4 ways AI can make your PD more effective
If you lead professional learning, whether as a school leader or PD facilitator, your goal is to make each session relevant, engaging, and lasting. AI can help you…
educational leadership
Rethinking icebreakers in professional learning
I was once asked during an icebreaker in a professional learning session to share a story about my last name. What I thought would be a light moment…
From silos to systems: The digital advantage in schools
When I first stepped into my role overseeing student data for the Campbell County School District, it was clear we were working against a system that no longer…
Truth vs. risk management: How to move forward
In the world of K-12 education, teachers are constantly making decisions that affect their students and families. In contrast, administrators are tasked with something even bigger: making decisions…
Funding technology initiatives in uncertain times
Recent policy shifts have caused significant uncertainty in K-12 education funding, especially for technology initiatives. It’s no longer business as usual. Schools can’t rely on the same federal…
The superintendent survival kit: Transparency and truth in communications
As superintendents come under more political fire and frequent negative news stories about their school districts circulate, it is easy to see where the instinct to not comment…
Phones, devices, and the limits of control: Rethinking school device policies
A growing body of research and an even louder chorus of educators point to the same conclusion: students are distracted, they’re disengaged, and their learning is suffering. What’s…
Beyond AI: Human connection still drives school attendance
At ISTE this summer, I lost count of how many times I heard "AI" as the answer to every educational challenge imaginable. Student engagement? AI-powered personalization!
Preventing harm by connecting the dots in school safety
Swatting--false reports of school violence intended to trigger a police response--continues to increase across the country. During the 2022–2023 school year, nearly 64 percent of reported violent incidents…
We’re losing STEM teachers–here are 5 ways to keep them and grow the ones we need
The critical shortage of qualified STEM teachers continues to challenge schools and districts across the country. This is especially true in high-need schools where early-career or uncertified teachers…
How the FY25 funding freeze impacts students across America
Communities across the nation began the budget process for the 2025-2026 school year after Congress passed the FY25 Continuing Resolution on March 14, 2025.
Navigating back-to-school anxiety: A K-12 success guide
As the 2025-2026 academic year approaches, experiencing anxiety about returning to the classroom is a natural response to change that affects everyone differently.
Using AI to reimagine teacher preparation for scale, equity, and reflective practice
With growing teacher shortages nationwide, particularly in high-need subject areas and underserved communities, educator preparation programs (EPPs) have a big task at hand.
5 resources to build stronger classrooms through PLCs
s the new school year approaches, one of the most powerful tools for continuous improvement is the professional learning community (PLC).
Family engagement is critical to COVID academic recovery
Family engagement is an essential part of continued COVID recovery, but is often misunderstood when education policy is formed, leading to a lack of involvement from families, caregivers,…
Bridging the digital divide to empower the youngest learners
In Greater Houston, where nearly half of children start kindergarten unprepared, Collaborative for Children is taking bold steps to close the digital divide, beginning with our youngest learners.
The U.S. had the blueprint for a high-class education–but abandoned it
In the 1970s, educators and policymakers from across the globe (including from Finland) viewed the United States as a model of forward-thinking education--American schools were well-regarded for their…
Unpacking COVID’s lasting academic effects on 5th graders
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe, it forced the closure of schools and a rapid shift to online learning. This unforeseen disruption in traditional education left…
The cure for the school attendance crisis? Family support and a sense of belonging
Empty seats have become a common sight in our nation’s classrooms. Students are missing school at record-high rates--not because they don’t want to be there, but because significant…
The business (and busy-ness) of education
We often hear we should run our schools more like a business. It is intended to mean that we become more efficient and that we streamline our efforts…
The pros and cons of DEI in education
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have become integral to educational institutions across the United States. DEI aims to foster environments where all students can thrive regardless of…
The dangers of attempting to ‘Instant Pot’ educational progress
States aren’t happy with how their students are doing--not well, by all objective measures--but instead of focusing in on long-term solutions, they’re lowering expectations and sweeping those academic…
The math anxiety equation: How to solve for confidence in math class
One of my first vivid memories of math is of timed tests. I still remember how visceral my panic felt--sweaty palms, heart pounding--as I scrambled to recall facts…
Ethical PD: Doing right by the teachers who do right by the world
Teachers are superheroes. Every day, they rise to the challenge, pouring their hearts into shaping the future. They stay late to grade papers and show up early to…
Leading (again) in uncertainty
We are again in uncertain times. We again find ourselves dealing with sudden changes and uncertainty. We seem to be in a state of constant change and ambiguity.
Preparing for the interview season
Spring brings not only showers and flowers, but it also brings the opportunity to interview for new education positions. Preparing for an interview involves several key steps that…
6 ways tech simplifies school communication and engagement
As technology trainers, we support teachers’ and administrators’ technology platform needs, training, and support in our district. We do in-class demos and share as much as we can…
How will schools replace devices bought during the pandemic?
During the pandemic, thousands of school systems used emergency relief aid to buy laptops, Chromebooks, and other digital devices for students to use in remote learning.
Five years on: COVID’s impact on schools–and what’s next for education
Five years ago this month, the World Health Organization officially labeled COVID-19 as a pandemic. In response, life as we knew it came to a halt, schools were…
Elevating principals, teachers, and students through shared purpose and leadership
In Charleston County, South Carolina, a school turnaround initiative designed to enhance teaching and learning at 10 schools on the state’s improvement list has seen remarkable success.
The fight for educational equity in the face of federal rollbacks
The federal government’s latest move to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in education is not just an ideological shift--it’s a direct threat to decades of progress in…
K-12 student attendance improves, but interventions are still needed
For the first half of the 2024-25 school year, overall K-12 student attendance rates have improved, continuing the progress seen over the past two years, according to a…
Key questions that unleash powerful PLCs
With today’s clear academic standards, PLCs no longer need to spend precious time deciding what to teach. Instead, they can focus on other questions, starting with, “Where are…
Transformational leadership: Safe harbors, or turbulent seas?
Depending on the starting point, the challenges encountered in making required policy and practice changes can be considerable. Leadership in and for this context is not for the…
Only 27 percent of states plan to sustain K-12 digital access as federal programs end
Only 27 percent of states have plans to sustain K-12 digital access as key federal programs expire, according to a new report from SETDA, the principal association representing…
Dismantling the U.S. Department of Education
In light of Donald Trump assuming a second presidential term in 2025, conversations concerning dismantling the United States Department of Education have resurfaced.
Here’s what will drive K-12 innovation in 2025
AI, learner agency, and digital equity are among a number of factors that can hinder or foster K-12 innovation, according to CoSN's annual Driving K-12 Innovation Top Topics.
A look at one school’s innovative approach to PD
In this Q&A, eSchool News chats with Andi Morency, founder and executive director/principal of The Honors Academy of Literature in Reno, Nevada.
Sailing through adversity: 4 Olympic-sized lessons in educational leadership
When Lara Dallman-Weiss and Stuart McNay set sail together at the 2024 Paris Olympics, they weren't just navigating open waters--they were challenging traditional norms in a sport historically…
PRP Group and K20 Connect Partner to Offer Full Suite of Communications Solutions
Los Angeles, CA – PRP Group, a Hawke Media Company, and K20 Connect announced a strategic partnership to provide a ... Read more