Matt Zalaznick

Matt Zalaznick is the managing editor of District Administration and a life-long journalist. Prior to writing for District Administration he worked in daily news all over the country, from the NYC suburbs to the Rocky Mountains, Silicon Valley and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He's also in a band.

DA 100 education influencers: Tom Whitby

A popular internet and radio personality who facilitates education conversations on X through #edchat, Whitby is a senior consultant for Ideamapper, a tool that helps users bridge visual learning with documentation.

How this superintendent passed three bonds in a row

Guthrie Public Schools had failed on nine straight bond elections before Superintendent Mike Simpson arrived more than a decade ago. Simpson just passed his third straight bond since 2014, with nearly three-quarters of the vote.

The unequal effects of school closings

Closings fall especially on majority-Black schools. As top students move to private and suburban schools, special-needs students are left behind in fewer city facilities.

Jury finds parents of gunman not liable in 2018 Texas school shooting

Jurors decided instead that blame rested with the gunman, who was 17 at the time, and the company that sold him ammunition used in the shooting.

Rising costs for Washington school districts outpace state funding, report finds

A new report from the League of Education Voters found school districts in Washington have increased spending on staff by 19.7% between the 2019-20 and 2022-23 school years.

An Oklahoma superintendent will not force educators to teach the Bible

Rob Miller, the superintendent of Bixby Public Schools, says he will not force his educators to teach the Bible this school year, despite a state mandate requiring the text to be incorporated into public curriculum.

DA 100 education influencers: Angel Rodriguez

Named Principal of the Year by the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents, Rodriguez led Lyman Hall Elementary School in Hinesville, Ga., to graduating record numbers of EL students from language programs.

A small Texas school district feels inflation squeeze with base state funding stagnant

The Sunnyvale school district paid just over $300,000 for property and casualty insurance in 2022. Now they’re bracing to pay more than half-a-million dollars.

Parent group proposes cellphone ban at Wake public schools

A group of Raleigh leaders, parents and medical professionals is pushing Wake County school officials to ban mobile devices in schools across the district. The group is worried about mental health and academic issues stemming from mobile device use.

Superintendent allowed to carry firearm by rural Pennsylvania school board

Southern Columbia Area Superintendent Jim Becker will carry a gun on the job after the school board voted to amend his contract to add the responsibilities of an armed security guard.

City in Kansas turns traffic fines into school supplies for kids in the community

People can donate $15 worth of school supplies like backpacks, markers, binders, notebooks, dry erase markers, then bring their receipt when you make their donation, and the city will give them a $50 credit on traffic and parking fines.

Oklahoma social studies education to be reformed with help of conservative influencers

The committee includes conservative activists, such as Kevin Roberts, head of the Heritage Foundation, which led Project 2025, a conservative roadmap for a potential second Trump term.

Florida mass school shooter agrees to give brain to science in stunning settlement

Parkland mass shooter Nikolas Cruz has agreed to donate his brain to science in a "unique" civil settlement reached with one of his victims, according to court papers and experts.

Former Uvalde schools police chief indicted for role in Robb Elementary shooting response

Former school district police Chief Pete Arredondo and another former district officer face felony charges of abandoning or endangering a child, the first criminal charges brought against law enforcement for the botched response to the deadliest school shooting in Texas history.

Oklahoma’s state superintendent requires public schools to teach the Bible

The state superintendent, Ryan Walters, said the Bible was a “necessary historical document.” The mandate comes as part of a conservative movement to infuse Christian values in public schools.