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 […]
Graduates of Chicago Public Schools are returning to class—as tech experts who help teachers and staff with computer glitches. The program, operated by the national nonprofit Genesys Works, helps high school students in Chicago, Houston and elsewhere gain technical training and skills to fill entry-level jobs once they graduate—at more than 200 corporations and school […]
Why is contracting a beneficial option for school districts and communities? Contracting allows education professionals to focus on their core responsibility, which is educating young people, not running a complicated logistics operation. Every day contractors safely and efficiently transport millions of children to and from school—it's their core mission and focus and they are good […]
Going into his third year as principal of Sunset Elementary School near Spokane, Washington, Ty McGregor feels more confident that he has prepared his building for an intruder or active shooter. While school was out this past June, a group of staff members, students and emergency responders conducted drills on two potentially devastating scenarios: a […]
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 […]
Ensuring all students have equal access to educational technology—both in the classroom and at home—often requires innovation. Educators can find cost-effective solutions in new technologies such as open-educational resources and by partnering with the business community. "The vast majority of superintendents agree with the premise that digital equity is a problem, but when we ask […]
What sets your school apart from thousands of other schools in the country, or even the others in your district? Former educator and now marketing consultant Trish Rubin says it's up to school leaders to become the "storyteller-in-chief" by defining their school's brand. Rubin provides a step-by-step framework to the nuances of spreading good school […]
Educators in a school district that conducts well-designed formative assessments should be able to accurately predict how students will perform on midterms, finals and high-stakes exams. A growing number of experts and administrators insist that if a district excels at formative assessment, its students shouldn't have to sit through so many high-stakes tests. "We don't […]
