I once was recognized by Gannett for an article about a Thanksgiving turkey run amok.

Editorial gold? Maybe not, but my work as a reporter proved to be the first course in a career I've tried to dedicate to stopping other runaway problems.

Craving a tryptophan-free way to earn a living, I found my way into education reform, where we have a rare shot at re-writing a public education narrative that has underserved too many kids.

Right now I’m an instructional leader and teacher at North Star Academy, a successful Newark charter that sees 100% of its students accepted to 4-year colleges. I keep a full plate: waxing poetic about the future of education and getting to live it out to boot. Seeing a student’s face after successfully deconstructing Atticus Finch? There’s nothing like it.

I still write when I can find the time, though most of my day I eat, sleep and breathe all things education reform.

And, unashamedly, I’ll polish off the occasional turkey sandwich, too.