Idea: Replace School Police Officers with Mental Health Teams Now

The Brookings Institution (Brookings) just released a report on the value of cities using mental health teams rather than police to address many of the issues that arise in communities. It is an idea that has already received traction in some circles and there is federal funding for these efforts. See I want to use …

The verdict sends a powerful (although still incomplete) message to children of all ages

As an educator, I think the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial provides teachable moments that should not be lost. They need to be discussed and processed with students (in many ways and on many levels) so that they can come to understand this moment in time in America and the possibility — the real …

Sometimes, You Get a Book Review that Truly Hits Home

I have been privileged over the years to get wonderful reviews of my adult and children’s books. (Yes, there were a few really nasty ones for a book released in 1997 — and there is one reviewer with whom I have simply agreed to disagree.) Reviews are often general and not personal to the reviewer …

Trauma Tools As Schools Stagger Forward

In Japanese culture, there is a tradition that when things break, they are not discarded. They are repaired with gold and accompanied with the phrase: More Beautiful for Being Broken. Hold that thought. School Reopening Confusion (to state it nicely) There is deep confusion about schools reopening this fall. Some schools are doing totally online …