When I released my 2 part episode with Brian Mendler saying SCHOOLS SHOULD BE OPEN, many were quick to react. While most of Teach Me, Teacher's listeners were positive and supportive of this episode, many came out of the woodwork to spout ad hominem attacks at myself and Brian. A select few of honest and passionate listeners offered valid criticisms and counter points, to which I quickly engaged with readily. I love quality discussions. Brian's episode was 5 months ago. People still email me with letters of thanks for speaking to the issues of schools being closed. This season of the podcast has been defined by Covid—understandably so—and yet I can't say I expected to see teachers, unions, and politicians questioning whether schools should be open this coming August. With many schools open and safe, vaccines rolling out in record numbers, and data to support school openings (including both Trump and Biden administrations), I figured all schools would be opening their doors again to the students and families who need them to be. But they aren't, and Jennifer Sey has a lot to say about it. Jennifer is the author of Chalked Up and is a proud parent and supporter of teachers and public schools. She has taken up the rough fight to advocate for schools to open, and for teachers and kids getting back in the classroom. In this talk, we examine the attacks she has faced in her advocacy for schools, why she left California, the political nature of school closures, and ultimately, why school doors should be open, especially this coming fall.     This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and their professional book, Writing Unbound: How Fiction Transforms Student Writers by Thomas Newkirk. Writing Unbound is about the value of writing fiction in secondary classrooms.  Tom Newkirk asks a tough question:  if reading fiction is the center of most English classrooms, why is writing fiction often ignored? Why do we separate fiction reading and fiction writing? Tom argues that when our writing curriculum is too analytical, students think of “writing” as impersonal, formulaic, and…well…boring. He says that opening a door to fiction writing can ignite students’ interest and convince them of the value of writing. He even argues that allowing kids to write fiction will improve their analytic writing. Learn more about how fiction can transform student writers. Visit Heinemann.com to download a sample from Writing Unbound.       Teachers, if you’re looking for new ways to elevate your classroom and accelerate learning – then listen up! RISE Math and ELA program bundles from McGraw Hill, are less than $30 a year for grades 3 through 8!That’s right – less than $30 a year. RISE identifies learning gaps and creates a unique learning sequence and pace for each child. Covering over a thousand key grade learning objectives in math and ELA, teachers get real-time feedback and progress.Plus, kids can access RISE offline too through the app. Teachers, check out RISE today for your students!Go to mheonline.com/rise1.  RISE Math and ELA program bundles from McGraw Hill, are less than $30 a year for grades 3 through 8. That’s so affordable! Check out RISE today.