We can’t punish our way out of the attendance crisis
In the Ithaca City School District, we have long understood that relationships are not peripheral to the work; they are the work. A culture of love is not…
What higher ed can do about getting research into the K-12 classroom
Educational research has never been more abundant, yet its impact on classroom practice remains uneven at best. While universities continue to produce studies on instructional strategies, student outcomes,…
This elementary school banned screens in the middle of the year. Will it solve their reading crisis?
Last month, Mesick Consolidated Schools banned digital devices in its elementary school of about 250 students. The decision wasn’t an agonizing one. The ban came at astonishing speed,…
Oracy is the missing link for multilingual learners
For multilingual learners, language is not just a subject to be learned--it is the very medium through which they access the curriculum.
Why so many students struggle in math before learning even begins
In mathematics education, we have long relied on a familiar sequence: introduce vocabulary, demonstrate procedures, and assign practice. For some students, this works well enough.
When AI means something different in every classroom
In many schools, AI is being handled through individual teacher decisions rather than a shared structure. That makes sense in the short term. Teachers are responding in real…
What it takes to build teacher confidence in math: 4 lessons for district leaders
After 20 years teaching high school math, I thought I understood why students struggled. Then I sat in my first professional learning session focused on early math and…
The hidden cost of fragmented student data in K–12 schools
In many K–12 schools today, fragmented student data has quietly become one of the most significant barriers to effective decision-making and day-to-day operations. While digital tools have expanded…
The 4 keys to creating meaningful student-led inquiry
Does the thought of student-led inquiry make you nervous? For some teachers, handing over control of the classroom to their students sounds like an invitation for disaster.
Gender-specific education: Examining boys’ educational needs and learning strategies
In recent years, educational research has sparked significant discussion about whether boys and girls learn differently and if gender-specific teaching strategies could enhance academic outcomes.
When AI does the work, who does the learning?
AI is rapidly reshaping education, but not always in ways that support learning. A growing number of AI tools promise to “help” students by doing assignments, writing papers,…
4 ways to turn math fears into math cheers
My first few years teaching math were a struggle for me and my students. Our textbook focused primarily on direct instruction: I do, then you do, but rarely we do.
From innovation to impact: Three ways school districts can build a sustainable AI framework
AI is here, and it’s moving fast. For schools, that speed is both an opportunity and a risk: The right tools can transform learning, but the wrong ones…
5 ways to make reading click for teens
Reading is competing for attention in a world built for scrolling. A recent University of Florida study found that the share of Americans who read for pleasure on…
3 ways students can use AI tools to improve their literacy skills
Some might worry that the introduction of AI tools in the English classroom will simply lead to more cheating and even worse literacy rates, leaving students unprepared for…
Why students disengage before they fall behind
I once met a student who had attended three different schools before arriving at mine. His parents described him in familiar terms: quiet, disengaged, unmotivated.
When a teacher ditched screens, class got harder. That may be why it worked.
Seventh-grade math teacher Dylan Kane decided to conduct an experiment in his classes by going cold turkey on ed-tech.
We can’t wait for another Mississippi Miracle
Recent findings on the negative impacts of AI on learning might be sparking national debate, but they are unsurprising to learning scientists.
Education in a connected world: Preparing students for global careers
The world of work is changing fast. Careers no longer sit neatly within a single industry, city, or even country; they span disciplines, time zones, technologies, and cultures.
The screen-time debate’s blind spot
Last fall, during a professional development session I was running with a group of teachers in São Paulo, a fifth-grade teacher raised her hand and asked a question…
Protecting teachers from workplace violence as student behavior challenges rise
Schools have seen rising problems with student behavior since the pandemic. For too many K-12 districts, these student behavior challenges are leading to violence against teachers.
What schools need to know about accessibility compliance as ADA deadline looms
Recent updates to the Americans with Disabilities Act means digital accessibility for public educational institutions can not be ignored. It will become a legal mandate.
A new need-to-know for the AI classroom
Most project-based learning workshops are built around three domains: design, assessment, and implementation.
It’s time to rewrite math standards for the future–and to stop expecting AI to do it for us
While nearly every industry is racing to integrate artificial intelligence, most schools are still teaching high school math the way it’s been done for decades--rooted in instructional material…
Career readiness starts with a critical, undertaught skill: Decision Education
In other words, while technology can generate information and automate tasks, people still need to evaluate options, weigh tradeoffs, and determine what to do next. These are decision-making…
District leaders must adapt to meet changing student mental health and behavioral needs
District leaders across the country are grappling with a deepening crisis: Student mental and behavioral health needs are growing more complex. In a recent national survey, 58 percent…
Sustainable change starts with educator voice
School leaders everywhere are working to implement change--new initiatives, new instructional frameworks, new technologies, new approaches to student support.
Don’t mistake staff voice for a problem
As children, we play hide-and-seek. There is a kind of logic to it: If you cannot see me, then I cannot see you. As adults, and sometimes as…
College readiness starts in kindergarten: Why rethinking K–12 math is the key
When Senator Bill Cassidy recently questioned whether K–12 systems are adequately preparing students for college-level math, he touched a nerve in the national conversation.
A viral case against screens in schools is winning converts. Does the evidence hold up?
Schools have been struggling for nearly a decade with stagnant or declining test scores. Some have blamed external factors like the pandemic or children’s screen use outside of…
5 secrets to stronger high school connections
I’ve been a principal for 14 years, during which time I served as the leader of an alternative school, an early college, and a large middle school. Through…
The next wave of K-12 innovation: How educators are shaping the future of edtech
Every school year brings an influx of IT solutions designed to reinvent K-12 education. Schools are primed to jump on the latest technologies to address the issues most…
Building AI for kids: A developer’s guide to age-appropriate safety architecture
When I shipped Gramms AI to the App Store, I ran straight into a question that every developer building for kids will eventually face: What does “age-appropriate” actually…
Why digital resilience is critical for U.S. K-12 schools
While prevention remains essential, 2025 has reinforced a hard lesson for district leaders: it’s not a question of if a cyber incident will occur, but how prepared a…
Boosting student engagement on World Math Day
If you’re feeling a bit sluggish (rightly so), most likely your students are. It may not feel like they are the prime audience for learning about multiplication, division,…
Data intelligence in education: Building the right foundation for better decisions
Data has become one of the most important strategic assets in education. Yet across institutions, publishers, and edtech companies, it often remains fragmented, inconsistently governed, and difficult to…
The layer every AI roundup is missing: Why methodology matters more than content
Last year, a third-grade teacher in São Paulo told me she had "finally found the perfect AI tool." It generated colorful worksheets in seconds. Vocabulary lists, reading comprehension…
A superintendent’s view: Engagement, not enforcement, is the answer to absenteeism
Chronic student absenteeism has reached troubling new heights in the post-pandemic K-12 landscape, with one in four students in many systems now missing significant class time.
From fragmentation to fidelity: How Wayne-Westland built a literacy system that works
On the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress, only about one in four fourth graders in Michigan scored at or above proficiency in reading--a stark reminder that too…
Where traditional education falls short in an increasingly digital world
Traditional education models rely on providing rigid pathways for students to follow. They learn a particular way to solve problems and focus on achieving specific outcomes, rather than…