Doug Johnson held the title of audiovisual director when he launched his career in school technology in 1991. Back then, teachers didn't have computers on their desks and technology needs maxed out at replacing the bulbs in overhead projectors, developing black-and-white film and silk-screening, says Johnson. His role has evolved since the dark days before […]
Professional reading has long been a practice of leaders in many disciplines. Education is no exception. However, to be truly innovative, educational leaders can discover amazing professional insights in the areas of business, politics, psychology, sociology, technology and the military. Here is a list of non-education books that today's educational leaders recommend to their peers: […]
When Kristie Autrey became curriculum director for Mitchell County School District in North Carolina, and learned the state had partnered with Learning Ally, she jumped at the chance to implement it. Learning Ally is a nonprofit library of high-quality, human-read audiobooks and a suite of teacher and student resources that integrates into the school instruction […]
At the fast-growing Manor Independent School District located outside of Austin, Texas, over 38 percent of students are English language learners. These students are expected to master the same standards as their native English-speaking peers. Meredith Roddy, Director of Bilingual and ESL Programs, is tasked with closing the achievement gap between ELL students and native […]
For most school districts, internet filters are crucial for complying with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), which requires restricting students from accessing inappropriate online content. Filtering also allows districts to manage limited bandwidth. At West Rusk County Consolidated ISD in East Texas, for example, too many people running too many applications at once was […]
The Valley Day School in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, a special education school, has introduced augmented reality to enhance students' social asset and science curriculum learning as well as to offset high frustration levels and emotional outbursts. When the school's computer lab was updated in 2017, included were prepared lessons that can be tailored to individual […]
Finding quality professional development for science teachers continues to be a challenge as school districts expand STEM programs. Many science centers and museums offer STEM-related PD, and want to partner with districts to develop programs that align with school curriculum and Next Generation Science Standards. "One thing we hear from teachers is they appreciate science […]
BARTLETT, TENNESSEE—Only a handful of superintendents have launched a brand-new district. Even fewer have done it only months after being involved in a large-scale merger. Meet David Stephens, superintendent of Bartlett City Schools in a middle-class Memphis suburb. Stephens—whose father, grandfather, aunt and uncle all taught in Tennessee school districts—was chosen in 2013 to lead […]
Elementary teachers at Stamford Public Schools in Connecticut, leverage data they gather through observation and evaluation, as well as test scores, to drive classroom math instruction. The technology in their math curriculum, McGraw-Hill Education's Everyday Mathematics 4¬Á, allows teachers to easily record data and provides detailed reports they use to identify students that might be […]
Many things threaten to keep a public education leader up at night. With some issues, it's because they stir excitement and inspiration; but with others, not so much. To bring the persistent, insomnia-inducing challenges into clearer focus, the 2018 installment of DA's annual Outlook issue gives prominence to the voices of educators and experts who […]
