School investigations—whether at a private or public high school, or other institution—pose special problems for school administrators and counsel. The risks are often high, and school leaders, even those well-versed in the typical legal issues affecting their institutions, may be inexperienced in conducting investigations. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach, here are six best practices […]
Our public education system was developed to serve all children, with taxpayers supporting the common good. Recent years have seen the growth of private, charter and voucher schools that divert funding from public schools. The legality of this practice is often challenged, yet legislators still find ways to funnel tax dollars into private schools. How […]
Consider what the world will be like in 2031 when today's kindergartners graduate high school. "We don't know exactly what it'll look like, but there are a couple things we do know" says Randy Ziegenfuss, superintendent of Salisbury Township School District (Pennsylvania). "For people in that world to be successful, they're going to have to […]
In his new book What School Could Be, innovation expert Ted Dintersmith profiles schools that focus on innovation and "real" learning, rather than endlessly drilling on formulas and definitions that don't matter in today's world. Our archaic model of education trains kids for a world that no longer exists, and accelerating advances in technology are eliminating millions of […]
Personalized learning for students has long been a priority in K12 education, but for some reason, some districts haven't applied this same approach to teachers. For years, PD has been completely one-dimensional. Teachers sit in district- and state-mandated PowerPoint-driven seminars that fail to encourage collaboration or authentic engagement in the material. Often, teachers leave feeling […]
Advocates of design thinking in education know what you've heard. "Its hard to look at design thinking and not see it as a buzzword" says Ryan Bretag, director of instructional innovation at Glenbrook High Schools District 225 outside Chicago. "When we narrow down design thinking to just a bunch of steps that you can follow […]
Ware County School District in Georgia has downsized its inventory of assistive technology. Thanks to a slew of technological advances, many of the specialized tools their special education students had used to communicate and learn are now redundant. "We don't need portable keyboards or word processors anymore" says Barbara Sonnier, the district's assistive technology coordinator. […]
We know from personal experience as principals and superintendents, and from research, that it takes a dynamic leader with a particular set of skills and knowledge to turn around a school or school system. Sadly, there are thousands of schools across the country that are chronically low-performing, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Layer […]
Math understanding at the elementary and middle school levels has increased over the last 30 years, but has stagnated in high school. In its 2018 report "Catalyzing Change in High School Mathematics" The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has issued a call to action to drastically change the way math is taught so that […]
High school graduation rates have hit an all-time high. Virtual credit recovery, offered in 90 percent of U.S. public high schools, have helped fuel that increase, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Nevertheless, half a million high school students still drop out each year, and questions loom about whether some students who recover lost […]
