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.

High schoolers teach robotics to pre-K students

Educators didn't expose students to any screen time when introducing preschool coding and robotics in Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

How you can help introverts flourish in the classroom

Even though classroom introverts often earn good grades, follow directions and prepare well, they still need support from educators to truly thrive.

Dual-language immersion push reveals California teacher shortage

The California Department of Education is calling for schools to have half of all K-12 students on track for proficiency in two languages by the end of the next decade. But districts are facing another hurdle: A report shows that the number of teachers with bilingual certifications has decreased from about 1,500 annually in the 1990s to around 700 in 2015-16.

Understanding evidence types in curriculum evaluation

Evidence about a product's effectiveness can help district leaders decide which educational technologies or instructional resources to purchase and use. Mathematica Policy Research created a...

Do’s and don’ts of curriculum evaluation

Curriculum development teams must review and select resources that align with standards, grade-level expectations and assessments. During the review process, a team should typically review...

How to keep freshmen on track for graduation

Since Chicago Public Schools implemented the University of Chicago's Freshman OnTrack indicator, the percentage of ninth-graders who've stayed on track, or earned the appropriate...

Implementing mental health first aid in K-12

Districts work to train educators to spot and respond quickly to signs of mental distress in students.

Best (practices) in show: Therapy dogs in schools

Therapy dogs in schools can perform wonders: The animals relieve students' stress, help kids learn to read, and even boost test scores and attendance.

Therapy dog digs up school testing gains

How does a dog help students score higher on tests? No, the dogs are not carrying the answers in a little barrel around their necks,...

‘Up there to humiliate:’ Seattle school’s detention list sparks debate about shaming

Last week, on the wall of a middle school cafeteria, administrators projected a large yellow slide on a screen, titled “Detention Today.” Displayed below, were the names of the seven middle-schoolers on the docket to be punished.

Mental health care tops pillars of school suicide prevention

In Tempe, Arizona, the phone number for a suicide hotline is printed on every student's ID badge, teachers are trained to spot and respond to warning signs in students, and administrators don't use euphemisms when discussing the topic.

Dual-generation programs boost parent engagement

K-12 districts have been finding success when offering activities that allow parents to learn alongside their children.

7 K-12 thought leaders to follow

On their blogs and Twitter feeds, K-12 thought leaders provide an anytime, anywhere personal learning network that covers everything from #leadership to #diversity to #lessonplanning to #edtech. Here's a sampling.

Suicide prevention program focuses on LGBTQ students

Young people in the LGBTQ community are four times more likely to attempt suicide than are other young people.

5 keys to caring for mental health and suicide

Suicide prevention initiatives and a school's response to a tragedy can work in tandem to encourage more students to seek help.