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“I have been watching to see how you stood, but have not noticed anything yet. Don't forget to be a good boy… .”Tennessee state lawmaker Harry Burn received that note from his mom in August 1920. And like a good son, he subsequently changed his vote from “nay” to “yea,” breaking a 48-48 deadlock in the state’s general assembly. “I knew that a mother’s advice is always safest for her boy to follow,” Burn commented afterward, while noting it wasn’t often that a man had a chance “to free 17 million women from political slavery.”

Mark your calendar! These free PD opportunities, about 45 minutes each, will address topics like home visits, implicit bias and building empathy. We’ll also embark on part two of our popular Black Lives Matter discussion.

A weekly sampling of articles, blogs and reports relevant to TT educators.

It’s undeniable. Technology is in the classroom in new and instructive ways. Flipped classrooms and interactive instruction videos created by teachers for use by students at home are becoming more popular. Teachers are emerging as bloggers, creating classroom websites and using other digital products. Technology offers the potential to level the playing field for students without direct access to resources available to other students in more affluent schools.

I am intellectually aware of Paola’s poverty. Nine out of 10 students at our school come from families whose income level meets the federal poverty guidelines. Paola, an immigrant from El Salvador, is one of them. The first-grader lives in a small apartment with her grandma, mom, sister and uncle. Combined, the adults earn less than $26,170 a year.

Conversations about religious diversity can happen in the classroom. Start by making a safe space where folks can tell their stories and share their religious identities.

After learning that a group of mostly African-American women was removed from a wine train for allegedly being too loud, this teacher reflects on how similar dynamics affect students in classrooms.

Story Corner: In 1920, Tennessee lawmaker Harry Burn followed his mother's advice on a controversial vote—and "freed 17 million women from political slavery."

Teaching Tolerance managing editor Brian Willoughby remembers Rosa Parks and her radical legacy.