K12 leaders looking to form closer connections with parents, families and communities should think of their outreach efforts as a blend of one- and two-way communications.
There are tens of thousands of educators with children in their classrooms who just want an opportunity to reach their full potential. That is only going to be possible if we give teachers the time, training and technology.
When the appointed board of managers held community engagement meetings throughout the month of September, attendees had a lot to say about their priorities for the district, with concerns including budgetary and safety matters, curriculum and equitable distribution of resources.
When a student with a disability speaks a language other than English, a district may face challenges in determining what his special education needs are versus how his limited English proficiency status affects his learning.
Edtech's biggest value proposition? It enables teachers to adapt their approaches to instruction, practice and assessment to meet the dynamically changing needs of each student at different places along their learning journey.
The key to improving student outcomes is helping educators find a comfortable place to start working toward big goals, says Danny Mendez, Indiana's Principal of the Year. "This is the one profession that helps create all the other professions. It's being a storyteller about our kids—who they are, what they need, what they want to be and what their dreams are."
While CFOs and federal programs directors have done a good job guiding districts through the last three years of budget tailoring, now it's time for superintendents, cabinet members and board members to take a longer-term, strategic approach to ensure that only the most effective strategies—those with the strongest (LOI)—are retained as resiliency is drained from the system.
The research is clear. Schools that invest in comprehensive afterschool and summer programs see the positive effects they have on student engagement and learning. Yet, district leaders can do more to support these programs for students with the help of pandemic relief dollars.
