As schools continue to recover from the tragedy of a global pandemic, they can look to new opportunities emerging amidst the trauma and grief. These opportunities include a return to the primacy of relationships among adults and students, the abandonment of ineffective practices such as inspirational monologues without meaningful interaction, and dramatic improvements in professional learning. To realize the latter, educators need to drive toward five transformations in professional learning. Although we have long known the inadequacies of traditional approaches to PD, the constraints imposed on schools by the pandemic create a sense of urgency that should make us intolerant of such ineffective practices.

Creating the best pipeline for senior leadership means encouraging women to apply

A school board’s most important responsibility is hiring and evaluating the district superintendent, but a major concern is that the percentage of women superintendents is far from being representative. Several education experts offer advice on how boards can build a leadership pipeline for women.

WELL BEFORE the global pandemic caused a wave of school building closures and consequent learning losses, teachers complained there were too many standards for student learning. The problem was that, however well-intentioned and thoughtfully designed, state standards all su!er from the same faulty assumption: Students need only one year of learning. That assumption always has been questionable, but after students in 2020 lost at least six months of learning (and many would argue they lost more), teachers in 2021 are facing students who may be two years or more behind their current grade level. The idea of teaching and assessing three years of learning in a single year is preposterous. Fortunately, some practical solutions are available.

Test scores represent only one piece of the accountability data. These test scores should be interpreted in the context of other information about what schools are doing.

Who could possibly be against teaching social responsibility? Quite a few people, it turns out—as anyone who survived the controversy in the 1980s and early 1990s over outcomes-based education (OBE) can attest.

MythBusters is the longest running television series in the history of the Discovery Channel. During its 14 years on the air, the show, featuring Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, have conducted 2,950 experiments, explored 1,050 myths, and created 900 explosions (Friedlander, 2015).

As education leaders strive to promote excellence for all students, they confront sharply contrasting schools of thought about the best way to close achievement gaps between students of different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.

The desire for school change is great, but much of the advice on how to lead for change is profoundly frustrating. Follow these five ‘shifts’ to see change for the better.

From “Analysis Paralysis to Meaningful Insights from Data”

Learning Forward’s Standards for Professional Learning have the potential to influence educational policy and practice in profound ways for the systems that are courageous enough to take them seriously, and the Data standard is a critical element systemwide

Dealing with Toxic Threats to Emotional Health

It’s the worst I’ve seen in more than 30 years,” said one superintendent

As tight as school budgets are around the nation, family budgets in many districts often are strained even more, particularly when parents are looking at the rising costs of college.

In his classic book What's Worth Fighting for in the Principalship identified a dozen action items for principals and school systems that remain as relevant today as they were almost a decade ago.

The purpose of this form is to help teachers and administrators explore the relationship between student grades, academic performance, and nonacademic factors.

How boards focus on evidence

Every board member has heard the claims “Research shows that ...” and “Studies prove that ...” But how do educational leaders and policymakers know if the research is sufficient to validate a policy decision?

The subject of this column is “decision-based data-making.” This is not a misprint.

Every marathon runner knows the feeling. At the starting gate, the crowds are cheering and you feel invincible.

In the past few weeks, I’ve watched school board members attend to the details of sprinkler systems, report cards, crossing guards, painting contracts, homework policies, and cafeteria menus.

“I knew he was a special boyfriend,” explained my mother, “because he gave me an extravagant gift for my high school graduation.”

The history of education is rich with suggestions for changes in structure, governance, and schedule.

Money and time are the resources in greatest demand in shortest supply for school leaders.