Technology is a vital part of students' lives: 92 percent of teens say they go online daily and 24 percent say they are logged in "almost constantly" according to a 2015 report by the Pew Research Center. Most of that involves social media (Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram), which is sometimes used to bully, make […]
For the first time in the United States, a charter-based district will be accountable to its local school board, as the Louisiana Legislature voted in May to reverse the 2005 state takeover of most of New Orleans' public schools. Senate Bill 432 transitions 52 Recovery School District charters back to the oversight of the Orleans […]
Gail Pletnick, superintendent of Dysart Unified School District 89 in Surprise, Arizona, was elected president of AASA for 2016-17. The 2016 Arizona Superintendent of the Year and a member of AASA's digital and personal learning consortia, Pletnick will focus on reshaping the national public education agenda and empowering district leaders through advocacy, networking and PD. […]
The rights of transgender students in K12 schools became explicitly clear in a directive issued by the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice in May. Schools must let transgender students use the restrooms and locker rooms that correspond to their gender identity, not what's listed on birth certificates, the Obama administration says. "This […]
Starting fresh with a new math curriculum was the goal for Gloucester Township Public Schools in fall 2013. The K-8 district, which is located 14 miles southeast of Philadelphia in New Jersey and serves 6,400 students, had a new curriculum and instruction department team charged with the task of updating outdated materials. "We did not […]
Upon receiving a special School Improvement Grant to implement a Tennessee-approved turnaround model in 2013, leaders for Shelby County Schools in Memphis selected seven sites to transform. These schools, designated by the district as i-Zone schools, fall in the bottom 5 percent in the state. Douglass K8 Optional School is one of the selected schools. […]
Meria Carstarphen is a team player—literally. She has played football in the hot summer sun alongside varsity players at Atlanta Public Schools. The district superintendent also gives her personal cell phone number to staff and students alike. They can text her or call her—any time. In addition, they follow each other on Twitter. Meria Carstarphen […]
Any public district transitioning to an integrated digital curriculum needs time, patience and support from top leadership. Let's face it, digital content—from the Khan Academy to streaming videos to adaptive learning applications—has enveloped K12 education. While some district leaders have only begun replacing printed learning materials with the new technology, other districts are going entirely […]
Adding project-based learning and mentoring opportunities to STEM programs may better ensure that female students do not get left behind. In the United States, women hold fewer than 25 percent of jobs in STEM fields, despite accounting for 47 percent of the workforce, according to the nonprofit Million Women Mentors. "It's really important for us […]
Yoga in one Georgia district is under fire. In March, Bullard Elementary School in Kennesaw made national headlines when parents opposed yoga in school—being used to relieve stress and increase focus among students—because they said it promotes a Far East religion. After a public meeting, Principal Patrice Moore made changes. In a letter to parents, […]
