The best administrators I've seen in my career all have a burning desire to succeed, and they relish a new challenge. The need for a strong and motivated leader is nowhere more evident than in a Title 1 school. Often, district administrators do a disservice by placing the newest teachers and leaders in a Title […]
Can exercise boost our effectiveness as leaders? Science supports the importance of exercise, especially for leaders. Proof abounds on the internet and in magazines. Have you made the connection yet? If not, here are a few reasons you should. It's energy-inducing Exercise can improve energy by strengthening circulation and the heart muscle, both of which […]
Linda Cliatt-Wayman is the turnaround queen. As the principal who changed two low-performing and violent Philadelphia high schools into safe spaces focused on learning, Wayman developed a program of high expectations for students and staff, and intense professional development. In 2013, after serving as an assistant superintendent for the School District of Philadelphia, she took […]
Digital library content spans fiction, nonfiction, test prep, professional development materials and more. Overdrive's catalog has 4 million ebooks, audiobooks and videos, and is used by 17,000 schools worldwide, says David Burleigh, the company's director of brand. Schools pick which titles they want access to, how many copies they want and for how long to […]
In all business organizations, it is the top executives who bear responsibility for assuring that the entity is focused on its mission and that the mission, itself, properly serves the needs, interests, and expectations of customers. The process must also be structured and resourced to support the people on the line. This is the essence […]
During the 2014-15 school year, Pahokee Middle School principal Michael Aronson was asked by his superintendent to visit another school in his Florida district, Acreage Pines Elementary, which was an LSI School for Rigor. Aronson observed implementation sessions and side-by-side coaching. LSI researches and develops next-generation pedagogical models, data systems and professional development for K12 […]
Not long ago, I was visiting with a highly capable, senior-level district administrator when he said to me, "There are so many STEM initiatives, resources and vendors out there. I am a little embarrassed to admit this, but I am not even sure of the right questions to ask." As I considered this administrator's confusion—and […]
For many youths growing up in the age of Kendrick Lamar, Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, the choice between taking orchestra, band or choir often misses the point. Building a school's music instruction around more recent artists and hits offers an alternative to a curriculum that's often based on classical, jazz and marching bands. "For […]
Teachers today have more control over how and when they receive professional development. Whether the learning is self-paced, online or partially in-person, more districts measure PD based on the new skills teachers can display in their classrooms rather than on how long they spend listening to an instructor. For example, veteran social studies teacher Kurt […]
One month before the beginning of the 2017-18 school year, Turlock USD was still short five speech-language pathologists. The salary offered by the Central California district was high by area standards, but even so, the positions remained unfilled. In fact, no one had even applied. Alice Solis, Turlock's director of special education, struggled to hire […]
