairs is masked by a veneer of public-relations spin and superficial metrics such as graduation rates, which conveniently obscure the deeper reality of student disengagement and inadequate learning ou...

“With gratitude, optimism is sustainable. If you can find something to be grateful for then you will find something to look forward to - and you carry on. ” ~Michael J. Fox  By Don Allen, M.A. Ed./MAT      While only a few Twin Cities public schools try to educate our children, charter schools have high potential advantages for our Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian children; it's essential to recognize that charter schools vary widely in their approaches, quality, and outcomes. It's crucial for parents to thoroughly research and visit specific charter schools to assess their academic performance, teaching methods, student support services, and overall fit for their child's needs and aspirations. Parents should consider all available options and make an informed decision based on what they believe is best for their child's education and well-being.      In recent years, charter schools have become a popular alternative to traditional...