Districts are raising salaries, building apartments and giving teachers more planning time. But, with superintendents warning of worsening staff shortages, districts may be overlooking another solution: student teaching.
"I look at moms who are from across the world. They have taken the biggest leap of faith," says Storm Lake Community School District Superintendent Stacey Cole. "They trusted that if they brought their kids into this country that they knew very little about they would have a better life. If those moms believe that to be true, I want to help make that true."
A principal's role in student achievement is immense but some educators may not quite comprehend the full scope of a building leader's influence on outcomes.
Incorporating program evaluation methods and activities into a strategic plan will result in improved program management, which in turn will lead to better outcomes.
Rarely are demographic breakdowns of students or communities a part of the discussions when leaders consider closing schools. Academic impacts are also often absent from the debate, one expert asserts.
Several school boards are filling a seemingly continuous string of vacancies with first-time superintendents. Many of the new leaders, moreover, are female.
Joe Famularo, whose mottos include "Lead and Learn," wrote "Be Strong and Lead Together" for Bellmore Public Schools' class of 2020. He was recently named New York's 2024 superintendent of the year.
Ceres Unified School District's Chief Technology Officer will be the first to tell you that things aren't perfect. He and his IT team have work to do. But they're doing the "transformative work" that makes them proud. Meet Chris Higle.
"A long, long time ago I heard a superintendent talk and say, 'The problem with communication is 90% of the time people think they communicated, they didn't communicate or they miscommunicated,'" says Sean Maika, who was recently named a Superintendent to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association. "That leads to 90% of your problems."
