Operations

Geothermal schools: K12 is now ideal for this tech

Geothermal energy systems use the soil, bedrock and groundwater under your school. Drilled wells allow heat exchange with the underground.

Translating the Data: Ensuring Your Capital Planning Funds Are Cost Effective

Date & Time: Wednesday, December 4 at 2 p.m. ET

In this 30-minute DA Ed Talk, administrators will gain helpful advice on turning facilities data into actionable insights to avoid a common challenge in K-12 where districts increasingly struggle with translating data into effective capital planning decisions.

***Attendees will be able to safely download an Asset Investment Planning (AIP) Infographic and a comprehensive guide for capital planning, budgeting, and asset management.

Full Fleet Electrification: How Steelton-Highspire’s Success Paves the Way for K-12 Districts

Date & Time: Tuesday, November 19 at 2 p.m. ET

In this Ed Talk, Superintendent Dr. Mick Iskric will discuss his district's journey to embrace electric buses to reduce long-term costs. He will be joined by Kevin King, Head of Electrification at First Student, who will explain how a flexible, rapid-deployment charging infrastructure helped Steelton-Highspire make electrification feasible and cost-effective, providing a blueprint for other districts facing similar challenges.

The Safety Cycle: Ensuring the Safety of Students from A to B and Back Again

Date & Time: Monday, October 21 at 2 p.m. ET

In this webinar, gain a fresh perspective on how to ensure the safety of your students while they're in transit beyond the safety features that have been installed on their buses. Learn proactive approaches and immediate steps to react quickly and effectively when the unexpected happens.

How to organize a student-led sustainability conference

To host a student conference, focus on putting the kids out front and allow the adults to show up and support them organically.

Reimagining transportation: 3 ways to conquer chronic absenteeism

While potential solutions to the absenteeism crisis are varying and complex, perhaps the most basic is optimizing the way we get kids to and from school.

TGIF time-saver: More buses are going green; team teaching endorsed

New this week: Uvalde families of victims agreed on a $2 million settlement with the city, districts are getting major bus upgrades and team-based teaching might be the solution to shortages.

School Renewal: Accessing New Funding for Facilities and Energy Projects

Date & Time: Tuesday, June 11th at 2 pm ET

In this 20-minute DA Ed Talk, an advisor from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of State and Community Energy Programs and an education facilities expert from Trane will discuss how to access and use newly available funding from the federal government to finance much-needed school facilities improvements in any district.

‘Talking Out of School’ podcast: Fixing shortages and academics at the same time

Recruiting more aspiring educators of color will not only fill teacher vacancies but also propel student achievement and improve school climate, says this week's podcast guest, Javaid Siddiqi, the president and CEO of The Hunt Institute.

3 districts that are leading the country in sustainability efforts

We've chosen three Green Ribbon School winners to illustrate what strategies prove most successful and how you can replicate their efforts.

How one district is transforming learning by connecting kids to the ocean—and Bigfoot

A key to the mission at Sea Lab is for students to work "as scientists" across disciplines. Recent projects have had students grow lettuce in a hydroponic aquarium and compose music based on the sinking of military ships. "There's a little bit of whimsy science thrown in," teacher facilitator Simone Bourgeois explains. "We do everything from meteorology to zoology to any content science a student might approach in high school or college."

Bus staffing and routing problems leave districts scrambling for solutions

North Carolina's Durham Public Schools was closed on Monday due to a lack of available drivers. Another district is potentially cutting routes dramatically to compensate for staff shortages.

Analysis: Big strides are being made toward universal pre-K

Ask a lot of superintendents—and we do—and they'll say that quality preschool experiences are key to most students' success in K12. Read on for some good news about early learning.

Safe trips: Why more schools are hiring transportation monitors

Their role goes beyond simply being an extra pair of eyes—they can be instrumental in creating a controlled, safe, and peaceful environment for the nation’s most vulnerable students.

School nutrition: Why some worry it’s at a “perilous juncture”

A range of financial, logistical and regulatory challenges have the potential to disrupt school meal service as pandemic relief funding expires and stricter standards arrive, advocates say. 

See which districts will share $1 billion in new clean school bus funding

Thousands of new clean, green and electric buses will soon be carrying kids to school thanks to a $1 billion boost in funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

What K12 leaders can do to recruit the new generation of bus drivers

The good news for most school districts is that real progress can be made in hiring Generation Z and Millennials drivers with various employment options while retaining valuable, experienced transportation employees.

Why it’s time to ‘electrify’ school bus transportation

"The school bus industry is changing," says one expert. "We are going to go through the largest transformation the industry has ever seen in its 100-plus years of existence. And that's because electric is here, and it's not going away."

Workspace for play: Setting up early childhood classrooms for success

A veteran early childhood educator shares the challenges teachers face in creating developmentally appropriate spaces—and how administrators can help.

How one superintendent strives to keep his rural schools relevant

Bermudian Springs School District has completed one big project—a new middle school—and several more, including a new curriculum, are underway.

Students wanted a seat at the table to advocate for climate change—and they got it

Three years ago, about 30 students across eight different schools throughout Denver Public Schools went to the board of education to pass a climate change policy. Now, they're receiving national attention for their efforts.

7 questions with a superintendent who is prepping for a population boom

"We’re excited and maybe a little bit nervous," Hardin County Schools Superintendent Teresa Morgan says as she and her team get ready to make room for an influx of 24,000 to 37,000 residents over the next decade.

How 3 districts are handling a ‘transportation crisis’ in their first weeks of school

Marty Pollio, superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools in Kentucky, said he had to make the most difficult decision of his career: cancel the second and third days of school to solve issues involving their bus routes.

CTO: To make your schools more secure and sustainable, go paperless

"Paper records, stored in one location, in a non-environmentally controlled warehouse, for instance, are much more at risk than digital records secured by digital passwords," K12 technology leader Beverly Miller says.

How connecting with the community helps this district build schools

Leaders at Seguin ISD have convinced voters to approve more than $200 million in construction bonds since 2019. Superintendent Matthew Gutierrez says making—and strengthening—connections with the community has been his Texas district's key to success at the ballot box in 2019, 2022 and 2023.

What will it take for schools to have a full fleet of bus drivers again?

In some districts, the bus driver shortage is "worse than ever," but why? From retirements to a lack of funding, administrators are in over their heads looking for a solution to this crisis.

3 things other than quality hinder school food service. Here are the solutions

Staff shortages, rising costs and family meal debt are the biggest challenges that school food service face, according to a survey that also finds the staff have confidence that healthy ingredients are being served.

Be boring: How to avoid the chaos caused by bus driver shortages

Boring equates to everything running on time and being fully resourced with no major disruptions. But staffing issues and other constraints frequently create conditions that are the total opposite.

These states are leading the electric school bus movement

Zero emissions transportation is a slow, yet growing movement in K12 school districts. Here are four ways to help your district cut costs while transitioning to ESBs.

Leaders sound off on the top 7 challenges K12 is facing right now

Neither test scores nor grades are dominating the conversations about the biggest education challenges in 2023.

Free school meals drove a surge in participation. Here’s how to keep it going.

Nearly 30 million students per day received lunch at school and more than 15.5 million had breakfast in the 2021–2022 academic year as more children returned for in-person instruction.

Why providing free school lunch is more important than ever

Paying less than 50 cents per meal might seem trivial to the 90% of Americans who are food secure, but it creates a substantial financial barrier for others.

Healthier school meals rules are looming. Here is what they look like

Reducing salt and sugar content across school menus is the leading goal of new nutrition standards that may soon be served up in cafeterias.

How teaching climate change can be ideal for student engagement

It's hands-on, multidisciplinary and has real-world impacts: Teaching climate change appears to tick all the boxes for effective instruction.

How to tap into $80M in new funds available for school energy upgrades

Renew America’s Schools grant program will ultimately provide $500 million to districts serving historically disadvantaged and rural communities.