The oral exam is back, and AI may be the reason
In 2023, Catherine Hartmann, a professor at the University of Wyoming, gave students in a history of meditation course a deeply personal assignment: try a contemplative practice and…
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Quit saying “I’m not a math person”
It’s quite rare to hear someone say, “I can’t read” or “I’m illiterate so I don’t read.” On the other hand, lots of people claim that they’re “not…
The compliance trap waiting on the other side of Title II
Every few years, something shifts how schools think about accessibility. A law changes, a new technology arrives, or a group of advocates succeeds in bringing attention to the…
AACTE releases national framework on AI in educator preparation
A new national framework from AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) aims to help educator preparation programs (EPPs) navigate the rapidly changing role of artificial intelligence…
Why reading interventions plateau—and why New York’s new dyslexia center won’t change that
I’ve sat across from more than one district administrator staring at a dashboard full of reading intervention minutes and a flat progress line. The pattern is familiar: a…
We stopped waiting for the teacher pipeline–we built our own
Every hiring season, school districts ask the same question: Where are the teachers? We stopped asking and started building.
Beyond spotting deepfakes: Teaching multilingual learners to interrogate AI
Long before computers entered our homes and classrooms, photographs helped shape what people believed. Images carried a particular kind of authority: We did not simply look at them;…
What it really takes to accelerate adolescent literacy across our district
When people hear about the literacy gains we’ve seen in our middle schools, they often ask a simple question: What program did you use?
The foundation for student success is a positive classroom culture
As the school year begins, teachers often devote significant time to planning lessons, reviewing standards, organizing classrooms, and establishing routines. While these are all essential components of effective…
How to build a positive classroom in the first 5 days of school
There’s a wise quote that says, “Kids don’t care about your expectations until they know you care about them. Connection is the foundation everything else stands on.”
Does school design help or hinder adolescent learning?
Adolescence is one of the most consequential periods of human development, yet the environments designed to support it often fail to reflect its complexity. Spanning ages 10 to…
First graders need a chance to explain their math thinking
In first grade, educators shape the trajectories of how students feel about math. Long before they discover algebra or standardized tests, six- and seven-year-olds are forming beliefs about…
Lead with purpose: 3 ways courageous K-12 leadership builds real impact
As the Director of Maintenance and Operations for 42 campuses across our district, my work is never small. From managing facilities and construction to navigating procurement and public…
Rethinking MTSS: How schools can turn student data into meaningful support
Schools today are navigating an unprecedented convergence of academic gaps, behavioral challenges, chronic absenteeism and rising student mental health needs.
Schools need behavioral assessments to fight chronic absenteeism
Our schools face a paradoxical challenge: chronic absenteeism, which is being treated as an attendance problem, actually isn’t.
Most districts still struggle to fill specialist roles
As school districts prepare for the 2026–27 academic year, new national data from BlazerWorks reveals a growing staffing crisis across K–12 education, with more than 90% of district leaders reporting increased…
The hidden curriculum gap
A post-graduation readiness report by YouScience found that the majority of graduating high school seniors lack confidence in their post-graduation plans, including choosing a college, paying for it,…
Outcomes-based partnerships and accountability are the future of education
The answer to stagnating test scores is not adopting technology that has never demonstrated any ability to move test scores. Educators have to finally recognize that hope is not a strategy…
Teacher burnout is at an all-time high
Teacher stress declined modestly in 2026, but teachers were still far more likely than similar working adults to report higher stress, worse well-being and greater financial strain, extending a…
The future researcher in every fifth grader: The case for curiosity-first teaching
I've been teaching fifth grade in Massachusetts for 26 years. I hated social studies as a kid. I found it boring, heavy on dates and facts, and light…
Maybe we have too much teacher training
“Maybe we have too much teacher training.” That headline is a sentence I never thought I’d write, given that I run a company built around supporting teachers’ professional…
In a new survey, AI scores high as a math learning tool
AI plays a supportive educational role for nearly 70 percent of top-performing math students asked about their study habits, according to a new survey.
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…
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.
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.
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.
A new need-to-know for the AI classroom
Most project-based learning workshops are built around three domains: design, assessment, and implementation.
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…
How to navigate historically high absenteeism
Chronic absenteeism has stabilized at historically high levels, signaling a long-term engagement challenge rather than a short-term pandemic disruption, according to a new national white paper released by…
Taking a deeper look at students’ well-being
The dominant narrative around today’s students is bleak: declining test scores, post-pandemic learning loss, and widespread concerns about student behavior and mental health.
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…
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.
5 keys to turn escape rooms into classroom inspiration
Have you ever been to an escape room? For those unfamiliar with the term, an escape room is a structured, problem-solving experience where participants are locked in a…
When it comes to student attendance, are districts measuring the wrong thing?
Across the country, schools are raising alarms about chronic absenteeism. News stories highlight rising numbers of missed days, legislators are demanding answers from districts, and educators are feeling…
Too many apps, too many missed messages
In our district, families were checking multiple apps just to keep up with school communication. One child’s teacher posted in one platform. Another school used something different. District…
The biliteracy advantage: How heritage languages boost English proficiency and workforce readiness
In just one academic year, Marietta City Schools in Georgia saw the percentage of elementary English learners (ELs) working in or above grade level rocket from 11 percent…
New partnership expands access to flexible career-connected learning
Microschools are small learning environments that typically serve a limited number of students and emphasize personalization and strong relationships. Often blending elements of traditional schooling, project-based learning, and…