The two words, "these kids," frustrate Superintendent Carla Santorno more than any other phrase. It's used by some educators as a kind of secret code and a flimsy excuse for academic failure among marginalized students, she says.
School districts around the country are experimenting with starting classes later to allow students to get extra sleep. While some dismiss the idea as pampering, Nathaniel F. Watson says there are solid scientific reasons to consider it. As we age, our internal circadian rhythms and biological sleep drives change, resulting in later sleep and wake times. […]
It hardly seems possible, but it’s happening: Students have gotten so fed up that they’ve resorted to legal action to get the education they need to become productive citizens. It’s a sad scene if students aren’t exposed to the basics of how local government works or how decision-makers are held accountable by the citizens they […]
We pretty much understand rocket science, says Doug Green. That is, we understand the complex math and physics that propel objects into space. "The human brain, however, which is the learning playground for students and teachers, is much more complex and less understood." An educator since 1970—as an elementary principal, district computer director, K12 science […]
Going digital is easier and much cheaper than printing the old school newspaper, and it lets student journalists reach more readers. Aided by social media, these budding reporters have also been making impacts beyond their communities. For example, in April 2017 a Kansas high school principal had to resign after the school's student journalists questioned […]
In school districts across the country, administrators and teachers unions are increasingly working together to address challenges. Districts are seeking help from unions on pressing political issues, including how to address Dreamer students who are concerned about deportation after the Trump administration rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This has brought the […]
Serious concerns—such as student anxiety, lunch shaming and immigration policy—shared 2017's education headlines with the whirling whimsy of fidget spinners. But what lasting impact will these developments have? And how will administrators and policymakers handle issues that stretch into 2018 and beyond? A look back at the year's top stories sheds some light on the […]
Districts devote nearly 80 percent of their budgets to personnel costs—leaving little wiggle room for administrators tasked with maintaining fiscal responsibility and boosting the quality of education in a time of nearly stagnant funding. John Hutchison, chief financial and operations officer at Olathe Public Schools in Kansas, began budgetary planning for the 2017-18 school year […]
Fast disappearing from schools are internet "lock and block" policies that keep students off social media and restrict them to carefully curated websites. Even with sophisticated filters and firewalls, today's learners carry all the access in the world in their back pockets. "We're past trying to stay ahead of the digital native" says Morgen Larsen, […]
With nearby manufacturing plants struggling to find skilled workers, Desert View High School in Tucson, Arizona, launched a precision manufacturing program in 2012. The Academy of Aerospace iSTEM and Digital Technology at the high school gives students hands-on training in software and equipment used in high-precision machining and engineering. Students can earn up to 13 […]
