Matt Zalaznick

Matt Zalaznick is the managing editor of District Administration, covering K-12 public school leadership, teaching and learning, student achievement, education technology, and federal education policy. A journalist since 1996, Zalaznick has reported on politics, law enforcement, and breaking news for newspapers and websites across the U.S. Virgin Islands, the San Francisco Bay Area, Colorado, and the New York City suburbs. He holds a B.A. in English from Tufts University.

5 steps to encouraging self-advocacy and self-determination in special education students

Special ed students should identify barriers to learning, assess self-confidence and participate in IEP meetings.

High-poverty K12 schools show high growth

A recent report conducted by NWEA finds that high poverty—while linked to low achievement—does not generally equate to low growth.

Dungeons & Dragons storms K12 education

A group of educators has revived the nondigital adventure game as a fun way to teach students decision-making and critical-thinking skills, while they work collaboratively and creatively. What can...

Curriculum quests

The Teaching with Dungeons & Dragons website offers ELA-oriented lessons that teachers can use to make the fantasy game a part of instruction: teachingwithdnd.com LINK TO...

CSU’s online university will pay rent in scholarships

Colorado State University-Global Campus partnered with Aurora Public Schools to build a headquarters for the fully online university on district land. The university will leverage lease payments to make college...

Protection policies

Yonkers security director Brian Schulder follows these principles in keeping schools secure. LINK BACK TO MAIN ARTICLE: Day in the Life: Brian Schulder, security director,...

Higher ed tech developers give K12 teachers new insights

One of the most fertile areas for collaborative problem-solving between colleges and their K12 counterparts may be the mission they share: education. When edtech developers...

Making name pronunciation a priority in K12 education

Some students grow so accustomed to hearing their names mispronounced over and over again that they no longer correct the people who make the mistakes.

Quiz: Name analysis

Educators and administrators should ask themselves these questions to determine whether they're respecting identities and cultures by learning students' and staff members' names. LINK TO...

App helps teachers pronounce names

There's an app that can help educators learn to pronounce names. With NameCoach, schools email students a link that invites them to record their...

High schoolers recover credits during vacations

More school districts now operate winter- and spring-break academies as a way for students to recover missing credits and to increase their chances of...

School districts expand supports to bring more ELLs to CTE

Embedding language instruction into CTE programs can help close what some educators see as an "opportunity gap" faced by students learning English. And participating...

Access problems?

A report by the nonprofit Advocates for Children of New York found that English language learners were underrepresented in New York City CTE programs....

Meditation at school leads to better behavior and more focused learners

Something as simple and as inexpensive as a few minutes of deep breathing can help children better control their emotions—and their behavior. But this only...

Elementary mindfulness

What does mindfulness look like as elementary students age? Betsy Hanger, an instructor with the nonprofit Mindful Schools who works as a community mentor in...