The essay topic was “How to become a better man.”

B.H., my student at Consuella B. York High School, located in Cook County’s largest juvenile detention facility, wrote: “Finish school.”

My students live in Division Nine, home to the most serious juvenile offenders. Many of them are at great risk of causing harm – to themselves, their communities, and our city. I know they will be at greater risk if I fail to help them achieve the same goal B.H. set for himself.

My job—to educate these students, provide them with the information and tools they need to succeed, and help them get on a better life path—is a responsibility shared by my colleagues in classrooms across Chicago. Whether our classroom is in a jail, a district-run school or a charter school, we meet every student “where they are” on their first day of class and then create a personalized education to move them forward.

And yet, even though we fulfill this important role for students and society, I don’t often get to share ideas with others on how to improve our schools.  That is why I take every opportunity to ask people who care about public education to invest in meaningful growth opportunities for educators like me. We need access to each other and ongoing support from partners to grow as professionals.

Read the full story on Catalyst.