My Story, My Dilemma

I’ve found that effective and impactful teachers of color face a dilemma: we know, more than anyone, the urgent need for change within America’s schools. But at the same time, we also see a policy environment rife with a professional consultant class that doesn’t value our voices, experiences, or expertise.

I butted my head against this chino and pantsuited wall for over a decade. At times, I was told my advocacy was too black. That my writing was too nerdy, with too many historical references—that I was too strident and needed to be more patient. I realized that if I want to be heard on my terms, I must own and control my platform.

I’ve been blogging here since mid-2015 and hosting Nerd Farmer since April of 2017. In 2019, I faced a personal choice between looming burnout in my position and leaving the classroom. I chose none of the above. That August, after thirteen years in the classroom in my beloved hometown of Tacoma, WA, my wife Hope and I departed the US to teach abroad in the United Arab Emirates, 7500 miles from home.

We currently ply our trade at the American Community School, an American Embassy school, in the country’s capital of Abu Dhabi.