David E. Kirkland
@davidekirkland.bsky.social
Christian | Founder & CEO of forwardED | Entrepreneur | Author | Educator | Thought Leader | Father | Husband | Son
This summer, I invite educators into a different kind of professional development—one rooted in 3 practices of love: communication, visualization, and community—that can transform how we teach and lead.
Read it here: www.forward-ed.com/post/master-...
#LoveIsPedagogy #EducationEquity #forwardED
Read it here: www.forward-ed.com/post/master-...
#LoveIsPedagogy #EducationEquity #forwardED
Master These Three Aspects of Love This Summer
This summer, let’s treat ourselves to a different kind of professional development—one rooted in love. Informed by thirty years of research, I invite educators to grow in three essential practices: co...
www.forward-ed.com
July 9, 2025 at 5:28 PM
This summer, I invite educators into a different kind of professional development—one rooted in 3 practices of love: communication, visualization, and community—that can transform how we teach and lead.
Read it here: www.forward-ed.com/post/master-...
#LoveIsPedagogy #EducationEquity #forwardED
Read it here: www.forward-ed.com/post/master-...
#LoveIsPedagogy #EducationEquity #forwardED
There’s something sacred about a classroom in June. Not just how it ends—but how we end it. What if we didn’t just finish, but finished well?
Read the piece:
www.forward-ed.com/post/finish-...
#FinishWell #TeacherWisdom #forwardED #EndOfYear #Education
Read the piece:
www.forward-ed.com/post/finish-...
#FinishWell #TeacherWisdom #forwardED #EndOfYear #Education
Finish Well
As doors close for the summer, I want to talk about how to end a school year, how to finish well. We talk about how to start strong, how to manage classrooms, how to plan standards-aligned units. But ...
www.forward-ed.com
June 24, 2025 at 4:56 PM
There’s something sacred about a classroom in June. Not just how it ends—but how we end it. What if we didn’t just finish, but finished well?
Read the piece:
www.forward-ed.com/post/finish-...
#FinishWell #TeacherWisdom #forwardED #EndOfYear #Education
Read the piece:
www.forward-ed.com/post/finish-...
#FinishWell #TeacherWisdom #forwardED #EndOfYear #Education
As we move through this season of celebration and rededication, let's remember: Freedom must be taught.
Read my article on Juneteenth and 'freedom teaching' here: www.forward-ed.com/post/freedom...
#FreedomTeaching #Juneteenth #forwardED #EducationForLiberation #FreedomAsProcess
Read my article on Juneteenth and 'freedom teaching' here: www.forward-ed.com/post/freedom...
#FreedomTeaching #Juneteenth #forwardED #EducationForLiberation #FreedomAsProcess
Freedom Teaching and the Pedagogy of Juneteenth
Juneteenth is not merely a celebration of past emancipation but a reminder of our ongoing struggle for true freedom.
www.forward-ed.com
June 19, 2025 at 5:44 PM
As we move through this season of celebration and rededication, let's remember: Freedom must be taught.
Read my article on Juneteenth and 'freedom teaching' here: www.forward-ed.com/post/freedom...
#FreedomTeaching #Juneteenth #forwardED #EducationForLiberation #FreedomAsProcess
Read my article on Juneteenth and 'freedom teaching' here: www.forward-ed.com/post/freedom...
#FreedomTeaching #Juneteenth #forwardED #EducationForLiberation #FreedomAsProcess
My new book, 'Pedagogy of the Black Child,' is my love letter to possibility, rooted in a radical idea that Black children are beautiful and brilliant. When we build schools that see them, everything changes. Preorder now using code 25AFLY2 for 20% off at www.routledge.com/9781032948935.
Pedagogy of the Black Child
In Pedagogy of the Black Child, David E. Kirkland invites readers into an urgent conversation about race, education, and the future of Black childhoods. Through the lens of his own experiences as a Bl...
www.routledge.com
June 16, 2025 at 5:49 PM
My new book, 'Pedagogy of the Black Child,' is my love letter to possibility, rooted in a radical idea that Black children are beautiful and brilliant. When we build schools that see them, everything changes. Preorder now using code 25AFLY2 for 20% off at www.routledge.com/9781032948935.
Everyone says trust is the first step in equity work.
But trust isn’t built—it’s practiced.
Through presence. Through pressure. Through proof.
Read more: www.forward-ed.com/post/the-pra...
#equity #trust #forwardED
But trust isn’t built—it’s practiced.
Through presence. Through pressure. Through proof.
Read more: www.forward-ed.com/post/the-pra...
#equity #trust #forwardED
The Practice of Trust
The hardest part of equity work isn’t data analysis. It isn’t professional development. It isn’t political backlash. It’s trust—not just gaining it but deserving it.
www.forward-ed.com
May 22, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Everyone says trust is the first step in equity work.
But trust isn’t built—it’s practiced.
Through presence. Through pressure. Through proof.
Read more: www.forward-ed.com/post/the-pra...
#equity #trust #forwardED
But trust isn’t built—it’s practiced.
Through presence. Through pressure. Through proof.
Read more: www.forward-ed.com/post/the-pra...
#equity #trust #forwardED
Kids don’t just bring backpacks to school. They bring the way they’ve been loved. When teaching mirrors parenting, they rise. When it doesn’t, they retreat. Our latest study asks: what if success is about alignment, not ability?
www.forward-ed.com/post/the-mir...
www.forward-ed.com/post/the-mir...
Parenting Style and Student Performance: Why Home-School Alignment Matters
This research brief explores how alignment between parenting styles and teaching approaches impacts student performance, belonging, and emotional well-being. Drawing on a 12-month study in vulnerable ...
www.forward-ed.com
May 13, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Kids don’t just bring backpacks to school. They bring the way they’ve been loved. When teaching mirrors parenting, they rise. When it doesn’t, they retreat. Our latest study asks: what if success is about alignment, not ability?
www.forward-ed.com/post/the-mir...
www.forward-ed.com/post/the-mir...
The cure for collapse isn’t control. It’s care. Care rebuilds trust. Care rewires the brain. Care makes the future possible.
We don’t need more charisma. We need more connection.
Out-love the fear. That’s the work.
#CareIsStrategy #Trust #Hope #Belonging #Leadership
We don’t need more charisma. We need more connection.
Out-love the fear. That’s the work.
#CareIsStrategy #Trust #Hope #Belonging #Leadership
May 12, 2025 at 3:33 PM
The cure for collapse isn’t control. It’s care. Care rebuilds trust. Care rewires the brain. Care makes the future possible.
We don’t need more charisma. We need more connection.
Out-love the fear. That’s the work.
#CareIsStrategy #Trust #Hope #Belonging #Leadership
We don’t need more charisma. We need more connection.
Out-love the fear. That’s the work.
#CareIsStrategy #Trust #Hope #Belonging #Leadership
I choose the work. Not the job. Not the performance.
The work. The soul work. Of building a world where justice isn’t a trend, but a practice. Where equity isn’t a slogan, but a way of being. The future is watching, and we owe it more than silence.
#TheWork #EquityEveryDay #Belonging #BuildForward
The work. The soul work. Of building a world where justice isn’t a trend, but a practice. Where equity isn’t a slogan, but a way of being. The future is watching, and we owe it more than silence.
#TheWork #EquityEveryDay #Belonging #BuildForward
May 9, 2025 at 4:19 PM
I choose the work. Not the job. Not the performance.
The work. The soul work. Of building a world where justice isn’t a trend, but a practice. Where equity isn’t a slogan, but a way of being. The future is watching, and we owe it more than silence.
#TheWork #EquityEveryDay #Belonging #BuildForward
The work. The soul work. Of building a world where justice isn’t a trend, but a practice. Where equity isn’t a slogan, but a way of being. The future is watching, and we owe it more than silence.
#TheWork #EquityEveryDay #Belonging #BuildForward
They say our kids must be “ready” for school. But why aren’t schools expected to be ready for our kids? We don’t need school-ready children—we need child-ready schools.
Read more here: www.forward-ed.com/post/rethink...
#education #equity
Read more here: www.forward-ed.com/post/rethink...
#education #equity
Rethinking “Kindergarten Readiness”
Blaming 5-year-olds for not being “ready” is how broken systems excuse themselves. What if the real test isn’t whether our children are school-ready—but whether our schools are child-ready?
www.forward-ed.com
April 21, 2025 at 8:26 PM
They say our kids must be “ready” for school. But why aren’t schools expected to be ready for our kids? We don’t need school-ready children—we need child-ready schools.
Read more here: www.forward-ed.com/post/rethink...
#education #equity
Read more here: www.forward-ed.com/post/rethink...
#education #equity
Outstanding article on Black boys and schooling: wordinblack.com/2025/04/blac...
Black Boys Matter: Why Are They Disappearing From Schools?
Despite rising attention to college and workforce gaps, Black male students continue to be pushed out of K-12 schools.
wordinblack.com
April 16, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Outstanding article on Black boys and schooling: wordinblack.com/2025/04/blac...
Curriculum keeps failing not because it’s bad—but because teachers don’t believe in it. In Detroit, we tried something different: we built it with them.
Read more: www.forward-ed.com/post/curricu...
#Education #Equity #CRSE #Detroit
Read more: www.forward-ed.com/post/curricu...
#Education #Equity #CRSE #Detroit
Curriculum as Covenant
We don’t have a curriculum problem—we have a trust problem. Teachers don’t teach what they’re told; they teach what they believe.
www.forward-ed.com
April 14, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Curriculum keeps failing not because it’s bad—but because teachers don’t believe in it. In Detroit, we tried something different: we built it with them.
Read more: www.forward-ed.com/post/curricu...
#Education #Equity #CRSE #Detroit
Read more: www.forward-ed.com/post/curricu...
#Education #Equity #CRSE #Detroit
Reposted by David E. Kirkland
"DEI does not oppose merit—it reveals the myth of meritocracy in a society structured by inherited advantage. To reject DEI is not to choose neutrality; it is to choose inequity." — @davidekirkland.bsky.social
www.forward-ed.com/post/dei-a-b...
[2/2]
www.forward-ed.com/post/dei-a-b...
[2/2]
DEI: A Brief and Definitive History
Some want to “save” America from DEI—but if DEI were saving America? History suggests that it has.
www.forward-ed.com
April 8, 2025 at 4:25 PM
"DEI does not oppose merit—it reveals the myth of meritocracy in a society structured by inherited advantage. To reject DEI is not to choose neutrality; it is to choose inequity." — @davidekirkland.bsky.social
www.forward-ed.com/post/dei-a-b...
[2/2]
www.forward-ed.com/post/dei-a-b...
[2/2]
From the Constitution to Civil Rights, DEI is how America’s tried to make good on its promises. Erasing it won’t move us forward—it’ll drag us back.
Read my latest: “DEI: A Brief and Definitive History”
🔗 www.forward-ed.com/post/dei-a-b...
#DEI #Equity #Inclusion #AmericanHistory #Justice #TheWork
Read my latest: “DEI: A Brief and Definitive History”
🔗 www.forward-ed.com/post/dei-a-b...
#DEI #Equity #Inclusion #AmericanHistory #Justice #TheWork
DEI: A Brief and Definitive History
Some want to “save” America from DEI—but if DEI were saving America? History suggests that it has.
www.forward-ed.com
April 7, 2025 at 5:18 PM
From the Constitution to Civil Rights, DEI is how America’s tried to make good on its promises. Erasing it won’t move us forward—it’ll drag us back.
Read my latest: “DEI: A Brief and Definitive History”
🔗 www.forward-ed.com/post/dei-a-b...
#DEI #Equity #Inclusion #AmericanHistory #Justice #TheWork
Read my latest: “DEI: A Brief and Definitive History”
🔗 www.forward-ed.com/post/dei-a-b...
#DEI #Equity #Inclusion #AmericanHistory #Justice #TheWork
Before you abandon DEI, ask yourself: Did it actually work? The answer isn’t simple, but it’s there—and it’s fixable. Here’s how DEI can still work for you.
Read more here: www.forward-ed.com/post/was-dei...
Read more here: www.forward-ed.com/post/was-dei...
Was DEI Worth It?
Before you walk away from DEI, you might want to know what actually worked—and how it can still work for you.
www.forward-ed.com
March 11, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Before you abandon DEI, ask yourself: Did it actually work? The answer isn’t simple, but it’s there—and it’s fixable. Here’s how DEI can still work for you.
Read more here: www.forward-ed.com/post/was-dei...
Read more here: www.forward-ed.com/post/was-dei...
The dream is for you; it is for everyone, and it will change everything. Happy MLK Day, everybody!
January 20, 2025 at 3:38 PM
The dream is for you; it is for everyone, and it will change everything. Happy MLK Day, everybody!
Although classrooms are more diverse, teachers remain relatively white. How can we embrace an inclusive vision of teaching as the cornerstone of educational excellence?
www.forward-ed.com/post/who-s-t...
#EducationEquity #DiversityInTeaching #InclusiveSchools
www.forward-ed.com/post/who-s-t...
#EducationEquity #DiversityInTeaching #InclusiveSchools
Who’s Teaching Our Kids? The Struggle for More Diverse Teacher Workforce
Schools are meant to reflect the communities they serve, fostering opportunity and fairness for all students. But what happens when efforts
www.forward-ed.com
January 13, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Although classrooms are more diverse, teachers remain relatively white. How can we embrace an inclusive vision of teaching as the cornerstone of educational excellence?
www.forward-ed.com/post/who-s-t...
#EducationEquity #DiversityInTeaching #InclusiveSchools
www.forward-ed.com/post/who-s-t...
#EducationEquity #DiversityInTeaching #InclusiveSchools
Reposted by David E. Kirkland
Black men comprise 6.1% of the U.S. population but only 1.3% of public school teachers. This gap isn’t accidental but systemic. It’s time to ask why. Read my take here and why representation matters: www.forward-ed.com/post/why-bla....
#BlackMaleTeachers #RepresentationMatters #DiversityInTeaching
#BlackMaleTeachers #RepresentationMatters #DiversityInTeaching
www.forward-ed.com
January 8, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Black men comprise 6.1% of the U.S. population but only 1.3% of public school teachers. This gap isn’t accidental but systemic. It’s time to ask why. Read my take here and why representation matters: www.forward-ed.com/post/why-bla....
#BlackMaleTeachers #RepresentationMatters #DiversityInTeaching
#BlackMaleTeachers #RepresentationMatters #DiversityInTeaching
Black men comprise 6.1% of the U.S. population but only 1.3% of public school teachers. This gap isn’t accidental but systemic. It’s time to ask why. Read my take here and why representation matters: www.forward-ed.com/post/why-bla....
#BlackMaleTeachers #RepresentationMatters #DiversityInTeaching
#BlackMaleTeachers #RepresentationMatters #DiversityInTeaching
www.forward-ed.com
January 8, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Black men comprise 6.1% of the U.S. population but only 1.3% of public school teachers. This gap isn’t accidental but systemic. It’s time to ask why. Read my take here and why representation matters: www.forward-ed.com/post/why-bla....
#BlackMaleTeachers #RepresentationMatters #DiversityInTeaching
#BlackMaleTeachers #RepresentationMatters #DiversityInTeaching
Reposted by David E. Kirkland
The traditional approach to MTSS draws lines between students, categorizing them by their perceived needs and inadvertently fostering a deficit-based mindset that opposed the district’s desired focus on equity. @davidekirkland.bsky.social
www.growbeyondgrades.org/blog/mt4s-st...
www.growbeyondgrades.org/blog/mt4s-st...
MT4S and the Power of Strengths-based Design — Grow Beyond Grades
Dr. David E. Kirkland discusses the Multi-Tier System of Sustaining Strengths and Support (MT4S) model, which underscores a critical shift from remediation to celebration, from merely navigating learn...
www.growbeyondgrades.org
January 2, 2025 at 3:51 PM
The traditional approach to MTSS draws lines between students, categorizing them by their perceived needs and inadvertently fostering a deficit-based mindset that opposed the district’s desired focus on equity. @davidekirkland.bsky.social
www.growbeyondgrades.org/blog/mt4s-st...
www.growbeyondgrades.org/blog/mt4s-st...
Happy New Year, everybody 🎈
January 1, 2025 at 5:37 AM
Happy New Year, everybody 🎈
What if we stopped asking multilingual children to change who they are and started designing schools celebrating their full humanity?
Please read my article on the pedagogy of linguistic belonging, and let’s reimagine education together.
www.forward-ed.com/post/the-mul...
#TheMultilingualChild
Please read my article on the pedagogy of linguistic belonging, and let’s reimagine education together.
www.forward-ed.com/post/the-mul...
#TheMultilingualChild
The Multilingual Child: Toward a Pedagogy of Linguistic Belonging
What if education stopped asking multilingual children to fit into a ready-made world and started building a world ready for them?
www.forward-ed.com
December 10, 2024 at 7:17 PM
What if we stopped asking multilingual children to change who they are and started designing schools celebrating their full humanity?
Please read my article on the pedagogy of linguistic belonging, and let’s reimagine education together.
www.forward-ed.com/post/the-mul...
#TheMultilingualChild
Please read my article on the pedagogy of linguistic belonging, and let’s reimagine education together.
www.forward-ed.com/post/the-mul...
#TheMultilingualChild
Rest well, Queen 🙏🏾
December 10, 2024 at 4:44 AM
Rest well, Queen 🙏🏾
So I urge you: Dig in. Hold your ground. Push where you can, and refuse to give up. We are shaping the future with every step we take.
#EquityMatters #Belonging #EducationForAll #StayTheCourse
December 3, 2024 at 10:52 PM
So I urge you: Dig in. Hold your ground. Push where you can, and refuse to give up. We are shaping the future with every step we take.
#EquityMatters #Belonging #EducationForAll #StayTheCourse
This work—our work—is about building a future that reflects those ideals. That’s not a vision to abandon. It’s a promise to fulfill. Let's fulfill it!
December 3, 2024 at 10:49 PM
This work—our work—is about building a future that reflects those ideals. That’s not a vision to abandon. It’s a promise to fulfill. Let's fulfill it!
Let’s be clear: This election wasn’t the overwhelming rejection of equity some claim. Thus, the mandate isn’t as sweeping as it might seem. The Senate and House remain closely contested, as was the election. This is no time to let narratives of defeat take root.
December 3, 2024 at 10:49 PM
Let’s be clear: This election wasn’t the overwhelming rejection of equity some claim. Thus, the mandate isn’t as sweeping as it might seem. The Senate and House remain closely contested, as was the election. This is no time to let narratives of defeat take root.