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Mold problems in schools are manageable—and mostly simple to repair

Steven Blackburn | August 22, 2017

Mold may raise images of sick students and rotting buildings, but in reality, it’s an easy—and most times inexpensive—problem to solve if dealt with quickly and effectively. Mold may raise images of sick students and rotting buildings, but in reality, it’s an easy—and most times inexpensive—problem to solve if dealt with quickly and effectively. Many […]

K12 fundraising fairness

Abby Spegman | August 21, 2017

The PTA at an elementary school on New York’s Upper East Side raised nearly $1 million in one school year—about $1,260 per student. In a wealthy suburb of Boston, an elementary school PTA brought in $1,680 per student that same year, while a Washington, D.C., school’s PTA intake totaled $2,220 per student. These extreme cases […]

Maine schools move toward proficiency-based assessment

Ray Bendici | August 21, 2017

Eighth-graders in Maine in the 2017-18 school year will be the first to adhere to proficiency-based standards. The initiative is the latest implementation phase of a 2012 state law requiring standards-based assessment by 2021. Under the law, districts have leeway in how to best provide support for students in achieving proficiency. Students can expect to […]

There is no silver bullet for education reform

Patrick Kearney | August 18, 2017

Public educators find themselves in something of a Catch-22 situation these days. When we celebrate the great things that are going on in our schools, we are told that we are simply slaves to the status quo who don’t recognize the struggles that our system is facing. When we articulate the challenges that our schools […]

K12 sensory rooms offer safe space for special needs

Adam Galvan | August 18, 2017

Sensory rooms not only help students with special needs feel more comfortable and empowered in the classroom, they may also keep them in their neighborhood schools, according to K12 administrators. The carefully designed rooms may include dim lights to help students who are sensitive to light, weighted blankets to give them comfort or a swing […]

Intervention strategies evolve in K12

Adam Galvan | August 17, 2017

More than a decade after Response-to-Intervention and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) took root on school campuses across the country, multi-tier strategies have become the standard for identifying and assisting struggling students. Yet, the way educators use these and similar systems continues to evolve. Educators now understand far more about the neuroscience of learning […]

Intervention lessons learned

Adam Galvan | August 17, 2017

District leaders and experts weigh in on the four steps to having a successful intervention. – Plan ahead. Every system drifts. Perform regular audits of your intervention system. “If you want to have any initiative survive, you need to plan forward.” — Jim Wright, author and RtI trainer Link to main story: Intervention strategies evolve […]

Schools walk the walk

Leila Meyer | August 16, 2017

When Gary Brantley began his career as an IT leader 14 years ago, he primarily provided technical support and made sure the hardware was running. “It had everything to do with techy stuff” he says. Since then, Brantley’s role as chief information officer at DeKalb County Schools in Georgia has expanded significantly. He now spends […]

4 components of an agile startup mentality

Adam Galvan | August 16, 2017

Leo Brehm, learning evolution officer at Central Massachusetts Collaborative, has identified four components of the agile start-up mentality required for innovation: Teaming: Identify essential people for a project and quickly determine one another’s expertise so the team can work together productively. Psychological safety: Create an environment where people feel comfortable that they can share ideas […]

Four trends K12 district leaders should know for cybersecurity