Last week, I led a group of teachers who facilitated a two day mathematical orientation for our new students. These are the 4 goals that worked to create a productive mathematical journey for our students. Like the north star, they gave us a point to aim for and an indication when we got off track.

Surely we are better than this as a Department of Education and as the nation's biggest local union. Teachers and our families should be supported like other city employees and not shut out the way we have been for far too long.

I bet at some point you've overheard a teacher complaining to another about something coming from the district or administration: "why are "they" doing this to us?" I am a teacher and teacher leader who doesn't hear that any more and I want to help make New York City the one place in the country where teachers won't ever say it. Let's stop talking about "they" and create a system of "we."

My critique of Matthew Lynch's "3 Important Critiques of Standardized Assessment," might take steps toward clarifying his argument and answering his critics' complaints: he conflated the words "assessment" and "test." We need to leverage both tests and performance assessment in thoughtful ways to create a set of healthy assessment habits which don't have the giant footprint of the current system.

The experience of thinking about the reparations movement as a White home-owner begged the question: what role did White Privilege play in helping me...? I couldn't answer this question on my own, so I put it to my students.

As you start planning for the next school year and face the daunting task of stretching limited resources to meet almost unlimited student needs, there is one no-cost resource you may have overlooked - volunteers in your classrooms.

To be meaningful and worthwhile, "field experiences" should be coherent within students learning, thoughtfully planned, and provide opportunities for reflection and feedback.

A queer educator reflects on protecting and teaching LGBT students in light of the mass shooting at a gay nightclub. "Even though we cannot protect our students outside our schools' walls, when students leave, they are powerful. They move through the world, bodies loving and respecting the truths they hold and the truths of others. I hope educators see the paramount value in this and find transformative joy in facing these fears alongside their students."

Two teachers respond to a parent's question about opting his child in or out of state standardized tests.

It is time for a candidate to recognize that the most important factors in improving educational outcomes are to strengthen teaching and to improve the conditions in which learning takes place. Working toward the latter goal means returning to an era when we talked about smaller class sizes, improved access to materials and technology, as well as the creation or renovation of school buildings that provide safe, clean, and nurturing environments.