The strategic planning process begins in the spring for many schools. It can be challenging for school leadership teams to shift their thinking from closing out the current year to preparing for the next. In April, I reviewed The School Improvement Planning Handbook by Duke, Carr, and Sterrett. Their seven-step plan for developing and implementing school improvement plans is a good place to start.



They recommend the following steps:



1. Data gathering- use multiple sources,… Continue

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights issued a letter of guidance last week to charter schools (see link below). While supportive in tone, it laid out clear expectations regarding the application of civil rights laws in charter schools. This is good news for all schools. Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Catherine E. Lhamon’s letter suggests that a new level of transparency needs to be practiced by charter schools.



Charter schools have been criticized for… Continue

The middle of May signals the start of the “mad rush” toward the last day of school. Students, teachers, parents, and administrators are faced with fitting in all of the things that need to be done between now and the final school day. This can be exciting and overwhelming at the same time. Here are a few quick tips for each group that may make the coming days a little less stressful.



Students

-provide students with consistency over the final weeks

-lower their stress… Continue

The Mexican holiday, Cinco de Mayo, commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla. While it is a holiday that many Americans enjoy, it also inadvertently reinforces cultural stereotypes. Let’s take the opportunity this Cinco de Mayo to think about how we can foster culturally responsive teaching in our schools and classrooms.



Eileen Whelan Ariza, author of Not for ESOL Teachers, shares the following culturally responsive teaching strategies that are… Continue