Principal Angie Krause's background as a reading specialist has come in handy this year as she gets to know each child's academic and social-emotional needs.
"I try to be ever-present," is how Superintendent Brian Nichols describes his effort to stay connected and engaged with his students, staff and community at New Kent County Public Schools in Virginia. "When kids see me, they call me by name—I have 3,500 kids and I'm getting to where I can call them by name."
"This is a nuanced issue," said Tom Ferree, chairman & CEO of Connected Nation, a Kentucky-based nonprofit working to get more families hooked up to the internet, "and it's critical for us to identify the pain points and work together to find solutions for not only expanding access to broadband but also helping people adopt and use the resources it offers."
Superintendent Rosanna Mucetti believes that the core of leadership is commitment, staying curious, asking lots of questions and an openness to continuous improvement.
Restorative justice reduced arrests by 19% and out-of-school suspensions dropped by nearly as much in Chicago Public Schools that have adopted less punitive discipline.
Chris Saxon, IT director at the Cherokee County School District in Georgia, and his team created an IT "call center" for families dedicated for providing troubleshooting assistance for their child's devices and other issues. "For our folks in IT, it's easy to see how they're being helpful when they're in their classroom fixing their panel, printer or laptop," he says. "But they don't understand that when things are going wrong, a lot of folks are working behind the scenes to make it right."
"We highlight the people and stories that make the district great," Superintendent Travis Bracht says. "We have covered everything from students telling us about what they enjoyed the first week of school to a conversation about artificial intelligence with our technology director."
Across the country, college teaching programs have seen enrollment decline, and some school districts have struggled to fill positions. Gwinnett, the largest school district in Georgia, has maintained its staffing levels but has raised concerns with turnover that's outpaced state and national averages. Gwinnett's program could help fill future gaps.
Affordability is one of the primary reasons middle and high school students simply can't see themselves enrolling in college. Here's what leaders need to know.
Advocates are warning that schools' efforts to detect dangerous online activity increasingly threaten both academic freedom and the privacy of students—particularly those from the LGBTQ+ community, Title I schools and other marginalized groups.
