Journal of a Black Teacher

Creating equity between different groups of parents is not just logistical; it is ethical.  By Don Allen - Journal of A Black Teacher (2025) Editorial Opinion   In public schools, we believe that parent involvement is crucial for student success. In reality, however, schools sideline their best players, the parents, especially in low-income neighborhoods where help is needed the most. What we've referred to as "site councils" is now mostly pro forma. These old models were intended to insert parent voices into school decision-making. Today, they are mostly used as tools of compliance, meeting state mandates and district expectations, but not really partnering with families. In the majority of school districts, especially in inner cities like Minneapolis and St. Paul, parental engagement deteriorates the nearer you reach the poorest schools. This isn't by chance. Sometimes this exclusion is a strength, not a weakness; limiting parent participation in decision-making pre...

We are still waiting for a change that isn’t built on the corpse of another Black man. The evolution of our intellectual trauma continues.  The chart below is from Minnesota's Spotlight on Poverty https://spotlightonpoverty.org/states/minnesota/ By Don Allen, Journal of A Black Teacher (2025) The tragic murder of George Floyd under the knee of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin sparked global protests, forced America into a national reckoning on race, and ignited a multi-billion-dollar industry around social justice. But we must now, years later, ask a hard and perhaps uncomfortable question: Would Black society be any different if George Floyd had died of old age? The answer, while layered in nuance and painful truth, is not as clear-cut as the mainstream narrative would suggest. Since Floyd’s death in May 2020, hundreds more Black men across the country have been killed in encounters with law enforcement. According to Mapping Police Violence, over 1,000 people are ki...

For the fun of it, let's toss in a vertically aligned K-12 system.  By Don Allen - Journal of A Black Teacher (2025) In an increasingly interdependent and complex world, conventional education models might not be the best preparation for students to become global citizens and lifelong learners. Two models, Montessori and International Baccalaureate (IB), have become increasingly effective in creating independent thinkers, empathetic leaders, and deeply engaged learners. The merging of the two pedagogical approaches thus programs the promise of a learning experience that could be even more powerful than either on its own. IB and Montessori curricula can be deliberately used toward one aim: to support and deepen one another, creating an active and engaging child-led learning environment. Both models are inquiry-based and prioritize the holistic development of the child—intellectually, socially, emotionally, and ethically (International Baccalaureate Organization [IBO], 2017; Lillard,...

While sweeping the garage one day, I found myself instinctively starting from each corner, pushing the pill of ‘stuff’ toward the center. Seemingly such an act of meaninglessness, it brought into view a brilliant observation of leadership and organizational dynamics that I would later conceptualize as the Theory of Corners. Just as dust usually accumulates and is never cleaned out from the corners of a space, so too are blind spots in organizations, those areas where inefficiencies, inequities, and unspoken truths reside. I realized then that nuanced leadership means venturing into the metaphorical corners, addressing the hidden challenges, and moving them toward the center for systemic growth and transformation. This theory shaped my leadership philosophy. By Don Allen, for Journal of A Black Teacher (2025) Nuanced leadership is an art form often drowned out by loud voices, rigid hierarchies, and unwavering allegiance to the status quo. These are the leaders who dare to dwell in the ...

Note to Readers : Courageous Conversation protocols are used in this reflection.  By Don Allen (Journal of A Black Teacher) REAL-LIFE FICTION In my second year teaching 7th-grade English to a predominantly Black middle school, I was making a difference. My classroom hummed with purpose as students turned ideas into action. They put out a monthly newspaper filled with their voice, stories, and dreams. We organized clothing drives to give back to the community, teaching the value of service and empathy. They knew their voices counted, not just with me but with the middle school. Many of them, for the first time, felt seen. By the end of that year, I was asked to move up with my students to teach 8th-grade English. The decision of the administration felt like a validation of the relational trust and curricular rigor I had established. However, the optimism I carried into my new role was quickly tempered when a new White teacher took over my 7th-grade classroom. Fresh out of a special...

By USA Radical Black - An Urban Educational Think Tank (columnist include Don Allen) When a human body expires, all that remains is a lifeless shell that once held the vibrancy and identity of an individual. Similarly, in many learning organizations, we witness a high “mortality rate” in leadership competence—leaders who, though physically present, lack the necessary vitality, innovation, and insight to drive positive outcomes for students and families. This stagnation comes at the expense of students and communities, who count on schools to be more than just custodians of their children’s time; they expect educational institutions to be engines of knowledge, growth, and preparation for future success. Yet, as data increasingly reveals, the systems entrusted with shaping young minds are often hollow, devoid of best practices, creativity, and effective output. Mortality Leadership Competence , a term introduced by Don Allen, Ed.S., M.A. Ed., MAT, challenges us to confront the sobering ...

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, a new podcast has emerged, promising to be a beacon of insight, inspiration, and innovation. " Niggle ," hosted by Don Allen, is a fresh and engaging podcast dedicated to exploring the complexities and challenges of education change, leadership, and teaching. With a mission to ignite conversations and foster understanding, " Niggle " delves into the pressing issues facing educators, administrators, and policymakers today. Who is Don Allen? Don Allen, Ed.S., M.A. Ed., MAT is no stranger to the world of education. With a rich background in organizational communication and instructional leadership, he brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the table. As a seasoned educator and communicator, Allen has dedicated his career to improving educational outcomes and advocating for equitable practices. His journey has been shaped by his commitment to diversity, equity, and doing what's right for K-12 scholars, particularl...

  By Don Allen, M.A. Ed./MAT - Entry: J ournal of a Black Teacher May 26, 2023 Today, I am frustrated.      I’ve worked for the last seven years to understand the data-driven defeat of some of our most reputable educational institutions. When I write ‘defeat,’ it does not mean the system is not functioning at some level; you have buses, students, passing bells, teachers, social workers, counselors, administrators, and such with an output that might not meet the core ethics of society’s expectations for a well-rounded education system (creating Minnesota’s Best Workforce ). I could be wrong. Maybe people don’t care? I don’t hold any of the power; if I did, the conversation would look different. To be honest, I do not understand the current rules about being just fine with less and inefficient with what you have. Processing the Twin Cities' educational information for understanding and critique is very different from simply blaming the school systems for the ...

                         Photo: MSNBC " For eugenic sterilization victims, belated justice . ( Fair Use ) By Don Allen, M.A. Ed./MAT - Editorial Opinion        After each year goes by unaddressed, our Black children sink further into the depths of not knowing important life skills and the importance of well-rounded education. Education and life-skills are an at-home and at-school combination of real-time experiences sometimes replaced with human trauma and the need to survive their circumstances. Many of us have watched the television programs and read the New York Times about how many Black American children and other BIPOC kids in the United States have to walk to school with guns because they are not safe in their own neighborhoods (Read: Black Mothers are the Real Experts on the toll of Gun Violence).  Activating premature independent learning without the ability to discern (undeveloped brain) ...

By Don Allen, M.A. Ed./MAT  “ As a matter of self-preservation, a man needs good friends or ardent enemies, for the former instruct him and the latter take him to task. ”   ~Diogenes Laertius, (c. 404—323 B.C.E.) Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Book 6, Chapter 35. He “Diogenes of Sinop, (Turkey)-School of Cynicism ”, is labeled mad for acting against convention, but Diogenes points out that it is the conventions which lack reason citing that most people, he would say, are so nearly mad that a finger makes all the difference. “For if you go along with your middle finger stretched out, someone will think you mad, but, if it’s the little finger, he will not think so” (Diogenes Laertius).  Logic and common sense scare many good natured foundational folks in education. When you look at challenges in our public educational system, it’s even more scary to see the actions of good natured people that have generationally ignored best practices outside of their own cultures and...