Curriculum Associates Launches Extraordinary Educators™ Leadership Collaborative to Support the Professional Growth of Rising School Principals Nationwide

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass. — Curriculum Associates recently launched its Extraordinary Educators Leadership Collaborative to support the professional growth of rising school principals nationwide. Through this program, the inaugural class of 16 principals representing schools across 16 states will have the opportunity to receive monthly, high-quality professional development and grow as leaders as they work in small cohorts to analyze data, learn to plan strategically, and share information with different constituencies.

“A major focus of the Extraordinary Educators Leadership Collaborative is giving leaders time and space for connecting as well as collaborating with each other on the importance of building positive school cultures,” said Danielle Sullivan, national director of content and implementation at Curriculum Associates. “We look forward to working with this stellar group of highly motivated and highly passionate educators as they progress in their profession and learn new ways to further serve their school communities. And, we look forward to celebrating their successes along the way.”

All of the principals participating in the Extraordinary Educators Leadership Collaborative have been in their current role for three or less years. They additionally have experience using i-Ready® and/or Ready® for two or more years, lead staff who illustrate growth and achievement via formal assessments, demonstrate schoolwide innovation and engagement practices for students, are evangelists for high standards and student achievement, champion equity, and are eager to grow as leaders.…Read More

Introducing My PowerSchool: An Intuitive User Experience Empowering Families, Staff, and Administrators

FOLSOM, CALIF. – PowerSchool (NYSE: PWSC), the leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education in North America, today announced the release of My PowerSchool, a cohesive user experience that consolidates all relevant information and applications into a single, streamlined platform. My PowerSchool simplifies how families interact with their children’s school and how school technology leaders manage their PowerSchool solutions by providing a central point of access based on if the user is an educator, student, or family member. My PowerSchool Family, the first release of the My PowerSchool experiences, will be available in the fall, allowing families and educators to share one source of information, including grades, attendance, assignments, calendar, completed and in-progress forms, behavior, and fees, in a seamless experience.

“My PowerSchool marks a significant milestone in empowering the education community,” said Marcy Daniel, Chief Product Officer, PowerSchool. “This new release will provide an upgraded experience to families using the current family portal in PowerSchool SIS and showcases our commitment to providing user-centric solutions that streamline processes, enhance communication, and foster collaboration among families, staff, and administrators.”

My PowerSchool Family will provide users with multiple benefits including:…Read More

This key strategy can help boost teacher well-being immediately

Key points:

  • Teachers have juggled so much during the pandemic and the return to school–it’s no wonder they’re burnt out
  • High-quality substitutes are key to teachers’ ability to take breaks, and technology can aid in recruiting subs
  • See related article: Survey highlights troubling teacher morale issues

In the wake of the pandemic, student mental health is a top concern for K-12 leaders, as it should be. But teacher wellness is also at crisis levels, and this has important implications for the quality of education that students receive.

When education shifted online in spring 2020, teachers had to learn new technologies and instructional strategies in a very short amount of time. Many endured the loss of friends and family members to COVID-related illness. When school districts returned to in-person learning, several teachers worried about their own safety. Teachers have had to deal with a sharp rise in behavioral issues and address a growing number of social-emotional needs among their students. They’ve worked long hours to facilitate learning recovery.…Read More

Why education leaders should prioritize asset-based edtech

Key points:

  • In schools, an asset-based approach encourages partnership by celebrating progress and growth
  • Shifting away from this deficit-based approach requires leaders to change the way they see their students
  • See related article: How to focus on classroom accessibility

Since the pandemic began, the number of technologies districts use has nearly tripled, but not all of these tools have been effective. As education leaders review the utility and effectiveness of those solutions, an asset-based approach is an essential criterion in the evaluation process.

Leaders should be wary of products that convey urgency and impact through deficit-based design. A deficit-based approach emphasizes the weakness of groups or individuals, calling attention to negative outcomes such as falling behind or missing out. Although it is a pervasive advertising tactic, studies show that a deficit-based approach can affect students’ long-term resilience and lead them to feel isolated when they are seen as “the problem.”…Read More

4 best practices to support and retain school leaders

Key points:

  • A culture of continuous learning helps leaders, teachers, and staff grow and develop throughout their careers
  • Mentorship programs and intensive training are two components of a well-rounded system that supports academic leaders
  • See related article: How to reimagine teacher leadership

For new school leaders, the first few weeks on the job can feel overwhelming. As a former principal, I know that leaders can only be effective when the right systems of support are in place. In fact, a recent research brief by RAND Corporation found that 16 percent of principals left their schools in the 2021-22 school year for a variety of reasons, including high workload, stressed work-life balance, threats to safety, political debates, budget constraints, and a lack of growth opportunities.

This research continues to highlight why it’s imperative that schools and districts create a culture of continuous learning so that leaders, teachers, and staff grow and develop throughout their careers. It also shows the importance of building a comprehensive leadership framework that includes transparent expectations and includes specialized support touchpoints – from onboarding to thoughtful professional development opportunities.…Read More

Technology’s key role in personalization and differentiation

Editor’s note: This blog post originally appeared on CoSN’s blog and is reposted here with permissions.

Part of a Blog Series from the Emerging Technologies Committee Leveraging Technology for Improving School Wellness and Safety

The renewed focus on the whole student, specifically on social and emotional needs and growth (social emotional learning – SEL), is certainly a positive direction in K-12 education. Technology leaders and providers have answered the call, with the development or enhancement of digital content and resources to assist teachers and parents in promoting students’ growth. However, perhaps we as edtech and curriculum leaders are overlooking the value of other high impact avenues for addressing those needs.   …Read More

2023 CODiE Awards Announced

Just back from the Metaverse and boy are my arms tired! This year’s CODiE awards were virtual again and while attending wasn’t as much fun as the in-person gala at San Francisco’s Palace Hotel back in the day, at least I don’t have to get my tux dry-cleaned.

My inaccurate avatar.

Since 1986, the SIIA CODiE Awards have honored thousands of software, education, information and media products, leaders and teams for achieving excellence. SIIA is the leading association representing the software and digital content industries. The SIIA Education Division serves and represents more than 200 member companies that provide software, digital content and other technologies that address educational needs. 

Over the years the awards have become recognized as the leading peer-recognized program in the business and Ed Tech industries. Each nomination receives a detailed review by two expert judges during the first round review; each finalist product receives a second, peer review by a team of industry leaders.…Read More

Education Leaders in Yonkers, NY, and Henderson, TN, Win Inaugural YouScience® Innovative Educator Awards

AMERICAN FORK, UTAH (PRWEB) — Two respected educators have been named the inaugural recipients of the  YouScience® Innovative Educator Award, recognizing their exceptional contributions in guiding and inspiring students to explore their aptitudes and make informed decisions about their futures. This award celebrates educators who have implemented innovative approaches to empower the next generation of professionals through academic and career exploration.

The winners of the inaugural YouScience® Innovative Educator Award are Principal Steven Mazzola of Saunders Trades and Technical High School from Yonkers, New York, and School Counselor Darlene Goff of Chester County Schools from Henderson, Tennessee.

Steven Mazzola and Saunders Trades and Technical High School prepare students for academic and career success. With over 30 years of experience in education, Principal Steven Mazzola has been a driving force at Saunders Trades and Technical High School, where he has served as principal for nearly 20 years. Under his leadership, the school has consistently achieved graduation rates of 94-98% or higher. Mazzola’s innovative approach combines career and technical education (CTE) courses with academic programs, ensuring students are well-prepared for success in both school and life. He introduced YouScience® to the school, helping students identify their best-fit career and educational pathways and quantify their skills for potential employers.…Read More

Edtech leaders offer guidance on safe AI classroom integration

Key points:

Code.org, ETS, ISTE, Khan Academy, and World Economic Forum have formed TeachAI, bringing together education, nonprofit, and technology partners to assist governments and education authorities with integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into primary and secondary curricula worldwide while protecting student safety, respecting privacy rights, and addressing issues of bias and misinformation.

AI’s rapid pace of development in recent months offers exciting applications for the classroom, but the unprecedented technology also demands deliberation as the implications are vast. TeachAI will bring critical voices across education, policy, and technology to develop a practical framework for teaching with AI and teaching about AI. …Read More

How to reimagine teacher leadership

Key points:

  • Teacher-leaders are an integral–but under-utilized–part of a school
  • School leaders can secure teacher buy-in around new initiatives through teacher-leaders

The typical leadership structure in a school is quite rigid, with administrators and teachers filling their roles separately. In this model, teacher skills are only utilized inside of the classroom, leaving teacher leadership potential on the table.

Because this is true in almost any school building, it is time for administrators to reimagine teacher leader roles and leverage teacher leadership, specifically at the grade level or in content teams. Many schools have positions such as “Lead Teacher” or “Content Team Leader,” which is a great starting point. The next step is transforming these established positions, or creating similar models, and implementing them across your school. This should lead to actionable steps taken by these teacher-leaders, and the loosening of the reins by administrators.…Read More