When Jeremy Baugh took over as principal at Lew Wallace School 107 in Indianapolis in 2014, half of his staff was new. The school had struggled with teacher retention, which was reflected in student success. Only 22 percent of kindergarten students were achieving at grade level. The school's 600 students come from 37 countries and […]
At 1:30 a.m. on the Friday before Labor Day, the Beaverton School District's fire suppression system deployed explosively into the room that housed the heart of the district's computer network. An error in the fire-sensing system sent gases spewing through ceiling nozzles. The chemicals destroyed much of the equipment, leading to the eventual failure of […]
Every weekday during the academic year, more than 50 million children across the United States enter public school buildings, says Lori Peek. Many of these buildings are so dilapidated and poorly designed that children's health and safety are at risk. In a New York Times editorial, Peek called these schools "deathtraps" a term intended to […]
Books represent just a part of the early literacy equation. Districts and community organizations now provide transportation, meals, summer lessons and family activities to prepare children for kindergarten reading. "The biggest challenge for closing the literacy gap is to address its cause: an opportunity gap" says Nell Duke, professor of literacy, language and culture at […]
The "4 C's" smart model is a tool for school brand builders who are on the path to "telling, not selling." While our students strive for A's in the classroom, school administrators can focus on the "4 C's." This smart model from Jez Frampton, CEO of global marketing leader Interbrand, brings a tight structure from the […]
Children from 19 El Paso ISD schools now engage in social-emotional activities at nearly two dozen new playgrounds, thanks in part to districtwide communication. CHALLENGE: In 2016, El Paso ISD wanted to transform its most deteriorated playgrounds into fun, safe environments. "We knew that playtime was an excellent opportunity for our students to interact with […]
In light of a looming ESSA mandate to increase transparency around education spending, district leaders have been struggling to calculate per-pupil spending by school in accordance with state and federal requirements. Facing a deadline that most likely will be in spring 2020, there is confusion about whether states will expect school districts to include the […]
Quick quiz: After the buildings, salaries and benefits, what is one of the biggest expenses for most school districts? Chances are that it's those ubiquitous yellow buses that pick up kids in the morning and return them home (or close to it) after school. With the typical school bus costing between $45,000 and $90,000 a […]
Faced with tight budgets and the expanding use of electricity-hungry technology, districts are turning to energy efficiency solutions that don't sacrifice learning power. "Academic achievement is always foremost in everyone's mind, and parents, teachers and administrators all want to be first in that space where you're providing the latest tools—the tablets, laptops and phones that […]
On July 1, Cheryl Logan begins her tenure as superintendent of Omaha Public Schools, Nebraska's largest school district. Logan will lead 8,000 staff members and serve a student body where nearly 16 percent are ELL and 75 percent qualify for free and reduced-price lunch. Logan also faces a $15.8 million budget shortfall, the result of […]
