Women of Color Bring Special Strengths to the Superintendency, New Research Suggests
Women of color make up about 3 percent of the country’s K-12 superintendents. But there are a lot of unknowns about their path to the superintendency, the skills they bring to the job, and the reasons they’re hired for the role. Some new research is…
School Counselors Face ‘Role Ambiguity.’ This State Tried to Clarify Matters
School counselors are supposed to focus on supporting students’ mental health and to work with them on their academic and career plans. But, in some schools, the job can include nearly everything—from filling in when teachers are absent, discipline intervention, and computing student test scores….
Schools Are Trying to Do Too Much (Opinion)
Over the past year or two, there’s been a lot of talk about educational “unbundling.” I’m glad. After all, more than a decade ago, I helped import “unbundling” into K-12 when I penned the ASCD book Education Unbound, which delved deep into the idea; edited…
Ditch the Term ‘Failing Schools’ (Opinion)
To the Editor: My optimism faded to disappointment while reading “Mapping the Future of Education” (April 26, 2023), an opinion collection with the Aspen Institute Education & Society program. While the road map’s noble ambiguities allow varying perspectives to work together, I was surprised at…
Don’t Bewail Summer Vacation for Students, Rethink It (Opinion)
The school year is about to end, beginning summer vacation. As always, this will surface the annual spate of commentary on the “problem with summer vacation.” The idea is that students need to spend more time in school, whether via a longer school year, year-round…
Women in K-12 Leadership Don’t Get Enough Support. Here’s What Needs to Change
Fairer family-leave policies. Sponsorships. Pay transparency. Those are some of the policy shifts and practical changes a national organization says are critical to boost the number of women and women of color serving as K-12 superintendents. The five-point advocacy letter—a kind of “playbook” for increasing…
Principals, Here Are 4 Simple Tips to Communicate Better (Opinion)
Effective communication is vital for any organization, and schools are no exception. In fact, communication is arguably more critical in schools because it affects the well-being and academic success of students. From communicating with parents to collaborating with colleagues, school leaders must master various communication…
When It Comes to Leadership, Self-Awareness Matters. Here’s Why (Opinion)
If you Google the definition for “self-awareness” you will come across the following: Merriam Webster Dictionary: an awareness of one’s own personality or individuality Cambridge Dictionary: good knowledge and judgment about yourself Oxford’s Learner’s Dictionaries: knowledge and understanding of your own character All of these…
Education Reform Hasn’t Failed … Yet. 3 Overlooked Instructional Strategies (Opinion)
There are rumblings—from The New York Times, Substack, and other online platforms—marking the death, even the “strange death,” of education reform. Decades of failed initiatives—restructuring, byzantine teacher-evaluation systems, “grit,” personalized, differentiated learning, the common core, and more—have convinced some observers that “nothing that we could…
3 Principles to Help School and District Leaders Build Better Relationships With Teachers
Building strong relationships with teachers—a perennial priority for school and district leaders—has become even more important as schools rebound from the difficulties of the past few years. Communication, capacity building, and a willingness to fail are all key tenets of good leadership and good relationship…
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