With the appointment of Betsy DeVos for education secretary, many are understandably predicting a proliferation of vouchers and charter schools. It is her espoused solution for guaranteeing a fair and equitable education for all students, no matter their zip code. Since that is also the goal of public education... equal access to success... and zip codes may be one of the problems that prevents success for all, why can't we get behind the voucher and charter solution? …

 Whether it is TV news or online, most are getting news from a screen and the younger the population the more the source is online. This past summer the Pew Foundation reported that four-in-ten Americans often get news online. School leaders have to identify their own capacity to separate true news from fake news and then ascertain what skill levels…

As you read this blog, in your home or office or somewhere in the world on a mobile device, chances are you are not hungry or cold or in pain. Chances are during this season you are making a list and checking it twice.  And, for many educators, it is likely you are contributing to help a family in need. Yes, educators are safe from the life realities of the students they serve. It may be literally impossible to remain openhearted and empathetic if we do not walk in the shoes of…

Our recent post Boss and Buddy: Can a Leader Be Both? provoked comments from our readers that captured our attention. We found them eye opening and wanted to respond. As we thought about them, we realized a larger reality. What do teachers think of the job their leaders are doing? Is that how the leaders think they are perceived? When we wrote …

Why wouldn't policy makers, business people, and those who have never lived a day in a public school think that if they opened the doors to competition, schools would improve? Here is why. It defies imagination that teachers working with students would work harder or better or differently if they were competing to keep them in their classrooms and schools.  It is offensive to think that we don't bring our biggest hearts and highest skill to the school and classroom every day. But,…

Leaders have many functions to perform. That myriad of roles complicates the nature of the relationships a leader can develop and maintain within the organization and the community. Leaders will inevitably be faced with situations where they must require the faculty and staff to respond with immediate compliance. But, most issues and situations allow for the space and time to act with understanding and compassion, to be the lead listener.  …

 In the wake of a bitter and unprecedented election cycle, and a wave of hate speech and bullying in American schools. it is hard not to feel discouraged. I wake up at night, fearful for the many communities targeted with hateful rhetoric and violence. Social media can help us repair communities and document incidents, but it can raises new questions for educators.

For example, a video of students in Royal Oaks, MI …