Principal retention is a national issue. According to The School Leaders Network, "25,000 principals (one-quarter of all principals) leave their schools each year, leaving millions of children's lives adversely affected. Fifty percent of new principals quit during their third year in the role." In New York City, the nation's largest school system, addressing principal turnover […]
Doug Johnson held the title of audiovisual director when he launched his career in school technology in 1991. Back then, teachers didn't have computers on their desks and technology needs maxed out at replacing the bulbs in overhead projectors, developing black-and-white film and silk-screening, says Johnson. His role has evolved since the dark days before […]
Our education system is like a giant embedded rock, says Grant Lichtman. In his book, Moving the Rock, the former administrator outlines seven "levers" that schools or districts can use to begin to pry that rock free and introduce a "deeper learning" model that truly prepares students for the future. The levers, which include changing […]
The new Fordham Institute report, Is There a Gifted Gap?, gave me a lot of food for thought this week. Let's start with some important positives: Although gifted education research is in many ways thriving, attention to policy research has been woefully underdeveloped, and this study is a major contribution to filling that void. I've also […]
How important was collaboration when designing the FirstView¬Á suite of products? Extremely. When we began to develop FirstView, we conducted nationwide focus groups asking both parents and administrators for their transportation pain points. We received meaningful feedback. The study enabled a thorough and open dialog. Administrators wanted bus tracking and easy communication. Parents gave us […]
When Kristie Autrey became curriculum director for Mitchell County School District in North Carolina, and learned the state had partnered with Learning Ally, she jumped at the chance to implement it. Learning Ally is a nonprofit library of high-quality, human-read audiobooks and a suite of teacher and student resources that integrates into the school instruction […]
To expand support for its at-risk students, Berkeley Township School District three years ago held six meetings with teachers, parents, businesses, nonprofits, the Berkeley Police Department and the Division of Children Protection and Permanency. Administrators in the New Jersey district—working with guidance counselors, nurses and parents—identified at-risk students struggling socially, academically and at home. "We […]
I recently heard a friend ask his student a question that captures how parents and teachers should discuss future aspirations. The question was not "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Instead, he asked the boy, "What problems do you want to solve when you grow up?" Today's students will enter a […]
Donna Reynolds, principal of Lake Mary High School of Seminole County Public Schools in Florida, connected with students by performing with the dance team at a pep rally. Reynolds—dressed in uniform pants, a senior class T-shirt and black athletic shoes—prepared by attending team practices and working with students one-on-one. Matt Hawkins, principal of Centreville Junior/Senior […]
