As superintendent of the Franklin County Public Schools, I am always pleased when our programs successfully support our mission, which is "To prepare students for college and career readiness and to become contributing citizens." While we certainly cannot force our students to succeed in school or in life, we certainly can work to prepare them—to […]
More than 10 years ago, when she was in sixth grade and her mother was incarcerated, Alisha Murdock skipped classes, fought with other students, got suspended and missed so much school she had to repeat the grade. Murdock says no one at school reached out to help, and she doesn't want today's students to face […]
School districts in Los Angeles and other sanctuary cities are bracing for an impact from President Trump's executive order to withhold federal support from sanctuary cities. LAUSD stands to lose some or even all of its $700 million in federal funding, about 9 percent of its annual budget, says Steve Zimmer, LA's school board president. […]
As founder of Research for Better Teaching— an organization dedicated to improving instruction and leadership— Jon Saphier says underperforming students need to believe that "smart is something you can get." As founder of Research for Better Teaching— an organization dedicated to improving instruction and leadership— Jon Saphier says underperforming students need to believe that "smart is something […]
High school students in the tiny Magazine School District in Arkansas receive three hours of sex education a year in grades 9 through 12—an approach that Superintendent Brett Bunch acknowledges is inadequate.
Student-centered learning is gaining traction in school systems across our nation. School systems are looking to give students greater choice and voice in their learning as they personalize and blend instruction. All of these efforts focus on improved student engagement and student-led learning initiatives. In the Meriden Public Schools, Here Students Succeed. With funding from […]
One day in May 2016, while browsing Twitter, Eric Langhorst stumbled upon a call for participants for the Dremel Idea Builder Ambassador program. Dremel Education, a manufacturer of 3D printers, was looking for 10 educators to use the Idea Builder 3D40 printer in innovative ways in their classrooms. "I heard you needed to have hands-on […]
While the controversial practice of corporal punishment declines, it remains legal in 19 states. In those states, boys, black students and children with disabilities are more likely to receive physical punishment than other students, according to recent report by the Society for Research in Child Development. The 2016 report found that black children in Alabama […]
In the wake of a divisive presidential election, hundreds of students from about a dozen high schools in Oakland, California, cut class last November to voice their discontent with President-elect Donald Trump. Rather than demand students return to school, faculty at Oakland USD supported the peaceful demonstration, where students could express their feelings, says David […]
The issue of fake news drew national attention during the 2016 presidential campaign, when fabricated stories were widely accepted as genuine. According to recent research, the problem extends to K12 classrooms, where students have trouble judging the credibility of online information. A national assessment of 203 middle school students by Stanford History Education Group at […]