b.y.o.t bring your own thoughts
the latest on all student-centered models, leadership development, strategic planning, teacher retention, and all things innovation in k-12 education. we answer questions before you think to ask them.
district leadership | school leadership | teacher retention
the stories, run in newspapers across the country each week, paint a desperate picture: a pre-k teacher in texas juggling two classrooms alone; classes across the country led by a recurring series of long-term substitutes with no formal training; a school district in pennsylvania forced to shorten school days due to lack of staff; districts in north carolina reporting hundreds of vacant teaching positions even as the school year begins. in the words of national education association (nea) union leader becky pringle: “the educator shortage is a five alarm crisis.”
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curriculum strategy & adoption | district leadership | school leadership | strategic planning
the creation of a shared instructional vision brings many benefits to a school or district. an instructional vision can provide a shared understanding of what instructional excellence looks, feels, and sounds like. it aligns classroom practices to a clear set of principles and expectations. it can also bring instructional unity to any district plagued with uncertainty about instructional practices. there is a common misconception that a superintendent should create an instructional vision in isolation and only rely on the most current research and best practices. and that once an instructional vision is in place and shared, then it will be easily understood, accepted, and adopted by district leaders, school leaders, teachers, staff, and students.
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curriculum strategy & adoption | district leadership | school leadership
the most successful school leaders we work with understand that high-quality instructional materials (hqim) improve student engagement and are a key resource in addressing schooling loss. they also know that materials, while a critical lever, are only one piece of the necessary elements for shifting teacher practice and improving student outcomes. in this blog post, we provide a brief list of things principals should know about high-quality instructional materials as they get started with adopting or implementing new materials.
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school leadership | teacher retention
the teacher attrition crisis in us education has been in the headlines a lot in recent months. many districts and schools started the 22-23 school year woefully understaffed, leading districts to implement drastic stop gap measures just to open their doors. some districts opened this fall with armies of substitute teachers, shortened school days, and were forced to implement confusing and sub-optimal alternative schedules.
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instructional coaching | school leadership
educators are often described as superheros; this includes instructional leaders. here's our superhero-inspired, 3 simple actions that instructional leaders can take in the next month to ensure that teachers and students marvel at their own growth this year. (see what we did there!)
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school leadership | teacher retention
teacher turnover is an issue that has impacted school districts all across the country. teachers are leaving the profession in record numbers while not enough are entering it. therefore school districts are scrambling to fill vacancies with qualified educators. teacher retention is a complicated issue. it is a challenge that has many facets, none of which seem to have simple solutions. it is in times like these that we turn to our leaders for guidance. fortunately great leadership has proven to be a key lever in retaining our nation’s teachers.
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