By Tracey

Welcome back to Stories from School!  While we still have a few more weeks before the school year begins, our blog is back in session, with three new wonderful bloggers joining the dialogue.  Our stories from our classrooms are critical.  I’m realizing this more and more, especially today, in Washington DC, as I talk with people and explain to them why I came all the way from Seattle to participate in the Save the Schools March.  So many people truly don’t know.  And, unfortunately, some of these people make policy decisions. 

I want to begin by sharing one of my greatest concerns, and one of the reasons I felt so moved to travel to DC.  Jonathan Kozol says it much more eloquently than I.  So, I videotaped his speech to the thousands of teachers who came.  In his speech, he says that segregation in schools today is worse than it’s ever been since 1968.  I’m seeing the inequalities in my school, where the education my students, 80% of whom get free or reduced lunch, is not the same as the education on the other side of town in the affluent neighborhood.  Their parents wouldn’t allow the arts, science, and social studies to be absent from their child's program.  But, we remove it altogether, or we offer a truncated version of it for our low-income students.  And the result, as Kozol attests, is a modern-day version of Jim Crow in our schools.

He ends his speech with the words, "I don't care what happens to me, or what price I may be forced to pay, but I intend to fight in this struggle to my dying day."  Thank you, Jonathan Kozol.  I think we'll have a lot to talk about in the year ahead.

By Tom

Normally we shut things down during July here at Stories from School. It gives us a chance to reflect, take a break and pursue other interests. This year is no different. We'll be off playing at the beach, reading in the backyard or, in my case, riding bikes. When you check back in August we'll be rested, relaxed and full of new ideas.

We'll also have a few new bloggers. Betsy, Rob and Tamara are joining the team, and all of us are excited by the prospect of new directions and new conversations.

There is one other change. Our behind-the-scenes producer, manager, editor, benefactor, founder and friend is leaving. "The Sandal Queen" has taken a new job. She will be dearly missed. This blog is but one manifestation of her enduring vision that the voice of teachers be amplified and included in the important conversations about education policy. Everything you like about Stories from School is because of her and we can't thank her enough.

Goodbye.