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ARTICLES and BOOK
MY ARTICLES
Weekly writings on education, learning, and parent leadership.
One Black Male Valedictorian... How Dad Feels
Most of you know that I'm a harsh critic of the traditional school. And sitting in the stands as the father of a Black Male...
Jan 1, 20231 min read
Suggestion: Talk to an Old Black Man About Education.
This is my dad. He just turned 85 (also the number of pills he takes each day). His mother fled Mississippi to escape the Jim Crow south....
Dec 1, 20221 min read
6 Step Strategy for Remote-Working Parents with Kids at Home
I've been there... here's what helped. 1. List all the home tasks that need to be done. (eg: Dishes, sweeping, cooking, cleaning,...
Sep 22, 20221 min read
Questions You Should NOT Ask Your Child
Don’t ask if a child "likes school." Don't ask if he had a "good day." Instead, look them in the eye and ask if they are becoming the...
Sep 10, 20221 min read
School Innovation
There are two ways to innovate in school: Top-Down or Bottom-Up. Bottom-Up is Albert Einstein working as a patent clerk while innovating...
Aug 31, 20221 min read
Your Child is a Grape
FORM kids instead of EDUCATING them. Parents form humans like farmers grow grapes: Focus on the conditions around the seed. 80% of the...
Aug 29, 20221 min read
Strategic Underachievement
From now on "Strategic Underachievement" is a life skill. Every school curriculum, every job, and every life is filled with high and...
Aug 16, 20221 min read
A Road Trip With My Parents: A Reflection
This picture is from a Main Street restaurant in Davis, Oklahoma, population: 2,823. Based on voting records, Davis, OK overwhelmingly...
Aug 2, 20221 min read
An Important Message To Parents About Change
I am an advocate for parents... but more importantly, I'm an advocate for kids. TO ALL PARENTS (myself included): We can and must do...
Jul 27, 20221 min read
Prioritizing the Desire to Learn
In homes worldwide, the desire to learn is shrinking, and the desire to be entertained is increasing. (Does anyone care to disagree?)...
Jul 23, 20221 min read
Past, Current, and Future Fathers
Each Father’s day, millions of cards — complete with gratuitously sappy messages that no human has ever uttered — are purchased and...
Jun 19, 20223 min read
A Preventable Tragedy
Day 2 of my "Parental Peace" road trip and I just picked up my first hitchhiker. A 30 y/o heroin addict who was walking with his gear...
May 11, 20224 min read
Dear Mr. Irvin, May I Have A Word?
Mr. Irvin: "You blew off the Meet the Teacher" Parent: "I have three kids and ride the bus. How about a Meet the Teacher at a local...
Jan 28, 20221 min read
Declaration for the Future of Education
ARE YOU TIRED OF TRADITIONAL SCHOOL? Then keep reading. EDUCATION WILL CHANGE when enough of us -- those who are tired of traditional...
Sep 16, 20212 min read
My Take on the 2021 Tokyo Olympics
The broader issue with Simone Biles: we live in a culture that has defined “success” wrong. Throughout childhood, success is always...
Jul 24, 20211 min read
EDUCATING A PARENT
by Matt C Barnes and 105 education experts from around the world
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Release Date: TBD
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