Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

Ousted principals quickly find new education jobs

Experts say districts are playing musical chairs with principals.

After Red Lake High School was labeled one of Minnesota’s worst schools, its board moved quickly to dismiss the principal. It didn’t take long for Ev Arnold to land on his feet, though: The same district now pays him the identical salary to oversee the school’s turnaround.

Arnold’s situation is typical for principals in several states who were removed last summer under the federal School Improvement Grant program (SIG), intended to reform the nation’s worst schools. The most popular way for schools to qualify for a slice of the $3 billion available was pick a reform plan that called for replacing what was considered failed leadership–but many of those principals are still running schools.

“The musical chairs game is being played,” said Gerald Tirozzi, executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). “School districts, because they want the money, are finding creative ways to meet the requirements of the law.”…Read More

Videos highlight successful school reform

The films aim to show how difficult changes in schools can lead to dramatic improvements in student achievement.
The videos aim to show how difficult changes in schools can lead to dramatic improvements in student achievement.

To help local leaders with their own school-reform efforts, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has produced a new series of online videos highlighting successful school improvements from districts across the nation.

The videos illustrate how several school districts have successfully turned around their low-performing schools using the four models endorsed by ED’s $3.5 billion Title I School Improvement Grant program.

This program makes funds available to states by formula, to help them target the bottom 5 percent of U.S. schools—or approximately 5,000 chronic underperforming schools nationwide, ED says.…Read More