The Blog
Thoughts and news from the Integrated Schools community
Loving Public Schools Without Pretending They’re Enough
Public schools are not inherently democratic or equitable simply by existing. Integration is not about perfection or martyrdom; it’s an ongoing practice of participation, accountability, and shared responsibility. Public schools can help sustain democracy—but only when people actively choose to invest, engage, and fight for them together.
Why Gathering Still Matters
Integration Is a Practice: Reflections From Our In-Person Gathering
Educational Equity for All – Engaging with White People
How (and a bit of why) to include White people work in integration plans: one piece of the pie
What is a good parent?
What makes a “good” school — and a “good” parent? In this deeply personal reflection, IS community member Meredith shares how sending her son to their under-resourced neighborhood school helped her shape her parenting, question her need for control, and discover a different kind of goodness — one rooted in trust, community, and collective liberation.
The News from D.C. – Back to School Edition
Robin Appleberry is the parent of children in middle school and high school in Washington D.C., and co-leads Integrated Schools’ D.C. chapter. Recently, on a walk home from school, she introduced a young friend to fresh figs from a neighbor’s tree (photo). In this post, Robin shares the sobering details of what back-to-school looks and feels like this fall in Washington, D.C.
Taking Integrated Schools Conversations Public
What could growing our movement look like? In this post, we hear from an Integrated Schools chapter leader, network contact, and board member about their experiences “tabling” in their local communities.
Why we’re Talking About Redshirting — and Why TikTok Can’t Stop Talking About It, Too
A couple days ago, Integrated Schools posted a TikTok about “redshirting” — the practice of holding kids back a year so they’re the oldest in their kindergarten class — and it blew up. Hundreds of comments poured in. Some agreed. Some disagreed loudly. And some made points worth sitting with. We’ve been in the thick of these conversations for years, but seeing all the attention “redshirting” got on TikTok has made us want to dive a little deeper and respond to some of the feedback, and add more context.
Podcast Playlist – Brown v Board of Education of Topeka, KS
In 1954, the Supreme Court declared that separate but equal has no place in our public schools. Yet more than six decades later, our schools remain deeply segregated—by race and by class. What happened?
Big, Beautiful Monstrosity — And a Call to Action
The president just signed a truly monstrous piece of legislation into law. Much has been written about the impacts on health, climate and the debt, but there is a lesser known evil lurking in this bill – a national school voucher plan. It’s temping to lose hope, but there is something each of us can do.
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