Every year, nearly 40 percent of food produced in America is thrown into the trash. That trend extends to the 5 billion lunches served in U.S. public schools each year, amounting to an estimated $1.2 billion of annual lunchroom waste, according to USDA data and findings from a two-year study of Boston middle schools. The […]
In schools across this country, staff and students are experiencing increased levels of anxiety and stress. As a result, many schools are seeing increased levels of bullying, aggression, disruption, and violence in classrooms, hallways, and other school spaces. If these concerns are not effectively addressed, as this school year continues, there is increased potential for […]
A lack of PD for teachers and principals hinders schools from achieving the full benefits of personalized learning, according to an analysis by MAPLE, the Massachusetts Personalized Learning Edtech Consortium. Tech industry leaders Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates have invested millions of dollars in personalized learning and the requisite technology. However, traditional classroom practices still […]
With districts facing a shortage of bilingual teachers, paraprofessionals present a rich source of candidates. They often have strong ties to the community and already know students and parents, says Santiago Wood, executive director of the National Association for Bilingual Education. "I don't believe districts can continue to rely solely and perpetually on overseas recruitment […]
Teachers now promote physical movement almost as purposefully as they strive for mental leaps and bounds. Accordingly, some of the latest models of nontraditional furniture rolling into schools feature sit-stand desks, stackable stools with tiltable surfaces, adjustable tables and desks with bikes. Recent research shows standing burns more calories, increases heart rate, maintains healthy insulin […]
Districts are increasingly tasked with providing options for at-risk and underserved student populations to address persistent achievement gaps. While nationwide gains in closing achievement gaps have been made, research shows that underserved student populations still achieve at lower rates than their peers in many areas. Black and Hispanic students graduate at lower rates than white […]
Until recently, the quality of classroom instruction relied almost entirely on a teacher's resourcefulness, motivation and intelligence. Soon, it will also depend on artificial intelligence—with lessons based more on what students need to learn than on traditional methods of instruction. "Even with PCs, projectors and the internet, the way students are taught hasn't changed that […]
In the wake of the hurricanes that pounded the Southeast last fall, many local public school facilities served as emergency shelters. In Florida, however, only three of the state's 654 charter schools could be used because the majority were not built to the state's education facility requirements. Florida's charter schools are not required to comply […]
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 […]
What should happen and what will happen in various areas of education over the next few years elicits different answers from educators and from other experts. For example, one expert on teaching believes districts should be supported with the funding to retain their best teachers. However, this expert believes state policymakers will continue to lower […]
