This message was sent to ##Email## To advertise in this publication please click here November 5, 2021 ##\member## .PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP What I learned as a school principal and relearned as a pandemic parent EdSurge Almost 10 years ago, I served as the principal of a blended learning pilot school. We were a tiny, K-8 Oakland charter, operating mostly on heart and scrappiness. Then, rather unexpectedly, we were awarded a big grant to test out a hot new topic: personalized learning. We bought the fancy student laptop carts and sleek furniture. We trained ourselves in clever, kid-friendly tools and computer programs. A year later, our test scores had shot up. READ MORE Study: Peer mentorship is key to achieving equity in higher education leadership Phys Researchers from across the Arnold School have completed a study on the importance of peer mentorship in creating diverse leadership representation in higher education settings. They published their findings in Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning. "Academic leadership positions are rarely occupied by faculty from underrepresented gender and minoritized groups," says Daniela Friedman, chair of the Arnold School's Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior and lead author on the paper. READ MORE Report: States struggle with 'unfair' school funding U.S. News and World Report The findings from the Education Law Center, a nonprofit focused on education equity, point to the "persistence of unfair school funding across the country," according to a news release. States in the South and West are struggling the most to provide adequate funding for public school students, and a majority of states fail to provide higher dollar amounts to the high-poverty schools and districts that are the most in need, the annual "Making the Grade" report found. READ MORE How an experimental redesign in school leadership saved the school and my community EdSurge One day I was sitting in a shared office with my teammate, Jessica. We just came from our monthly leadership meeting and were talking about the concept of distributed leadership. Distributed leadership was the model our district was moving towards under the direction of the new superintendent. Her vision was simple but revolutionary: reimagine school leadership by dismantling the hierarchy. READ MORE VIDEO SHOWCASE Principals say this is the go-to fundraiser for the upcoming school year. Promoted By Boosterthon Lexia Proves Remote Learning Effective Promoted By Lexia Learning Transformational vs. instructional leadership. which is better? Education Week We are in the midst of radical change. We are in the middle of a shift across the education sector in determining not just what we do but also how we do it. There are broad shifts in instruction, adjustments to delivery, alternations or even abolition of assessments. It is clear that a deep discussion around the best way, or rather ways, to teach is needed and in most places well underway. READ MORE Schools debate: Gifted and talented, or racist and elitist? Associated Press Communities across the United States are reconsidering their approach to gifted and talented programs in schools as vocal parents blame such elite programs for worsening racial segregation and inequities in the country’s education system. From the start, gifted and talented school programs drew worries they would produce an educational caste system in U.S. public schools. READ MORE Suspended students more likely to get caught up in juvenile justice system, and vice versa Rice University via Phys The studies, led by former HERC researcher Horace Duffy, examined the relationship between suspensions and interaction with the juvenile justice system among students in the Houston Independent School District (HISD). Duffy found that for every suspension a student faced, they were 7% more likely to have contact with the juvenile justice system. Once those students returned to school, they were 20% more likely to be suspended. READ MORE  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by Peaceful Playgrounds Enter the U.S. Map Contest. It’s free to enter Playground Stencils A Recess Program that Works Use Coupon Code naesp2021 for 10% off your order COVID Social Distancing Playground As schools share best practices, equity can emerge from the pandemic eSchool News Another school year is underway, and many of you may be feeling an overwhelming sense of déjà vu. Pandemic preparedness, mask mandates, quarantines — it's starting to sound a lot like where we were last fall. But, luckily, it's not. Our public schools are not where they were at the start of the last school year. In fact, in terms of investment in new teaching and learning capabilities and student supports, we are currently leaps ahead of where we were in fall 2019, too–a not-so-distant past. READ MORE Researchers use mobile tech, forge partnerships to study home literacy efforts Phys Penn State scientists are combining their skills in data science and innovative approaches to mobile technology with their ability to forge community partnerships to find ways to support families in their home literacy efforts. The research team is currently partnering with The Shadow Project on a study to analyze possible challenges that parents may face in trying to create a positive home-literacy environment. READ MORE The pandemic could have unlocked remote schooling. It hasn't Education Week (Commentary) In a rush to return to normal and leave last year’s remote learning debacles in the rearview mirror, states and school systems have thrown away a potential pandemic breakthrough: the ability to shift quickly and seamlessly to remote learning whenever they need. READ MORE  PRODUCT SHOWCASE eBook: Progress Monitoring Best Practices Progress monitoring ensures Tier 1 instruction is on track and that Tiers 2 and 3 interventions are closing gaps quickly. Read this eBook to explore the types of progress monitoring assessments, effective procedures, and tips for our interpreting and using data to guide instructional decisions. LEARN MORE Imagine a class with 25 kids — and all of their parents insist on telling the teacher what to teach Washington Post Each parent or set of parents proceeds to email, call, text or show up at school to discuss with the teacher their view of the lesson. Some demand that the lesson be posted online (a practice some state legislators want to mandate). Children tell their parents about the lesson and those who are unhappy complain to the teacher, possibly the principal, the superintendent and the school board, and may organize protests. Now consider how many lessons a teacher teaches in a day. And let’s note that some classes have many more than 25 students, especially now, when classes are being doubled in many schools because of teacher shortages. READ MORE Why mixing languages can improve students' academic performance Phys Multilingual skills that allow people to switch from one language to another or mix languages are often considered more as a problem rather than an asset. Thus, there is no surprise that these multilingual speakers are often condemned using pejorative terms like bahasa gado-gado ("mixed-up language") in Indonesia for mixing Indonesian language and English in a conversation. READ MORE 4 simple steps to help students build resilience and confidence eSchool News We've all heard the expression "we're in the same boat" — however, I heartily agree with those who are brave enough to argue no — we are all in different boats in the same storm. I'd extend that metaphor for the gradual return to in-person instruction. During each school day, students and teachers are in the same boat. It is up to teachers to build the best boat for all their student passengers, while remaining aware that every individual brings different baggage when they come aboard. READ MORE  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by Respectful Ways Respectful Ways assesses school climate then targets PreK-12 SEL modules & P.D. training for staff. The Attachment & Trauma Network vetted all curricula & digital materials as trauma-informed. Respectful Ways is chosen as a la carte' packages based on students' specific behavioral needs. We partner with subject-matter experts to co-host custom P.D. workshops for school staff. Click here to schedule a Demo to see how Respectful Ways can help your students & staff! When focusing on education's fundamentals becomes innovative The 74 Choice plays an important role in Dallas County, giving thousands of families options beyond their neighborhood school thanks to charter networks like Uplift and KIPP. Current Dallas Supt. Michael Hinojosa gives credit to the charter expansion for spurring the district to improve (that expansion was not always welcomed, however). Part of the innovation inspired by this competition includes Dallas ISD's Early College High School/Collegiate Academy program. READ MORE What teachers who might quit are really thinking Education Week Abby Norman thought she'd found the ideal teaching job. The pastor, mother of young children, and seasoned English teacher gravitated to the teaching position at an online Georgia charter school because of its flexibility and the opportunity to teach her favorite grades — 9th and 10th. For the first part of the 2019-20 school year, it worked out well. Then COVID hit. READ MORE Supporting young students' emotional well-being Edutopia Social and emotional learning is often spoken of as the "missing piece" in education, but integrating SEL into academics is essential to a healthy, harmonious classroom. Checking in emotionally with students is a simple, effective way for teachers to connect with students and begin to equip them with lifelong tools to communicate their feelings and needs. As students are grappling with the major changes and potential traumatic experiences caused by the pandemic, this practice is more important than ever. READ MORE 5 ways bullying changed during the pandemic eSchool News Throughout my career as a school counselor, I've worked with students in a variety of educational settings. This includes alternative and charter schools, traditional brick-and-mortar settings, and online school. Even though they're all different, I've witnessed similar bullying behavior and trends in each of them. READ MORE Success from the student perspective Language Magazine The many components of a successful English as a second language (ESL) program became apparent to me watching students thrive in a neighborhood public school with an ESL program teeming with diverse students — an English learner (EL) population of close to 60%, students from 16 different countries, speaking 13 different languages. In other schools, ELs may be marginalized, but in this school, they take center stage, literally and figuratively. READ MORE The just-right mentoring balance Edutopia A successful mentor-mentee relationship is the result of planning, dedication, and perseverance. When new teachers pair with experienced mentors, they have many opportunities for interaction and growth, and when teacher-mentors provide novice educators with an optimal combination of support and cognitive challenge, the new teacher maximizes their learning. Finding the “just right" balance of guidance and challenge will ensure a productive relationship that will guide the new teacher to grow professionally. READ MORE  SPONSORED CONTENT Promoted by Xello Social Emotional Learning Activities for Your Elementary Students: Turn Learning Gaps into Learning Opportunities: 3 Strategies to Encourage Student Growth: When Should Students Start Thinking About Their Futures? What Educators Learned from Remote Learning That Can Be Reintroduced in the Classroom: Introduce Career Exploration to Your Elementary Students. Here’s How This District Did It: .EDUCATION POLICY Biden unveils Build Back Better framework with big investments in Pre-K District Administration President Biden unveiled the framework of an agreement between the administration and key Democratic legislators on a $1.75 trillion Build Back Better proposal on Oct. 28, calling on Congress to pass legislation to implement the framework as well as the separate Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, H.R. 3684. Both initiatives include education-related provisions. READ MORE Pre-K, free lunch, Pell grants: What the D.C. reconciliation plan would mean for kids and schools Chalkbeat Most of the proposals won't directly affect the country's K-12 schools, and a plan to devote billions to upgrading America’s school buildings was dropped during negotiations, along with the promise of free community college. But the bill does include modest funding increases for students with disabilities and teacher training programs — and research suggests that the antipoverty provisions could have lasting effects on children's learning. READ MORE A Texas lawmaker is targeting 850 books that he says could make students feel uneasy NPR A Texas state lawmaker is asking schools statewide to tell him whether they currently hold any of around 850 books on a list he has compiled, explaining that he is targeting materials that "might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress because of their race or sex." The inquiry by state Rep. Matt Krause, a Republican, quickly set off alarm among the books' authors and the state teachers association. READ MORE  PRODUCT SHOWCASE See How 3 Educators Improve School Communication With Digital Signage For this webinar, we’re bringing together educational professionals and digital signage experts to share best practices in setting up and managing digital signage in schools. Hear from a middle school A/V Director, a district Network Video System Analyst, and an elementary school Media Specialist on how they improve their school's communication with digital signage. Join Webinar .SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY Esports thrives in K-12 schools for reasons other than gameplay EdTech Magazine The institute at the California school was launched to prepare students for a career in technology. However, when Paananen and other teachers in the area noticed the growing trend in video game competitions, or esports, they banded together to integrate gaming into the curriculum for academic benefit as well as training for possible esports careers as analysts, journalists, marketers, tech support or event managers. READ MORE 3 simple tech tools to bolster literacy Edutopia I remember the first time I walked into a classroom that was utilizing remote learning to teach reading. It was a second-grade classroom in Orlando, and I was supervising a student teacher interning with the veteran teacher. As I walked into the room and did a quick sweep during reader’s workshop, I saw a student sitting in front of a computer, headphones on, talking and laughing. READ MORE Making the most of your edtech toolbox Edutopia If you're a school or district leader, you may be familiar with technology licenses. Schools and districts provide technology licenses to give administrators, faculty, and staff a set of tools to use on campus. A technology license can help to unlock multiple tools and resources, but only if faculty and staff are aware of whether or not these licenses exist and how they can help transform learning. READ MORE PRODUCT SHOWCASE New Air Purifier for Schools 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.   LEARN MORE   Reach Your Prospects Every Week Thousands of industry professionals subscribe to association news briefs, which allows your company to push messaging directly to their inboxes and take advantage of the association's brand affinity. Connect with Highly Defined Buyers and Maximize Your Brand Exposure   LEARN MORE   Report: Remote learning helped some make progress in math Government Technology According to a recent report from the Math Pipeline Readiness Program (M-PReP), the nonprofit’s research project studying math instruction and intervention programs including SLAM, about 75% of students said their remote learning experience was "generally good" during the 2020-21 school year. Of the 7,000 students in grades 6-12 surveyed last school year, the report said 20% preferred learning math online and would choose that option in the future. READ MORE Equitable access to digital tools became this district's COVID learning goal eSchool News While Tarah Tesmer has spent the past several years as Instructional Technology Specialist at Woodridge School District 68, she has also spent time in the classroom and knows the value of technology for students and teachers in creating the best possible learning outcomes. Screencastify has nominated Tarah for a Hero Award because of her ongoing commitment to providing her district with the best tools to position it for success well into the future. READ MORE Reliable internet, cybersecurity seen as most urgent among 9 E-rate trends District Administration Discounted E-rate funding remains vital to connecting students and schools to the internet, but more reliable service and cybersecurity are increasingly urgent concerns, an annual trends report finds. A record 130,418 sites — including schools and libraries — received E-rate funding in 2021, and an overwhelming majority of the respondents said that more students and library users are connected because of the program, according to Funds For Learning's 11th annual E-rate Trends Report. READ MORE  FEATURED ARTICLE   Benefits of an Early Childhood Leadership Certificate from Bank Street A child’s first few years of educational experiences set the stage for how they will learn for the rest of their lives. The Bank Street Early Childhood Leadership Advanced Certificate Program is designed for mission-driven educators seeking to advance their professional opportunities and fill the need for exceptional leadership in early childhood education. Areas of study within the program include curriculum and development, social justice, systems thinking, progressive education and law. LEARN MORE   Robotics an official co-curricular activity in West Virginia Government Technology Starting Nov. 1, students in high schools involved in the WVSSAC will be able to participate in robotics as part of a sanctioned activity. The new classification enables recognition and parity for robotics programs to thousands of students. Official rules will be presented for adoption by secondary principals at the annual Board of Control meeting in March 2022, subject to final approval by the West Virginia Board of Education. READ MORE .PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT I teach escape room design to elementary students. The class is a (literal) game-changer. Chalkbeat My professional development sessions had taught me the canned reply I was supposed to give: “Even if there are classes you don’t like, these lessons will help you in the future. You are learning foundational skills that will give you the freedom to choose independent projects in high school and beyond.” But I couldn’t bring my mouth to form words I didn’t believe. Teaching amid a storm of global disasters — a pandemic, an economic recession, a racial reckoning, and an escalating climate emergency — I felt cynical about how I was supposed to teach, test, and talk to students. READ MORE 6 ways to guide students to more authentic work in project-based learning Edutopia While many educators would agree that authenticity is a core feature of project-based learning (PBL), many of us have different visions for what it looks like in practice. Ultimately, something is authentic (or not) in relation to some other reference. For PBL, we can look at references along several different project aspects, such as role, problem, product, audience, impact, and our students themselves. READ MORE What is NaNoWriMo and how can it be used to teach writing? eSchool News National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) aims to help aspiring writers of all ages and levels, including students, get their novels written. Every year, tens of thousands of participating writers commit to writing a first draft of their novel within the month of November. The NaNoWriMo program is designed to help writers silence their inner critic and get their thoughts down on the page, which it accomplishes by encouraging participants to wait until the end of the month to go back and edit, by helping them establish a deadline, and by using technology to help them connect and inspire one another. READ MORE How peer feedback can improve student writing skills eSchool News The art of writing, invented roughly 5,000 years ago, represents a blip in human history. It's younger than agriculture, music, and construction. And as recently as the Revolutionary War, a majority of Americans couldn't put pen to paper. In short: Writing remains a new feat of technology. We're still figuring it out. Despite its relative youth, writing has evolved into a vital skill. READ MORE Recommendations for long-term English learners Language Magazine Ten years after their groundbreaking publication, Reparable Harm called attention to California's long-term English learners (LTELs), Californians Together has released Renewing Our Promise, a research and policy report by Manuel Buenrostro & Julie Maxwell-Jolly, that focuses on supporting LTELs. This report is a call to action to use the information and policy gains of the last decade to accelerate improvement for these students. In particular, the English Learner Roadmap offers key guidance to school districts for improving outcomes for English learner students — including LTELs and those at risk of becoming LTELs. READ MORE .EDUCATION RESEARCH How to help kids with 'long COVID' thrive in school The Conversation Children who experience long COVID will need support at school. Some symptoms – such as fatigue, brain fog and memory impairment – are similar to those experienced after a concussion. But because these symptoms are challenging to identify or to track, it can be difficult for teachers to know how to help. We are researchers who study how schools manage concussions and the prevalence of long COVID and associated mental health outcomes. We believe strategies that schools use to support students with concussions may also help those with prolonged COVID-19 symptoms. READ MORE Reimagine education to help students thrive Institute for the Future of Education In the last year and a half, thanks to COVID-19, it seems that everything has changed, especially education. Beyond moving from physical classrooms to online classes, the pandemic challenged the educational community to imagine teaching and learning differently. It forced us to rethink what matters when it comes to educating a generation of students who have had to endure contingency. READ MORE .IN THE STATES Schools are open, but Cleveland kids keep cutting class: Chronic absenteeism is more than double pre-pandemic levels The 74 The Cleveland school district has mostly returned to normal this fall after thousands of students vanished during the pandemic last academic year, but a big aftershock has officials worried — twice as many students are skipping class than before COVID hit. Nearly half of Cleveland’s students, 47%, are on pace to be chronically absent so far this school year. Citing pandemic stress, not feeling supported and being scared of COVID among the reasons they’ve been skipping class, students have missed 10% or more of class in the first seven weeks of school. READ MORE Report: Florida positioned to be national leader on education-workforce continuum Florida Politics Florida could be a national leader in aligning students’ careers with employers' needs, according to a report from education advocates. As a follow-up to its nationwide Pathways Matter report detailing the "continuum" between education and employment, ExcelinEd recently released a Florida-specific report calling the state a new national leader after it made significant strides in improving the connection between education, training and the workforce. READ MORE California still lags in helping long-term English learners EdSource The coalition Californians Together released a new report Wednesday on long-term English learners, defined as students who have been enrolled in school in the U.S. for more than six years, but who have not yet achieved full academic fluency in English. Research shows most students who speak a language other than English at home become proficient in English within five to seven years. Those students who take longer are at risk of never becoming fluent and missing out on academic content in other classes unless schools do more to support them. READ MORE A district at 'a pivot point': With every seat up for grabs, Atlanta school board election focuses on equity at a time of seismic racial shifts The 74 In a district experiencing seismic demographic shifts, candidates represent a wide cross section of residents, from some who prioritize the most marginalized students to those who are well-connected to the city’s power structure. Atlanta is an emerging tech hub, where projects like Microsoft’s westside campus are driving up local real estate costs. Lower-income families are increasingly fleeing the city for more affordable housing in the suburbs, leaving some advocates to wonder if their voices are being heard. READ MORE .ASSOCIATION NEWS Thinking Upstream NAESP A concept made popular by bestselling author and 2021 NAESP Pre-K-8 Principals Conference keynote Dan Heath—thinking upstream—can help you adjust your thinking and identify and solve problems in your school before they happen. We asked members to share their upstream problems—what crises are percolating just beneath the surface—and how they hope to get ahead of them as they school year continues. Here’s what they had to say. READ MORE Center for Diversity Leadership: Coffee and Cultural Conversations NAESP For this month’s Coffee and Cultural Conversation, NAESP Center for Diversity Leadership fellows Ryan Daniel and Edgardo Castro will lead a discussion on Twitter about social identity. Social identity refers to belonging to different social groups, and it can also be used to explain intergroup behavior. As educational leaders, it is our responsibility to ensure the uniqueness and complexity of our students are seen, understood, and valued. This conversation is designed to explore our own social identities as school leaders and how they impact and influence our interactions with the school communities we serve. To join the conversation, use #naespCDL. 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Read more   Healthcare Collaboration   Promoted by GE Healthcare   Principal Insights Connect with NAESP Hailey Golden, Director of Publishing, Multiview, 469-420-2630 | Download media kit Anastasia Logan, Content Editor, MultiView, 469-420-2655 | Contribute News National Association of Elementary School Principals 1615 Duke Street  |  Alexandria, VA 22314  800-386-2377  |  Contact Us  |  www.naesp.org Click here to unsubscribe.  Learn how to add us to your safe sender list so our emails get to your inbox. ADVERTISE SUBSCRIBE PAST ISSUES   7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063