Gail Cornwall

San Francisco

Writer, mother, lawyer, teacher. Bylines: @TheAtlantic @thenation @Salon @nytimes @guardian @parents @WashingtonPost @USNews @GoodHouseMag @USATODAY & more.

Articles

What Parents of Any Faith-Or None-Can Learn From Quakers

1 month ago | theatlantic.com | Gail Cornwall

One morning in 1991, I prayed with the fervor that only a tween can muster for one thing above all others: cold Diet Mountain Dew. But all of the cans in my mom’s stash were warm. So I tossed one in the freezer, forgot about it, and hours later retrieved the frozen-solid mass. Then I decided to pop it in the microwave. You can imagine what ensued. After extinguishing the flames, my mom asked us kids what we thought had happened.
Four cities of FAFSA chaos: Students tell how they grappled with the mess, stress

May 21, 2024 | hechingerreport.org | Liz Willen |Gail Cornwall |Matt Krupnick |Kavitha Cardoza

By Liz WillenFor many high school seniors and others hoping to attend college next year, the last few months have become a stress-filled struggle to complete the trouble-plagued, much-maligned FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
The hardest job in education: Convincing parents to send their kids to a San Francisco public school

Mar 4, 2024 | hechingerreport.org | Gail Cornwall

SAN FRANCISCO — It was two days before the start of the school year, and Lauren Koehler shrugged off her backpack and slid out of a maroon hoodie as she approached the blocky, concrete building that houses the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) Enrollment Center.
“Satisfactory academic progress” rules can derail college students

Nov 10, 2023 | washingtonpost.com | Gail Cornwall

CommentSaveSANTA CRUZ, Calif. — At 19, Elizabeth Clews knew attending community college while balancing a full-time job and caring for a newborn would be hard. But she wanted to give it a shot. After a few months, the single mom, who had just exited the foster care system, realized she wasn’t doing well enough to pass her classes at Ventura College. “All I could really focus on was taking care of my baby and making sure that I kept a roof over our heads,” she said.
Why My

Oct 31, 2023 | schoollibraryjournal.com | Gail Cornwall |Debbie Reese

When SLJ asked if I’d be interested in writing a piece for Blindness Awareness Month, I had no idea of the profound direction this assignment would take me. I was asked if I would like to discuss representation of books for children depicting visually impaired characters. Presumably, this was because my character, Petra Peña, in The Last Cuentista (Levine Querido, 2021), is a person with low vision. I knew after some quick research that it wasn’t going to be that easy. I found no books.
Board Books to Set the Path of Reading-and Sharing-Books

Oct 13, 2023 | slj.com | Gail Cornwall |Rachel Payne |Linda L. Ernst |Kimberly Olson Fakih

Sharing a board book should be a pleasurable experience for adults as well as children, and several of the topics, from superheroes to fine arts, will certainly be welcome. The latest batch of board books features smart offerings and sweet stories that meet young children right where they are developmentally. Many of these books are decked out with sounds, touch-and-feel elements, and die-cuts that will fully engage small hands and curious, growing minds.
Want to Believe in Yourself? 'Mattering' Is Key.

Sep 27, 2023 | nytimes.com | Gail Cornwall

This overlooked concept has been linked to better relationships - with oneself and others. Gordon Flett came across the term "mattering" as a psychology graduate student. Sitting at his desk in 1987, poring over a textbook, "I immediately knew what mattering was," he said. He remembered visiting his grandmother during the summer as a child and taking trips to the insulation plant where she managed the cafeteria. She hung on his every word, and her co-workers treated him like royalty.