5 essential AI tech tools for back-to-school success
By now, the 2025-2026 school year is well underway. The glow of new beginnings has faded, and the process of learning has begun in earnest. No doubt there…
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Why education leaders must highlight their people
When I asked my executive assistant to proof my first superintendent’s report for the public board packet, she came back and said that she was surprised that I…
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…
Teaching isn’t about perfection, it’s about showing up–here’s how to do that
When I walked into my first classroom almost a decade ago, I had no idea how many “first days” I would experience--and how each one would teach me…
Next gen learning spaces: UDL in action
By embracing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles in purchasing decisions, school leaders can create learning spaces that not only accommodate students with disabilities but enhance the educational…
How teachers and administrators can overcome resistance to NGSS
Although the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were released more than a decade ago, adoption of them varies widely in California. I have been to districts that have…
Strengthening middle school literacy: What educators need to know
Literacy has always been the foundation of learning, but for middle school students, the stakes are especially high. These years mark the critical shift from learning to read…
Digital dementia: Are we outsourcing our thinking to AI?
I’ll admit that I use AI. I’ve asked it to help me figure out challenging Excel formulas that otherwise would have taken me 45 minutes and a few…
Building a literacy framework that works: A district leader’s journey in Peoria
When I stepped into the role of curriculum coordinator for Peoria Public Schools District 150 in 2021, I entered a landscape still reeling from the disruption of COVID-19.…
Supporting neurodiverse learners requires more than accommodation: It demands systemic change
Approximately 1 in 5 children in the United States are estimated to be neurodivergent, representing a spectrum of learning and thinking differences such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and…
The untaught lesson: Prioritizing behavior as essential learning
In classrooms across the country, students are mastering their ABCs, solving equations, and diving into science. But one essential life skill--behavior--is not in the lesson plan.
Choice-ready: Exploring a new standard for preparing students for the future of work
As AI, automation, and global connectivity continue to reshape every industry, today’s students are stepping into a world where lifelong careers in a single field are increasingly rare.
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!
The complex dynamics of principal turnover in modern educational institutions
The departure and replacement of school principals represents one of the most significant organizational changes within educational institutions, creating ripple effects that permeate every aspect of school operations.
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…
The power of instructional intent statements in assignment design
In education--and particularly with my graduate students in higher education--students occasionally focus on the individual points of an assignment rubric instead of stepping back and looking holistically at…
Creative approaches to teaching math can help fill AI talent gap
Not surprisingly, jobs in AI are the fastest growing of any in the country, with a 59 percent increase in job postings between January 2024 and November 2024.…
Why high schools should use teaching assistants
Exam scores always seem to go up. Whether it’s the SAT when applying for college or an AP score to earn college credit, competitive scores seem to be…
Post-pandemic, student academic recovery remains elusive
Five years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, academic recovery has stalled nationwide, and achievement gaps have widened, according to the State of Student Learning 2025 report from from Curriculum Associates.
Supporting youth mental health through connection, creativity, and community
The mental health needs of students are evolving, and our systems have struggled to keep up. For many families, accessing care is still time-consuming, costly, or confusing.
Integrating AI into education is not as daunting as it seems
Forty-some years ago, students sat in straight rows with books, papers, and pencils neatly lined up on their desks. But beginning in the 1990s, educators faced very different…
4 tips to support the literacy needs of middle and high school students
Today's middle schoolers continue to struggle post-pandemic to read and write at the level needed to successfully navigate more complex academic content in the upper grades and beyond.
Resilient MTSS: Adding a trauma-responsive lens for student support
Across the country, our schools are being taxed beyond their capacity to support educational success. We’ve known for a long time that students need a three-dimensional structure of…
As schools embrace AI, an educator offers top tips, cautions, and predictions
In the last year, we’ve seen an extraordinary push toward integrating artificial intelligence in classrooms. Among educators, that trend has evoked responses from optimism to opposition.
How to strengthen student workforce readiness with classroom and career connections
Today’s workforce requires adaptable, skilled individuals with the confidence to creatively apply background knowledge to complex, real-world opportunities.
Emergent writing: 3 ways to plant seeds for lifelong literacy
Just as a gardener plants seeds and nurtures them into strong, flourishing plants, early childhood educators have the opportunity to nurture the earliest seeds of literacy in young…
5 cybersecurity green flags: A practical guide for sourcing edtech
Although educators are excited to innovate, school leaders must weigh every new app or online platform against cybersecurity risks and the responsibility of protecting student data.
Grading student writing with AI: What we lose when AI replaces teachers
A colleague of ours recently attended an AI training where the opening slide featured a list of all the ways AI can revolutionize our classrooms. Grading was listed…
Why should we care about cuts to funding for science education?
The Trump administration is slashing the funding for new projects focused on STEM education and has terminated hundreds of grants focused on equitable STEM education.
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.
Why stories still matter in a fast-moving world
The power of books goes far beyond personal nostalgia. When a major title drops, it’s not just a release date--it’s a shared experience. Readers rush to get their…
Digital learning is different
In the animated film Up, the character Dug is a talking dog with an interesting mannerism. Each time he sees a movement off to the side, he stops…
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).
Common Sense Media releases AI toolkit for school districts
Common Sense Media has released its first AI Toolkit for School Districts, which gives districts of all sizes a structured, action-oriented guide for implementing AI safely, responsibly, and effectively.
How Gimkit engages my students
During the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, teachers needed to become resourceful in how they delivered content to students. During this time, students experienced significant change and evolved…
Middle and high school students need education, career guidance
Students need more support around education paths and career options, including hands-on experiences, according to a new nationwide survey from the nonprofit American Student Assistance.
Showfloor News: DreamBox Reading by Discovery Education enhanced to support PreK-5 literacy for back-to-school 2025
Discovery Education, the creators of essential PreK-12 learning solutions used in classrooms around the world, today announced significant enhancements to ... Read more
Showfloor News: PBLWorks creates PBLWorks TEACH to help scale project based learning
The Buck Institute for Education (dba PBLWorks), a national provider of professional development for high-quality Project Based Learning (PBL), is ... Read more
Showfloor News: Introducing Kibeam, the screen-free AI-powered device bringing regular books to life
Kibeam is redefining early childhood literacy education with the launch of Kibeam Wand: a first-of-its-kind, screen-free, AI-powered handheld device that ... Read more