Penn State and the Perils of Loyalty

In central Pennsylvania today, an educational institution is reeling, its reputation shredded, its culture suspect. The root cause of the Pennsylvania State University tragedy is alleged sexual abuse of children. But, beyond that, school officials and observers are pondering a seeming breach of common standards of decency—a breach that, if real, can be traced to a disastrous,…

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Solving the Parent Involvement Puzzle

Anne T. Henderson is a Senior Consultant with the Annenberg Institute for School Reform and based in Washington D.C., where her…

Full-Day Kindergarten: One Educator's Change of Heart

What do you do with a 5-year-old, sobbing mess? I can distinctly remember dropping my daughter, Sara, off for her first day of kindergarten several years ago. Up until then, Sara was what my wife and I called, a "preschool journeyman." She had attended at least three different preschools between the ages of 3 and 5. However, these were all half-day programs, and this was our first…

Emphasize the Ambitious: Q&A With Kati Haycock

Kati Haycock, the president of The Education Trust and a warrior in the battle to close achievement gaps, reflects on the value of NCLB, what’s she learned about the task, and what’s required to move ahead, in an interview with Phi Delta…

Report Card Redesign – What Should Be Reported?

Of Monsters and Math

Keven Kroehler is the Director of Operations at EdVisions Schools in Henderson, MN. In this post, he explores student engagement and the lessons from the Pixar film, Monsters Inc. (Just in time for Halloween!)

Think about it. Engaged students might learn more than unengaged students. Yep, that makes sense. So the solution to our education woes may be as simple as engaging our students. But how easy is…

Teacher Leadership's Gaining Momentum--Where Are We Going?

The Parent Portal: The Pros and Cons of Transparent Gradebooks

Heather Wolpert-Gawron