Iserotope Extras - Issue #9

Welcome, new subscribers and long-time devoted readers! We are past Labor Day, which means that school is finally in session all across the country. You’ll notice that none of this week’s articles involve Donald Trump or Kim Davis. (I hope that’s OK.) If you like this newsletter, please get the word out: j.mp/iserotopeextras.

Slipping Away

I used to remember everything. Now I don’t. Everyone is scared of getting Alzheimer’s. This profile of Jo Aubin, who is 38 and has early-onset Alzheimer’s, is sad and poignant and beautifully written. “It’s a disease where there isn’t a whole lot of hope. There is zero chance of a happy ending,” Jo’s wife Robin says. “The only thing in front of us at the end of the disease, and Jo’s life, is a very, very horrible way to die.”

Is There a Black Silent Majority?

“A police force that kills black citizens is adding to America’s history of racial violence; so is a police force that fails to keep them safe.” This excellent article is a book review (yet much more) of Michael Javen Fortner’s Black Silent Majority, which complicates the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as the work of Ta-Nehisi Coates and Michelle Alexander. It wasn’t just white people in the 1960s and ‘70s who created our current criminal justice system, Prof. Fortner argues. The African American community, in order to promote safety in urban areas, also contributed to tough-on-crime tactics that spiraled out of control.

Several people appreciated my recommendation a few weeks ago of Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy, easily my favorite book of the year. Here’s another one I highly encourage. Last Chance in Texas explores a highly effective juvenile justice program that focuses on treatment and rehabilitation. The program’s methods are controversial and go against our country’s tendency to punish.

What's in Your Bag?

I used to teach Tim O'Brien’s The Things They Carried, the author’s (non)fictional account of what his fellow platoon members brought with them as soldiers in the Vietnam War. Now hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing several war-torn countries for asylum in Europe. This series of quick interviews highlights not only the desperation of the refugees but also the strength of the human spirit.

Why Are My Students Disengaged?

This is my fourth year as an instructional coach after teaching for 15 years. (I had my good years; I had my bad years.) Pernille Ripp tells the truth about good teaching. This piece emphasizes two key truths: (1) Students have to connect with you, (2) Teachers shouldn’t talk much. There are other tips, too.

Have a great week, and let me know (by replying to this email) what you think of this week’s articles!

Iserotope Extras - Issue #8

This week’s newsletter is dedicated to the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. This is for two reasons: (1) It’s important that we remember how horrifically we responded to this terrible event; (2) We may be living in a different time now, where we are at least a little more aware of our country’s racism, and our own. (It may be hard to read these articles, but give at least one or two a try. They’re worth it.)

The Lost Children of Katrina

Soon after the hurricane, I learned from the school counselor that a boy named S. would be joining my Advisory. “S. is a Katrina refugee,” I was told. “He was in Houston, and now he’s here.” That year, I didn’t serve S. well, and he floundered, and we exchanged maybe 100 words back and forth, because he was in trauma, and despite my attempts, and the resources the school offered, I didn’t know what to do. And then S. was gone.

How One Of Katrina's Feel-Good Stories Turned Bad

Like S., Kathy Phipps felt the trauma of relocation. A resident of the New Orleans’s ravaged Lower Ninth Ward, Ms. Phipps received a plane ticket from FEMA to move to Utah, a state she didn’t know existed. After years there, bouncing from house to house, setback to setback, Ms. Phipps grew despondent. “The suicidal thoughts got strong, strong,” she said. “I was a disappointment to my children, a disappointment to myself.”

The Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans Gives New Meaning to ‘Urban Growth’

This 2012 piece about the Lower Ninth Ward, like many things about Hurricane Katrina, is very disturbing. The author’s focus on aggressive vegetation growth (“the jungleland”), callous for-profit tours, and the Nuisance Lot Maintenance program reminded me of Heart of Darkness (for all you literary types out there).

Stop Blaming Me for Hurricane Katrina

Former FEMA director Michael Brown (who now works in the Department of Homeland Security — should we feel safe?) says he is not to blame for the government’s tragic lack of response to the hurricane. Maybe. But this firsthand account does nothing to help his cause. Rather, he comes across as another Important White Man explaining away other people’s misery.

Have a wonderful week, let me know what you think, and if you like, please get the word out about this newsletter! j.mp/iserotopeextras

Iserotope Extras - Issue #7

School is starting up, so this week’s articles are mostly related to education. But they’re not all from the NYT or the Atlantic, which I like. (Sometimes, I don’t read widely enough.) Please enjoy!

Going Backwards: A Year in the Old New Orleans Public Schools

When I was in college, I spent a summer teaching middle school students in New Orleans. It got me hooked on teaching. In this piece, Peter Cook recounts his year at John McDonogh High School. If you’ve taught in urban public schools, most of it, sadly, you know all too well.

The Hardest Test: The opening of Willie L. Brown Jr. Middle School

This is a great profile of a new school in San Francisco. Can Willie Brown provide an excellent education for kids of color in Bayview-Hunters Point? (Sometimes, I feel like every article on education is in conversation with the TAL episode from a couple weeks back.)

Why There Are High Rates of PTSD In This Teacher's Classroom

I like Jeff Duncan-Andrade. (So does everyone else.) This is a quick interview with him about toxic stress and what teachers need to do to help students feel safe. He says, “You have to win the heart to win the head.”

This is what 210 Kindles looks like! Thanks to 30 friends and family who attended the first annual Kindle Registration Party, these Kindles got out of boxes, into cases, and registered on the KCP’s new dedicated website, kindleclassroomproject.org. Thank you to all the volunteers!

Communicating in Exponential Times

I’ve been having trouble communicating with friends and colleagues lately. (They don’t always seem to respond.) Now I know what I’ve been doing wrong!

Iserotope Extras - Issue #6

This week’s challenge: Think of someone who might like the newsletter, talk it up with them, and encourage them to subscribe.

Why So Many Black Men Are Dying in America

New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu says we care about the lives of African Americans when they’re killed by police, but not when they’re killed by other African Americans. At Angola, most prisoners are serving life sentences for murder, “It’s cheaper to buy a gun than to buy books.”

My favorite book of 2015 is now being sold at Starbucks. If you haven’t read it yet, try it. You won’t regret it.

Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace

We like it when our doodad arrives at our door in just two days (or one hour, with Prime Now!). Except maybe tons of people at Amazon are suffering as a result. CEO Jeff Bezos says, “I don’t recognize this Amazon and I very much hope you don’t, either.”

How Trigger Warnings Are Hurting Mental Health on Campus

When I was in college, political correctness helped me think before I spoke. But has censorship (to prevent microaggressions that offend people) gone too far? Will it be impossible to talk about challenging topics?

Born In Between: When A Newborn’s Sex Is In Question, Why Do Doctors Get To Decide?

As many as 1 in 100 babies are born on the spectrum of male and female, and about 3,000 intersex surgeries are performed each year. But many people say that these procedures are harmful.

KCP

Just two more days until the first-annual Kindle Registration Pizza Party, where 32 friends, family, and KCP donors are prepping 210 Kindles.

Have a great week, and let me know your thoughts about this week’s articles!

Iserotope Extras - Issue #5

Hi everyone, and welcome, new subscribers! (There are 9 of you!) Hope you like this week’s newsletter. I’m happy to report that several of you sent me articles for consideration. I like this! Keep them coming.

The Bail Trap

Every year, thousands of innocent people are sent to jail only because they can’t afford to post bail, putting them at risk of losing their jobs, custody of their children — even their lives.

Race

White America's Greatest Delusion: "They Do Not Know It and They Do Not Want to Know It"

This year, white people are telling other white people that maybe it’s time to stop explaining away racism and start listening more. This piece by Tim Wise, author of White Like Me, is a few months old but still very timely. Mr. Wise writes, “Most white Americans are like that friend you have, or perhaps relative, who never went to medical school, but went to Google this morning and now feels certain he or she is perfectly qualified to diagnose your every pain and discomfort.”

Whiteness: Guilt, Privilege, and Opportunity

My good friend Tony Johnston, who is a professor of education at the University of St. Joseph, offers white people five specific and powerful strategies to challenge white guilt, mitigate white privilege, and dismantle white supremacy. His piece has been viewed nearly 2,000 times on my blog and has been shared more than 400 times on Facebook.

Here’s my good friend and colleague Marni Spitz with her happy Reading Lab students (and their certificates!) in San Francisco. Good work, Marni!

Education

Choice is Resegregating Public Schools

Last week’s This American Life episode elicited very strong reactions. Former colleague and current friend Brandon reminded me that what’s happening outside St. Louis is also happening here in San Francisco, albeit perhaps in a more politically correct way. (There are seven articles and resources here to check out.)

Should high school students have to 'defend' their diploma like a Ph.D?

Every school I’ve worked in has required students, in order to graduate, to defend a portfolio of work that demonstrates core competencies. This article explains the rationale behind portfolio defenses — as well as their benefits and limitations.

Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter! Let me know what you think by replying to this email! See you next Thursday!

Iserotope Extras - Issue #4

Just the big-ticket topics for you this week: death, race, reading…and Cecil the Lion! Hope you enjoy the articles. (Also, subscriptions doubled. Iserotope Extras is becoming a minor movement!)

Death

My Own Life

In February, Dr. Oliver Sacks found out he had terminal cancer. This essay (like the one I shared last newsletter) helps me with clarity, with how I want to spend my time (and with whom, and about what). Dr. Sacks writes, “I feel a sudden clear focus and perspective. There is no time for anything inessential.”

When I’m Gone

Rafael Zoehler’s father died early — and left him powerful words of wisdom. (Though part of me, the skeptical part, says this piece cannot be true, I kept reading it over and over this week. Even if it’s fabricated, I want it to be true.)

“I Am Cecil” — oh my.

Cecil the Lion

Of Lions and Men: Mourning Samuel DuBose and Cecil the Lion

I couldn’t resist stories about Cecil the Lion this week. Writer Roxane Gay tweeted, “I’m personally going to start wearing a lion costume when I leave my house so if I get shot, people will care.” Ms. Gay expresses outrage that we seem to care more about a dead faraway lion than about many dead nearby human beings.

From Cecil the Lion to Climate Change: A Perfect Storm of Outrage Oneupmanship

But why does outrage have to be a competitive sport? “It’s hard to think of a more innocent name than Cecil,” Dr. James Hamblin writes. “Had the lion’s name been Satan or Derek, the international firestorm might have been attenuated.” His conclusion: “You don’t know what to care about. I know what to care about.”

Race

The Man Who Shot Michael Brown

Officer Darren Wilson, exonerated of the killing of Michael Brown, says he wants to stop thinking about what happened in Ferguson. “Everyone is so quick to jump on race. It’s not a race issue.” Like many white people, Mr. Wilson thinks race doesn’t count because he has decided it doesn’t count.

The Kids Of Ferguson Rise Up - MTV

One year after Michael Brown’s death, America’s most infamous suburb is looking for redemption — led by its very own teens. Here’s the untold story. (If you’re an educator, your students will like this article.)

The Problem We All Live With

Every August, This American Life dedicates at least one show on education. This episode, which focuses on desegregation as a strategy to promote equity, gets at the heart of why our public schools are so messed up. Warning: Much of what you hear will upset you.

Reading

Hoping to reduce summer learning loss, city turns to iPads loaded with books

A program called SummerSail is distributing iPads to help 400 New York middle school students read over the summer. (This reminds me of a certain Bay Area reading program that will serve 600+ students this year. :) )

Thank you for reading Iserotope Extras! Let me know what you think. All you have to do is reply to this email!

Iserotope Extras - Issue #3

New feature this week: section headers! Wow, look at all these improvements. (Also, the number of subscribers has tripled. When this newsletter gets huge, you can say that you were there at the beginning.)

My Periodic Table

Always compassionate and kind, Dr. Oliver Sacks has always reminded me of what’s most important in the human experience. As his cancer grows, and as his days are limited, his words are even more powerful.

Race

A Dream Undone

Inside the 50-year campaign to roll back the Voting Rights Act. Though this article is one-sided, it’s a great history of an issue that not too many people know about. (My former students used to tell me that voting was “overrated.”)

The Toxic Worldview of Ta-Nehisi Coates

Yes, I read TNC’s book, and most of the reviews are very positive. This one isn’t. (Apparently it’s not OK to write that 9/11 didn’t make you feel patriotic.)

Education

White Educators: Do You Recognize State Trooper Encinia?

This Medium piece isn’t perfect, but it’s exactly what I was thinking when I watched the Sandra Bland traffic stop last week. If we’re white and if we’re in education, we are all State Trooper Encinia. And we need to change.

San Francisco Middle Schools No Longer Teaching Algebra 1

Here’s another great example of a school district doing what’s right based on data and equity. Unfortunately, this policy will backfire and cause more white and Asian parents to pull their kids from SFUSD.

Want more?

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TEACHER VOICES

We need to listen more to teachers. Check out what they’re saying!

Iserotope Extras - Issue #2

Hi! Not as many articles this week, but that’s OK, right? Let me know if you want to talk about them.

How libraries can compete with Google and Amazon - Quartz

Everyone who is lamenting the state of libraries has Internet in their home. Otherwise, if you don’t have high-speed WiFi, you go to the library. This is definitely true in NY and SF.

When Upward Mobility Becomes a Health Hazard - The Atlantic

A few years back, Prof. Angela Duckworth concluded that “grit,” a non-cognitive skill that determines a student’s “resilience to challenges,” mattered more to a student’s future success than key academic skills like reading and writing. This might be true, but what is the cost to teaching students to endure suffering?

Revue issue #1

Hi Everyone! (There aren’t many of you - yet.) So here’s my first edition. All I’m doing is clipping articles that I like and seeing what happens. A couple questions for you: (1) Do you like this? (2) Is this preferable to going to Iserotope Extras on the website? (3) Do you think this kind of newsletter is better for things non-KCP or KCP-related? or both? Let me know, and thanks!

When Upward Mobility Becomes a Health Hazard - The Atlantic

A medical case against too much self-control.

“Grit” has been big in education the past several years. Prof. Angela Duckworth has argued that kids who have grit do better in life than kids who don’t. Not so fast, says Dr. James Hamblin, my favorite doctor. Kids of color from challenging backgrounds might do better economically / financially, but their bodies and overall health suffer.

Enduring Summer’s Deep Freeze - The New York Times

Why stores and offices are so over-airconditioned.

Love this quote from the article: “[F]eeling cold can take a psychological toll, making people untrusting, uncommunicative and unfriendly.” I’ve always run on the cold side, wearing a parka for no good reason. And now I feel vindicated!

The Hard Truths of Ta-Nehisi Coates -- NYMag

After the dreams of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the hopes of Barack Obama.

A profile of Ta-Nehisi Coates, whose book came out this week. It’s a letter to his son. Toni Morrison calls Mr. Coates our time’s James Baldwin.