Happy New School Year! We want to extend a warm welcome back to each of you. The school year ahead offers us all the chance to make a meaningful impact on the lives of our students, staff, and the broader community. As you prepare to welcome back your school communities, take a moment to reflect... Continue Reading
By Olina Banerji If there’s one key leadership skill that principals need, it’s the art of conversation. This skill has come into sharp focus as the role has become more complex and demanding, school leaders say. “We notice that the size of our plates hasn’t increased,... Continue Reading
By Tom Cardamone Does anyone remember making mixtapes or mix CDs for a friend or yourself? Every second counted. Right? You didn’t want a lot of space between each track, and the songs needed to flow smoothly into one another to incorporate a flooding of different emotions. I was reminded... Continue Reading
By: Erin Sieh Starting out as a new principal, I was beyond excited to dive into my new role. I mapped out my 100-day plan, moved into the community I would be serving, and started scribbling out ways to connect with students and staff. Before my official duties began at my new school, I... Continue Reading
By: Todd Whitaker To be honest, motivating teachers during difficult times is eerily similar to motivating teachers during all times. The reason is teaching is always difficult. There is no easy in education. That is what makes it challenging and that is what makes it rewarding. However, it... Continue Reading
By: Tim Ridley Think back to the 2020-2021 school year—arguably the most challenging school year in education. Just as it ended, I was selected to be the next principal of Mt. Washington Middle School. I was both excited and nervous. It was exciting because I was going to get the... Continue Reading
Baruti K. Kafele | Speaker and Author As a longtime teacher and principal from 1988–2011, my approach to both roles was always reflective. I was obsessed with pushing myself to be better than the day before by being intentionally self-reflective in all aspects of the work. As a teacher, I... Continue Reading
By: Derrick Lawson One of my mantras as a principal in the community where I grew up and have served at each level of K–12 education originates from the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Today, we need an entire community of people to provide a safe,... Continue Reading
By: Jon Gordon Some staff will roll their eyes when they hear a school leader talk about positivity. They think of positivity as pollyannaish, weak, and annoying. They mistakenly think positivity is about rah-rah and motivation. But real positivity is really about optimism, grit, mental... Continue Reading
BY KATIE GRAVES Many studies have shown that the most important in-school factors for student success are teachers and principals. An effective principal can contribute to outcomes like student achievement, reduced absenteeism, and teacher retention. An effective teacher can contribute to a... Continue Reading
By: ExploreLearning There’s frequent talk about math proficiency and proficiency levels, especially when it comes to analyzing student achievement at local and national levels. In Adding It Up: Helping Children Learn Mathematics, the National Research Council presented the five... Continue Reading
By Dianna Weinbaum One of the challenges currently facing our society is the need to prepare more students for the realities of an uncertain future. Though rapid changes in technology and the economy make it difficult to predict what jobs may look like even a decade from now, we do know that... Continue Reading
