As part of a bigger plan to streamline operations and cut costs districtwide, Tecumseh Public Schools hired Mike Smith as director of facilities to establish a maintenance and facilities plan in 2014. There had been minimal preventive maintenance and facilities processes in place before that for the district of 2,500 students in southeast Michigan. Smith's […]
In my 10 years of teaching the ninth grade, I have struggled with a certain category of students—the low performers. These are the students who walk into class on the first day of school expecting to fail. They know nothing about me, but I represent every adult who has ever failed them in the past. […]
Injecting “social responsibility” lessons into social studies classrooms better prepares students to become informed citizens eager to participate in a democracy. Educators will learn about the many ways to reach this goal at this year’s National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) conference, which carries the theme “celebrate social responsibility.” Various presentations at the conference […]
Politicians often express concern over the widening achievement gap between black and white students in this country. But there was a time when that gap was reduced by as much a half. The reason? Integrated schools. "Integration gets black kids in the same facilities as white kids, with access to the same things those kids […]
Eighth-graders have made no academic progress in U.S. history, geography or civics programs over the last five years, according to the latest test results from "The Nation's Report Card," released this past August by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Fewer than one-third of students scored proficient or better on any of the NAEP […]
With national attention intensifying on preparing students for college and careers, the nation's estimated 103,000 school counselors in K12 schools are playing a more critical role in preparing students for life after graduation. When Cory Notestine moved to Alamosa, a southern Colorado town founded by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, he saw many barriers […]
Alan Tenreiro, principal of Cumberland High School in Rhode Island, was named 2016 National Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals in October. Under Tenreiro’s leadership, the high school (which is part of the Cumberland School Department) has seen increases in academic achievement, graduation rates, and the number of students […]
More than 14.5 percent of the population of Maryland's Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) is comprised of students categorized as Limited English Proficient. And with more than 127,000 students districtwide, this is not an insignificant number and presents a unique challenge in meeting the district's mission of instilling the ability to read, write, speak, […]
Once used to reflect successful memorization of facts and figures, the process of grading has transformed into a near meaningless code, often fogged by a variety of factors that have nothing to do with learning. Cathy Vatterott, a professor of education at the University of MissouriÁ¢"St. Louis, says that over the years, grades have come […]
Millions of youth are disproportionately affected by health problems that impair their motivation and ability to learn, according to the August Education Commission of the States report, "Heath barriers to learning and the education opportunity gap." Schools can play a central role in identifying unmet student health needs, and connecting students to community health services, […]
