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.PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP
Frustrating, exhausting but worth it: School principals tell what their jobs are like now
EdSource
Between ever-changing COVID guidance, teacher shortages and students' escalating mental health needs, these are extraordinarily stressful times for California's school principals. But there's hope that these challenges will lead to permanent, positive changes in K-12 education, especially for students who faced inequities long before the pandemic, according to a panel of school principals who participated in an EdSource webinar recently.
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Stress of staff shortages may drive teachers away in huge numbers, union warns
District Administration Magazine
Ongoing and growing staff shortages in public schools are worsening teacher burnout and may drive "an alarming number"of educators to leave the profession, a new union survey warned recently.
Some 55% of the educators polled said that they were ready to leave "the profession they love earlier than planned," according to the latest National Education Association member survey.
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Can't get along? Here are 5 skills needed for every school-based team
Education Week
We have all been a part of teams, whether we are referring to grade-level, department, or school-based leadership teams. The first time I was asked to be a part of a leadership team I remember feeling very honored. I was a brand-new teacher, and they wanted me to be a part of the team. To quote Sally Fields, "You like me! You really, really like me!"
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What does trust look like in a school?
Edutopia
Trust matters — people who work in high-trust environments experience less stress, burnout, and sick days than those who work in low-trust environments. Higher levels of productivity, greater engagement, and more energy are all associated with these advantages.
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Promoted By
Boosterthon
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Promoted By
The Daily Mile
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Cardona to educators: 'I know you're stretched'
Chalkbeat
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona challenged schools to keep their focus on getting struggling students back on track Thursday, while acknowledging that the disruption caused by the latest wave of COVID cases has exhausted the country's educators.
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How 3 school districts are remaining open for learning, against the odds
District Administration Magazine
Up until two weeks ago, Florence City Schools in the northwest corner of Alabama had remained open for in-person education save for one day: Nov. 12, when it was forced into remote learning because of instructional shortages. As with most districts operating face-to-face this year, it was a remarkable feat.
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Promoting student choice through SEL self-assessment
eSchool News
Data-driven SEL for ninth-12th grade classes would leverage and honor the emerging self-identity and agency of adolescents. For example, a high schooler would rate their own social and emotional competencies, review their results, and then select what area(s) they would like to focus on.
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3 ways school leaders can fight burnout
Edutopia
Fellow principals, I have a question: How are you? No, seriously—how are you? As a practicing school leader, in January of 2022, I will admit that I feel defeated. March of 2020 feels like more than a decade ago, and pressures seem to keep mounting, both from the pandemic and from outside forces.
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Providing equitable opportunities for English learners to participate in rigorous grade-level content begins with understanding where they are at so educators can build on their strengths. During this webinar, you'll explore the role of assessment in supporting ELs within an MTSS alongside challenges and solutions. Tune in for expert guidance.
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How can we make standardized testing more valuable? Dump accountability.
District Administration Magazine
Here is a big assessment question for 2022: How will standardized tests bounce back from COVID's vast disruptions?
Or will they?
Though many students are likely to spend most of this school year learning in person, short-term shifts back to remote instruction and other disruptions could again chip away at the reliability of high-stakes, year-end assessments.
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COVID-19 testing in schools: Double-down or phase it out?
K-12 Dive
Just months after the Biden administration announced a renewed effort to expand COVID-19 testing in K-12 schools — and weeks after the omicron-induced mad scramble for testing kits began — some districts say they plan to limit school-based testing or phase away from it altogether.
At the same time, however, other districts are intensifying campus-based testing efforts.
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Why more schools are adding mental health breaks to the calendar
EdSurge
This fall, students and staff at close to 200 public schools in Wake County, N.C., which includes Raleigh, received an unexpected break. Schools were closed on November 12 for a "day of reflection and preparation." That same day, schools in Cumberland County, N.C., about 60 miles south, had the day off for "Wellness Friday."
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Why CTOs at FETC are saying their roles have changed for the better
District Administration Magazine
On the opening day of the Future of Education Technology Conference in Orlando, Eileen Belastock, director of technology and information for CoSN, and Diane Doersch, director of technology for the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Initiative with Digital Promise, hosted a packed house of CTOs, educators and others to interface and share the experiences of the past nearly two years since COVID turned traditional learning on its ear.
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As school communities have struggled to address the mental health needs of their students, the focus has been on treatment. Understandable.
However, we can start proactively helping our students in elementary school. Brain-based mental health literacy & resilience training provide strong Tier 1 support.
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.EDUCATION POLICY
New rules are limiting how teachers can teach Black History Month
Axios
Schools and universities are marking Black History Month, but this is the first time it will be celebrated under new restrictions on diversity education imposed by some states. Why it matters: The constraints — under the guise of banning the teaching of critical race theory — limit what some state-supported institutions can discuss about the nation's racial past.
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Report: State lawmakers shifting support to school choice, flexible learning options
K-12 Dive
States have passed new programs giving students access to more private school options by adopting broader student eligibility requirements for voucher and tax credit scholarships and increasing funding for existing private school choice programs, the report said.
Policymakers are also focusing on legislation to reduce administrative and transportation barriers to public schools, according to the Bellwether report.
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.SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY
Forget Zoom school. For some students, class is in session in VR
CNN
Jeremy Bailenson has studied virtual reality for decades. But it wasn't until last year that the Stanford professor felt the technology was good enough that he could actually teach a class in VR. Over the summer and again in the fall, Bailenson, the founding director of Stanford's Virtual Human Interaction Lab, taught more than 260 students in his "Virtual People" class, which explores various aspects of virtual reality.
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The evolution of technology in K-12 classrooms: 1659 to today
EdTech Magazine
In the 21st century, it can feel like advanced technology is changing the K–12 classroom in ways we've never seen before. But the truth is, technology and education have a long history of evolving together to dramatically change how students learn. With more innovations surely headed our way, why not look back at how we got to where we are today, while looking forward to how educators can continue to integrate new technologies into their learning?
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| Promoted by
Brainfuse, Inc. |
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- State-Aligned: 24/7, state-aligned online tutoring support
- Accessible Platform: Our easy to use whiteboard is available from any desktop or mobile device
- Experience: Brainfuse has completed over 15 million one-to-one online tutoring sessions since 1999
- High-Quality Tutors: Our tutors undergo a rigorous selection and training process
- Field-Tested: Brainfuse has consistently outperformed other online tutoring companies in head-to-head trials
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The critical role of data in K-12 COVID recovery
THE Journal
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted schools and students across the nation. Recent research has revealed significant unfinished learning during the past two years. Student achievement in math and reading is lower than a typical year, with historically marginalized students and students in high-poverty schools disproportionately impacted. In addition to academic impacts, many students also faced social-emotional and economic challenges.
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8 digital learning tools for 2022
eSchool News
Recent research from Texthelp shows that teachers believe students were significantly less engaged this past school year, but that digital tools were a bright spot in their classrooms. In fact, 90% of teachers say they plan to use edtech tools this upcoming school year.
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Learn tips and strategies to deliver inspired feedback, master MTSS, and create a culture and curriculum that’s inclusive and effective for every learner. Bestselling author Katie Novak (Innovate Inside the Box and UDL Now!) and Mike Woodlock show you how. Order A UDL Playbook for School and District Leaders today!
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.PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
How to make more time for learning
Tes Magazine
Giving students time to grapple with complex questions, retrieve prior learning and apply it is common sense. And yet this good, simple teaching is often squeezed out by a desperate bid to cover everything before we reach the end of the lesson.
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Teaching controversial issues when democracy is under attack
Brookings Institute
Political divisions have erupted in education as well. Public discourse in school board meetings on critical race theory, transgender students’ rights, mask and vaccine mandates, and pandemic-related restrictions has become vitriolic. Attacks on critical race theory have driven bans on teaching about systemic racism, sexism, and other politically charged topics.
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The all-new AstroPure™ portable air purifier from AAF Flanders features an advanced interface that allows fine-tuning of settings and visualization of particulate levels. This interface can be locked to prevent unauthorized changes, and because the unit makes so little noise, distractions are kept to minimum.
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Imagination Playground
is a breakthrough playspace designed to encourage child-directed unstructured free play. Unlike traditional hardscape playgrounds, Imagination Playground is low cost, requires no installation, and can be used both indoors and out. Our Blue Blocks are proudly made in the USA from a closed cell waterproof foam, making them durable and easy to clean.
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Teachers should normalize asking students for their pronouns
Chalkbeat
I teach at arts and theater nonprofits that are more supportive of LGBTQ staff and students. Even in these more accepting spaces, I was unsure at first how to navigate conversations about gender identity in my classes. While I wanted to invite students to share their chosen names and pronouns, I was hesitant about explaining my gender during an introductory class. I worried about how students might react.
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4 ways to fight bias in grading
Edutopia
In the classroom, decades of evidence confirm that teachers are not immune and that some degree of unconscious bias is often at play, especially in the absence of intentional measures to control it. Bias has a way of seeping through the smallest cracks, imperceptibly influencing the way we perceive students, compromising accuracy in grading, and even altering a wide range of educational outcomes.
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Promoted by Stepping Stones Museum For Children
Empower your teachers with exciting new virtual STEAM-powered classes, clubs and workshops at award-winning Stepping Stones Museum for Children. The Stepping Stones Studio makes it easy to inspire and delight young learners with a celebrated lineup of play-filled, brain-building educational offerings now accessible to everyone, everywhere. “This is the most wonderful hands-on experience for children! The Traveling Seeds workshop was extraordinary. The students were engaged and learned a lot. I enjoyed watching the children play and learn at the same time,” a 1st grade teacher, Norwalk Public Schools, Norwalk CT. Click the link here for detailed information: https://www.steppingstonesmuseum.org/app/uploads/2021/12/21-School-and-Groups-Flyer-VIRTUAL-120821.pdf
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.EDUCATION RESEARCH
.IN THE STATES
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.ASSOCIATION NEWS
4 strategies to stay motivated in times of change
NAESP
School leaders typically go into a new year with excitement and hopes of finishing the year strong with staff, especially after seeing students come back from the holiday break. But these past two years have been vastly different as principals have taken on new roles of nurse, contact tracer, classroom teacher, technology expert, custodian, and bus driver while still leading a building. All the while, school leaders have to maintain a positive outlook and create a safe environment where teachers want to teach and students want to learn.
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More than just a Mastermind
NAESP
New for the 2020-2021 school year, NAESP created NAESP Mastermind groups for school leaders. The goal? Help members solve problems through input and advice from their peers. Now, halfway through the inaugural cohort, facilitated by fellows of the NAESP Centers for Advancing Leadership, it’s accomplished that and much more. Organically evolving into a well-connected, collaborative, and supportive network of school leaders, NAESP Mastermind has built a culture of trust and psychological safety during discussions on relevant and real issues affecting them as principals and assistant principals and education as a whole.
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7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063
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