The organizational tendency of many large school districts is to divide elementary and secondary education into separate departments. Dearborn Public Schools’ central office followed this model for decades. During tough financial times there was a history of competition for limited district resources between elementary and secondary central office staff and building administrators. This led to […]
A teacher’s time is precious—I can attest to that as a former teacher and school principal. School years are jam-packed with teaching, planning, data analysis, testing, and supporting students as they meet their learning goals. Throughout, teachers make time to hone their skills and to stay current in their subject areas through observation, feedback and […]
Districts in Minnesota and California are participating in pilot programs that provide all-electric, zero-emissions buses that should cost much less to power and maintain. Schmitty & Sons, a transportation company in Lakeville, Minnesota, partnered with a local wholesale power supplier and utility co-op to put the Midwest’s first all-electric school bus into service. The 71-passenger […]
School officials in more than 200 southeastern Texas districts were struggling early last month to recover from Hurricane Harvey and ensure that more than 1 million students who were disrupted by the storm could begin the school year in safe and functional classrooms. At press time, most districts impacted by Harvey-related flooding had delayed 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 […]
A wave of new GPS systems not only tracks buses in real time, but allows administrators to map routes, films drivers for future training purposes and provides data on how well vehicles are functioning. The technology also promises safer rides for students and provides peace-of-mind for parents, who can download apps to find out where […]
Want to start a STEM program that benefits all students? Here are a few tips from our experts: 1. Align preK-12 education with demand from business world. Education should keep up with changing needs of industry, and prepare students to be problem-solvers and design thinkers, says Patty Quinones, assistant superintendent of innovation at St. Vrain […]
Chicago Public Schools will require a new first-of-its-kind program to ensure all students leave high school with a post-graduation plan. Starting with the past year’s freshmen class, every student must have their Learn.Plan.Succeed plan approved to graduate. Chicago is the first large urban district in the country to implement the program, which many city schools […]
Years ago, educators at Fremont Middle School in Illinois provided students with engaging projects. Students sat on floors and gathered in hallways, vestibules and staircases, says Joan Shanahan, Fremont School District’s technology integration specialist. But not until the 2015-16 school year did teachers have designated areas where students could work on assignments comfortably or have […]
