PD

High-quality professional development: Here are 4 characteristics

High-quality professional development should be something that teachers look forward to, not something they feel they have to endure.

Curriculum decisions: What happens when teachers have a say

When teachers are empowered to make decisions about curriculum, students and educators benefit in lasting ways.

AI training: New teachers aren’t getting enough, report warns

AI training in colleges of education is not keeping pace with the technology, leaving student teachers unequipped to get the most out of artificial intelligence when they arrive in their classrooms.

Teacher success: How to align high-quality PD with instructional materials

A high-quality curriculum cannot stand on its own. It must be wielded by educators who are empowered by high-quality professional learning.

How to create professional development that’s meaningful this year

Some of your best knowledge and expertise lies in your own school buildings, says this principal. All you have to do is ask your teachers what they need.

How teacher retention improves with video-powered mentorship

A collaborative coaching approach that supports the whole teacher helped our district achieve a 93% retention rate last year.

Some important things we are learning from classroom walk-throughs

We often visit schools and classrooms to join "walk-throughs" with principals and their supervisors. As the new year begins, we find ourselves with two questions.

There are 4 types of coaching. Here’s how to implement them

When people experience autonomy and see some positive results, they become more engaged and productive. That is the promise of coaching.

‘Talking Out of School’ podcast: Why authenticity is so important for Principal Kafele

"You remind them, you've got to make sure there's harmony in your life, there's balance, so you don't lose sight of the fact that you're not just that leader, you're also a human being away from the school," is a key part of Baruti Kafele's message to building leaders.

Strategic school staffing: How to upscale 7 promising models

Strategic school staffing models recognize that the K12 teaching workforce will never again look like it did in decades past, researchers say.

AI concerns grow even as more teachers adopt the technology

After last school year's struggles with AI, district leaders are supporting teachers more robustly with policies and resources. Still, more students are getting in trouble for misusing the technology.

How to create PD for AI in the classroom

Artificial intelligence is here to stay, and with the right instruction and support, it can excite teachers and enrich students’ learning.

Why new teachers are not prepared for today’s school climate

Building the social-emotional competence of prospective educators and their ability to support their students should begin in college coursework. But it requires more than a “one-and-done” approach.

Preparing teachers in community colleges makes sense—and cents

Community and technical colleges have helped shorten the time to obtain a degree for hundreds of thousands of secondary school students. The importance of these programs in terms of time to degree for the possibility of preparing baccalaureate degree teachers is paramount.

Paraprofessionals—and apprenticeships—are the big solutions to shortages

It’s time for school districts to recognize that paraprofessionals are already working in apprenticeship programs. The challenge is formalizing the apprenticeship model and providing a pathway to a teaching certificate.

5 ways to give teachers better support in the science of reading

After AI, the science of reading may be the hottest topic in education. And the most important way to strengthen this research-backed practice is to develop teachers' literacy skills, a new report contends.

We turned an underperforming district around with video coaching

Facing state takeover, Jackson Public Schools shifted its instructional culture to focus on a growth mindset, continuous improvement and modeling excellence on video.

New proposal offers federal funding for AI literacy in schools

'Artificial Intelligence Literacy Act' would improve the nation's AI skills by providing funding for K12 professional development and new computer science classes. 

Districts are using teacher retention grants to staff up

Teacher retention grants and other forms of recruitment assistance are available from state and federal agencies and a wide range of other sources. Here's how K12 leaders are deploying the funds.

Why this principal strives to be a ‘great simplifier’

The key to improving student outcomes is helping educators find a comfortable place to start working toward big goals, says Danny Mendez, Indiana's Principal of the Year. "This is the one profession that helps create all the other professions. It's being a storyteller about our kids—who they are, what they need, what they want to be and what their dreams are."

Solving teacher shortages: 5 ways to improve student teaching

Districts are raising salaries, building apartments and giving teachers more planning time. But, with superintendents warning of worsening staff shortages, districts may be overlooking another solution: student teaching.

Why principals love these 5 ways their roles are being redefined

A principal's role in student achievement is immense but some educators may not quite comprehend the full scope of a building leader's influence on outcomes.

Superintendent’s Playbook: 5 ways to connect PD to student learning

No matter how much teachers demand PD, experts and educators are still looking for effective ways to measure professional development's impact on student achievement.

Superintendent’s Playbook: How to make more progress with interventions

"It forces collaboration between social studies, math, English and science teachers," explains Superintendent John Dignan of Wayne-Westland Community Schools, about embedding interventions into core instruction. "They're working together and our kids are getting the medicine they need—it's not just about remediation, it's about acceleration."

Instructional leader: How one principal leverages a love of teaching reading

Principal Angie Krause's background as a reading specialist has come in handy this year as she gets to know each child's academic and social-emotional needs.

How to improve student achievement through instructional coaching with video

An assistant superintendent explains how her district uses video to make teacher professional development relevant, intentional and focused.

Teacher apprenticeships are growing rapidly. More funding is on the way

The number of states with registered teacher apprenticeships has increased exponentially—from two to 21—over the last year, and the Department of Education is offering more support.

3 ways online teaching professional development improves virtual and in-person skills

Even though I have my doctorate degree, I felt like learning specific online teaching methods would strengthen and expand my overall skills.

Teacher recruitment, and 3 more keys for not leaving young readers behind

Is the science of reading coming to the rescue in a national 'literacy crisis?' And how can superintendents and their instructional teams ensure the approach gains traction in their classrooms? 

5 things that have to change if we want more female superintendents

The "Great Resignation” represented a missed opportunity for women in education—or, rather, a missed opportunity for the education system to promote more female leaders to the superintendency.

How the end of this school year can help jumpstart next year

District leaders can act now to guide teachers through several steps of collaboration that will help them better understand the students who will be in their classrooms in the fall.

Can AI be used safely in education? Yes, but we need new guidelines

With many educators relying more and more on artificial intelligence in and around the classroom, a coalition of prominent edtech organizations—called TeachAI—is developing best practices for safer use of the rapidly advancing technology.

6 ways to prevent de-professionalization from devaluing great teachers

If your teachers are isolating from colleagues or expressing sentiments like "just tell me what you want me to do" and "it doesn't matter," you have a de-professionalization problem.

400 principals descend on Congress this week in pursuit of funding

Hundreds of school leaders are in the nation's capital today advocating for increased federal funding to expand mental health counseling and fill staff vacancies.

How to tackle teacher vacancies: 3 big topics and dozens of tools

This toolkit of well-tested talent management practices and innovative ideas will guide leaders in creating collaboration time, conducting empathy interviews and developing grow-your-own programs, among other solutions.