Neema Avashia
Cognoscenti contributor
Neema Avashia was born and raised in southern West Virginia to parents who immigrated to the United States. She has been a civics and history teacher in the Boston Public Schools since 2003. Her first book, "Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place," will be out from WVU Press in March 2022.
Recently published
Hate is in 'navy blue' Mass. too: It's time to 'raise the volume' on love
Jamaica Plain, Cambridge, Stoughton, Newton, Wellesley: those are just some of the places where adults are targeting kids of color and those who identify as LGBTQI. Safety only exists if...
I've been working hard — on doing less
Rest was not a concept I was raised with, writes Neema Avashia. In the past year, that changed. It had to.
A return to pre-pandemic 'normal' is not the way to fix Mass. schools
Instead of using the pandemic as an opportunity to upend the less-than-perfect status quo, writes Neema Avashia, officials doubled down on the failures of the before times.
Growing up Indian in Appalachia: 5 questions with Neema Avashia
People have lots of opinions about Appalachia and the people who live there, writes Neema Avashia. Her goal was to write a book that made it impossible to see the...
The 'Great Resignation' doesn't have to be inevitable in Boston schools
Early on in the pandemic, when it was clear her students were struggling, Neema Avashia made a bold move: she asked students for feedback, and changed her approach. Now she...
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It's been a long, arduous week for Mass. teachers. Why won't our state leaders apologize?
As a teacher, I'm clinging to the hope that adults will model the same behaviors we seek to cultivate in our young people, writes Neema Avashia. It’s an optimism that’s...
Unlearning the 'rules' about what a leader looks like
For the first time in 200 years, Boston's mayor elect is not a white man. The idea has taken some getting used to, writes Neema Avashia, even for people of...
The Need For Healing As Students Head Back To Classrooms
Students in schools across the Commonwealth are back to the business of studying and there may be a great deal to make up for in the classroom, as we start...
What's Missing From Back To School This Year? The Time To Heal
The desire to get back to normal means we've skipped a step, writes Neema Avashia -- healing.
Why Landing On The 'Best Schools' List Is Not Something To Celebrate
Best schools lists -- like the one Boston Magazine publishes annually -- reward segregation, writes Boston Public Schools teacher Neema Avashia.