On the first Friday of every school year, the new kindergartners of Utah's Canyons School District look ahead to the future—far ahead. To mark Kindergarten College-Ready Day, the children make construction-paper mortar boards and march in mock graduation ceremonies, applauded by high school and college athletes and cheerleaders. Teachers come to school wearing T-shirts and […]
Albemarle County, Virginia—A snake bit Pam Moran in front of her class on her first day of teaching 40 years ago. Moran, now a superintendent in Virginia, had no one to blame but herself on that fateful day in 1975. Thinking it would be an unconventional way to introduce herself, Moran had brought a garter […]
In some districts, the principal's office may as well have a revolving door for its high turnover rate. According to one report, more than half of principals leave after three years, especially in urban areas. In 2011, the philanthropic Wallace Foundation launched a $75 million initiative to help six urban school districts cultivate effective school […]
As in years past, this new year will bring all sorts of new technology to schools. The question for educators is: To what degree do these technologies enhance education? "Figuring out which tech belongs in education is just the start" says Kelly J. Calhoun, research director at Gartner Research, a Connecticut-based market analysis firm. "The […]
Superintendents in states that passed referendums legalizing marijuana in November are pressing for more clear legal guidance on how to best address issues like drug possession. They also say more research is needed on the possible impacts of marijuana legalization on K12 academic achievement. "I don't think anyone has any clear answers at this point—there's […]
Classroom environments must keep pace with technology, including 1-to-1 devices, digital curriculum and personalized learning tools, as well as students’ varied learning styles. Student desks and classroom furniture need to promote better metabolic health, greater student engagement and natural collaboration. To achieve the vision of an optimally productive classroom, furniture that has been designed to […]
As a Title 1 school, LAUSD's 186th Street School jumped at a chance to expose primarily low-income students to the possibilities of a medical science career. Physicians from Harbor-UCLA Medical Center's pediatrics department approached the school in 2015 asking if they want to use the center's science enrichment curriculum for fifth-graders in the gifted and […]
Superintendent Yolanda Valdez takes messaging seriously. Not emoji-filled texts or IMs, but messages that convey a goal for 4,000-plus students at Cutler-Orosi Joint USD in rural California: That they will attend college. Superintendent Yolanda Valdez takes messaging seriously. Not emoji-filled texts or IMs, but messages that convey a goal for 4,000-plus students at Cutler-Orosi Joint […]
