Lillie G. Jessie

Lillie G. Jessie, an author and a consultant, is the former award-winning principal of Elizabeth Vaughan Elementary School, a high minority, highly diverse, Title I school in Woodbridge, Virginia.

The Absence of a 'Blue Wave' for Teachers

The Absence of a Blue Wave for Teachers

Presenter linkLillie G. Jessie
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Categories: Pandemic Response and Educational Practices

This entry is the 14th in a blog series called Pandemic Response and Educational Practices (PREP), which aims to highlight and further the important work educators are doing amid the worldwide COVID-19 crisis.

A Blue Wave for Nurses

These days, I see signs designating medical professionals as heroes. Food and masks were delivered along with cards of gratitude. They deserve this and even more, but I am not seeing that same outpouring of empathy for teachers who we are now requiring to put their lives on the front line as well. Read more

Apples, Oranges, and Bananas

Ain’t Nothing Wrong With the Kids

Presenter linkLillie G. Jessie
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Categories: PLC

This blog title represents the response of teachers regarding their achievement of what some believe is a seemingly insurmountable feat—closing the achievement gap. During their recognition at the White House, President Obama asked them what they thought was the one thing teachers and the public should know about their achievement. They responded that you have to enter your classroom with the underlying belief that “ain’t nothing wrong with the kids.” I think they used the word “ain’t” because it has a higher degree of resonance and impact. I have been a principal for 20 years and a Title I supervisor for 10. I have had the good fortune of seeing students who were not expected to learn at high levels do just that. Our school was later selected as a model professional learning community.

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