Why we decided to launch the Great American Teach-Off, and how it will work (updated)

Superintendents' Most Creative School Closing Announcements

From the Leadership Lite (humor page) in the January issue of School Administrator magazine:…

Bitter cold is preventing some schools from reopening after the winter holiday break. Even the Deep South is shivering this week. Snow storms continue to pummel others where snowfall measurements seem incomprehensible. Whether returning to school this week or not, vast numbers of Americans traveled somewhere during these past few weeks. Families of multiple generations met to enjoy dinners and exchange gifts. We were among those and we realized that in each of those where young people…

....sight-words and dumbing down.

Yes, there's a big cosmic battle going on. The Education Establishment likes to discuss reading as a dry scientific subject. Of course, they say, we need sight-words because phonics doesn't work all the time. So they say.

Meanwhile, here's what does work all the  time. Sight-words dumb down their victims…

Text Messaging Can Boost Grades and Attendance

Another strategy to file in the “cheap and effective” category: A study published this year found that weekly automated text messages sent to parents about their child’s grades, absences, and…

Reflective Writing Exercises Can Improve Student Outcomes

When students write about their personal values, it can help them feel more positive about themselves and their futures, promoting a growth mindset and creating a protective buffer against many harmful experiences. In one study, a reflective writing assignment helped students of color deal…

Schools have always struggled with how to deal with the act of bullying. That struggle has changed as social values and technology change. Now, we have training programs to mitigate these behaviors.  Professional development for the adults and assemblies for the students hold lessons in how to recognize and respond to a bully. Witnesses are taught to speak up and not simply be bystanders. Those who exhibit bullying behaviors receive discipline. But, presently, a type of bullying is…