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09/22/2026

Pastor Corey B. Brooks explains why Chicago families are fleeing CPS for charter schools as 35 percent of public schools sit less than half full.

09/18/2026

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09/16/2026

09/15/2026

Teachers aren’t tired of teaching.

They’re tired of what teaching has become.

A system where behavior has no real consequences…
So learning gets interrupted again and again.

Lessons that can’t flow…
Because one disruption can take over the whole room.

Support that gets talked about…
But rarely shows up when it actually matters.

Being blamed by parents…
For things outside their control.

And the constant pile of paperwork, meetings, and demands…
That have nothing to do with helping students learn.

The truth is, most teachers still love teaching.

They love the moments when it clicks.
When a student finally understands.
When confidence grows.

But those moments are getting buried under everything else.

And that’s why people are walking away.

Not from teaching…
But from the system around it.

Because you can’t keep asking more, giving less, and expect people to stay.

If we truly want great teachers in our classrooms, we need to build a system where they can actually thrive… not just endure.

09/13/2026

This hits on something many teachers have been saying for years.

The issue is not that teachers need endless new training programs. Most teachers already spend countless hours learning, adapting, and improving their practice.

The bigger question is this:

How much of a teacher's day is actually spent teaching?

Many teachers are juggling behavior management, paperwork, meetings, data collection, administrative tasks, parent communication, testing requirements, and responsibilities that barely existed a generation ago.

At the same time, schools continue to ask teachers to do more with the same number of hours.

Of course professional development matters. Education evolves, and teachers should continue learning.

But there comes a point where another workshop is not the solution.

Sometimes the most effective way to improve teaching is not to add something new.

It's to remove the things that get in the way.

Less paperwork.

Fewer unnecessary distractions.

Clearer expectations.

More classroom support.

More trust.

More time spent doing the thing teachers entered the profession to do in the first place: teach.

The best teachers don't need to be micromanaged into excellence. They need the time, space, and support to use the expertise they already have.

Trust teachers. Let them teach.

09/07/2026

Too many parents swoop in to solve problems for their kids, Russell Shaw argued in 2024. Instead, he recommended a tactic called “Lighthouse Parenting”: https://theatln.tc/HNnCptei

Shaw spent years working in schools. “I’ve watched thousands of parents engage with educators and with their children,” he wrote. “Too often, I watch parents overfunctioning—depriving their kids of the confidence that comes from struggling and persevering, and exhausting themselves in the process.” The problem seems to be growing more acute as parents worry that their children will be less well off than they themselves are, Shaw continued.

The “urge has led to pop-culture mythology around pushy parenting styles, including the ‘Helicopter Parent,’ who flies in to rescue a child in crisis, and the ‘Snowplow Parent,’ who flattens any obstacle in their child’s way,” Shaw wrote.

“A young person who grows accustomed to having a parent intervene on his behalf begins to believe that he’s not capable of acting on his own, feeding both anxiety and dependence,” Shaw continued. “If children never have the opportunity to stand on their own, we risk setting them up for a collapse later on.”

Instead, he made the case for a Lighthouse Parent: “Like a lighthouse that helps sailors avoid crashing into rocks, Lighthouse Parents provide firm boundaries and emotional support while allowing their children the freedom to navigate their own challenges. They demonstrate that they trust their kids to handle difficult situations independently. The key is learning when to step back and let them find their own way.”

Read more about this parenting style and sign up for Shaw’s new newsletter series at the link: https://theatln.tc/vgWeU19p

📸: Peter Marlow / Magnum

09/04/2026

Sweden pushed printed books out before starting to buy them back.

Sweden went further into screens than almost anyone, down to tablets in nursery schools, and it was held up as the model everyone should copy.

Now the same government is reversing the rule that made digital devices mandatory in preschools.

It plans to end digital learning entirely for children under six, and to put printed books and handwriting back at the centre.

Sources: Swedish Ministry of Education, Associated Press

09/02/2026

Using the stolen funds, the former researcher bought a home in Atlanta, a motorcycle and paid off credit cards.

08/07/2026

A heartbreaking story that hits close to home. Meet Jermaine—a beloved, energetic spirit whose life was tragically cut short by a drunk driver on New Year’s night. Beyond the devastating loss for everyone who knew him, there’s a deeper, systemic issue at play here. Jermaine was a father who cared deeply about his son’s future, yet he lacked the fundamental knowledge to secure it. This powerful reflection highlights the massive gap in our education system: we teach complex theories, but we fail to provide the basic financial literacy that could change generations. It’s time to ask why life-changing skills aren't on the curriculum.

08/07/2026

The landscape of education across the United States is shifting dramatically. With nearly 45 states now implementing some form of school choice, a powerful movement is reshaping how families approach their children’s future. It’s no longer about being locked into a single district; it’s about parents reclaiming the agency to select the environment that best fits their child’s needs—whether that’s a different public school, a charter, or a private institution. For many families, particularly those in inner-city districts where educational standards have long been a source of anxiety, this isn't just policy—it's a lifeline. This perspective highlights exactly why giving power back to parents is becoming one of the most significant conversations in the country today.