STEM does not mean teaching more. It means teaching differently. It requires project and problem based learning. It requires partnerships with businesses and the health care industry. Science and technology are pushing our lives forward simultaneously. Math, in the service of science, technology, and problem solving, is a partner. New engineers will benefit from innovative design programs supported by the arts and informed by history to break open how we illuminate our homes, play…

As the list of 21st century learning attributes grows, what is included in the learning process to be evaluated grows along with it. Are we willing to rely on the existing manner of assessment and grades as evidence of learning? Or, is evidence of successful teaching and learning a mixture of achievement on tests, motivation of all learners to engage in the process, reduced discipline incidents, increased attendance rates, and, just maybe, increased student…

Leaders' beliefs about technology and lack of understanding about the dynamic and sometimes invisible nature of the use of technology are two barriers to progress.  If a systematic plan for increasing technology applications does not exist in a school or system, question why.  When new standards are required, schools traditionally have planned out professional development, purchases of new texts and/or supplies, and observed as teachers have adopted and used these new methods and…

The public's unforgiving criticism of the recent snowstorm that hit the northeast offers an exaggerated insight into the ongoing commentary about the work of educators and the politicians who they have voted into office. It is good to have open discussions.  But Monday morning quarterbacking is best only done by those who have made the decisions. For them it is called reflection. Including in that reflection those affected by the decisions is wisdom.  …

The principalship is complicated. Along with the increasing responsibilities and demand for a growing knowledge base, principals have welcomed a variety of different types of learners, an increased number of English language learners, and a growing number of children living in poverty. They have had to learn how to coach and mentor teachers who have to learn about different abilities, second language acquisition, cultural differences for those entering our country, the impact of…

Though we are New Yorkers, we try to write with relevancy for all who lead education. But, sometimes, the best examples do come from our state....well, maybe not best, perhaps a better word is striking. New York's Governor Andrew M. Cuomo was recently re-elected to a second term. He has enthusiastically claimed the  "we must improve schools" podium, stepping into his school improvement agenda including pre-k programs and teacher evaluation.…

Can we deny that there are those who have bestowed tenure on those who didn't deserve it? Can we deny that there are those who could do a better job of developing their teachers and principals?  These debates bring with them confusion, resentment, and resistance. We have also seen top notch professionals commit daily to getting better and to caring even more. Most of us want a surgeon, if we need one, to have performed an operation multiple times before we come under the laser or the…

Whether a school has a majority of its students living in poverty, or only a small percentage of students living in poverty, keeping poverty on our minds is important.  Reading about, talking about, and doing something about those students living in poverty may cause us to do something different from what is happening for those students now   Read more....

Leaders, do not mistake an introvert as one without capacity to lead. Whether a superintendent looking at a pool of candidates for other leadership positions in the district, or principals looking for teacher leaders, or teachers considering teacher leadership, all need to pay attention. Create time and spaces for introverts to contribute and increase the number of opportunities for leadership and quiet leaders to emerge.  …

Exhausted from the changes that have taken place in these last years, no one can accuse schools of not trying.  Before there is little energy left, we offer a solution that is both simple and enormous.  Stop.  Stop adding programs, changing programs, and exchanging programs. Stop responding to external pressures as they arise. Start thinking about the system as a whole. What is the central purpose? It must always begin with the children. If we begin and end with the…

The documentary "Life Itself" about the life of Roger Ebert is a multi-dimensional study of a very interesting man and his work.  He was the first film critic to receive a Pulitzer Prize (1975) for film criticism. His writing was recognized as being insightful and revelatory. As a critic, he was viewed as a true expert of the cinema. One slice of the documentary that is of particular importance to educators is when Martin Scorsese spoke about receiving reviews from Roger Ebert.…

Any current evaluation tool based upon established teaching and leading standards, no matter how they came to be, can serve as architecture. They are the "what" of the process.  Think of them as the steel beams of the process...and that is all.  What happens as the floors, ceilings, windows, HVAC systems, walls, and furnishings are put in place remains a locally controlled issue. They are the "how" of the process.  The "how" is most certainly a personal, and locally…

Developing and nurturing positive relationships with parents and community members is a key to a healthy school/community relationship. Parents who feel connected to the school and its leaders and teachers are active participants in the education of their children. They are also ambassadors to other parents in the community. Their positive and respectful attitude toward the school and education, we hope, passes to their children.  …

At this time of year, predictions accompany resolutions and often, by the time the trees bud and the crocus pop through the frozen earth, both the predictions and the resolutions are forgotten.  Now, there are predictions being made about the Common Core, eRate, high stakes standardized tests, teacher tenure and more. Resolutions are being made about behaviors that support good mental and physical health. But, we'd like to begin the New Year with a resolution that is more fundamental;…

If educating the "whole child" is becoming a central theme in the work of schools, we must know the whole child: the whole child includes their family life circumstances, their needs, feelings, and experiences. Poverty and incarceration exist in the lives of some of our children. Hour Children...in Long Island City is an organization worth considering as a model. The organization's name reflects the belief that the lives of these children are formed around three hours: the hour…

Standardized testing (now dubbed 'high stakes testing') has something in common with Carnegie Units. They are boundaries educators face, push against, and climb over. They are also barriers that in some cases are perceived rather than real. But they do go hand in hand with each other. At this point we are all keenly aware of the negative views of the use of standardized testing and some are becoming aware of the clash between the need for flexibility in 21st century schools and…

Grades are part of schooling and of how teachers communicate progress and development to parents.  How can this idea ever take hold especially in a public school?  Or, for that matter, how can the use of standardized tests used as high stakes measures ever be diminished?  We wonder. As the power of social media grows and the engagement of those who are advocating to abolish grades catches fire, is living in the "can't happen world" becoming a dangerous place?…

Schools need to be re-designed now but across the nation bond issues to refurbish existing facilities continue. Change is demanded by the times we live in, by those who are at the edge of the new economy and, most importantly, by the children who are arriving at school. Once the world starts spinning, it is natural to hold to what has worked in the past. Public schools have served well for a century or two. They are also one of the few remaining relics of communities that used to be…

Confounding findings from the recent Brookings Institute reported that superintendents could not be directly connected to student achievement. The report found that,  "In the end, it is the system that promotes or hinders student achievement. Superintendents are largely indistinguishable."…

No one, no teacher, no school leader, no one escapes the complex responsibilities our jobs and our lives include.  Balancing our lives and our work requires thoughtful organization...think of it as our life's inbox.  Clutter in our minds is tantamount to clutter in our inbox and visa-versa.  The effect of making a To Do List in order to de-clutter our minds and help us accomplish what needs to be done, unpacking and organizing thoughts can be duplicated by taking control of our bulging…