One of the more difficult assignments in my English classes comes near the end of each semester. Sometimes I call it a “transformative” essay, other times “reflective,” and other times a standard “autobiography.” In three pages, students write the simple story of their lives. Who were they yesterday? Who are they now? Who do they plan to be tomorrow? In my ESOL classes, the assignment takes a different variation. What was their relationship with written and spoken English as a […]

While school administrators heed government and public health reopening guidelines, they have some flexibility in deciding between in-person, hybrid, or remote learning. Fall school instruction plans vary by district. Boston Public Schools have yet to announce reopening plans, postponing the first day of school to Sept. 21. Malden Public Schools plan a fully-remote start on Sept. 16. The Quincy Public Schools district will allow administrators at each school to decide instruction plans. These district-based decisions come as the state government […]

During times of relative prosperity, such as when the unemployment rate was at a recent historic low of 3.5 percent, it is easy for some to ignore the plight of those that are homeless, unemployed, or even underemployed and stuck in a dead end job. Dismissing these individuals by telling them to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and get a job fails to acknowledge the dirty truth. Existing workforce development systems do not play in the favor of […]