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4 Habits That Land You Bylines in Major Business Publications

Have you ever wanted to be a columnist? Writing regularly for a business publication can deliver powerful benefits. Entrepreneurs who share clear, experience-based advice can build credibility fast, grow their audience, attract new clients, secure speaking opportunities, and expand their professional network. Publishing useful insights also signals to readers that you truly understand your industry.

As a writing teacher, I’ve had many entrepreneurs ask how to land a column at a well-known publication. In 2017 so many people wanted guidance that a colleague and I created a writing class—and eventually a small business—focused on helping founders become regular contributors. If I were teaching that class today, here’s the high-level advice I would give to anyone serious about becoming a consistent, influential columnist.

Define your unique voice

Every entrepreneur has a distinct set of experiences and perspectives. The first step toward writing a column is identifying what makes your point of view different. Start by listing specific lessons you’ve learned while building and running your business—mistakes, experiments, frameworks, and surprising findings. Group those lessons into themes that naturally form a series of pieces. Narrow that list to the strongest ideas that will resonate with a target audience, whether that’s first-time founders, marketing leaders, or enterprise executives.

When defining your voice, think about tone and approach: are you a practical advisor who offers step-by-step tactics? A storyteller who shares vivid examples and case studies? A contrarian who challenges common wisdom? Consistency in tone helps readers recognize you over time and increases the chance they’ll return for each new column.

Develop a topic framework

Map out a topical framework you can reuse. A framework might include categories such as leadership lessons, growth tactics, hiring and culture, fundraising, and product strategy. For each category, sketch 6–12 specific article ideas. Having a ready list of article concepts makes pitching easier and helps maintain a steady output.

Prioritize ideas by originality and usefulness. Editors and readers value fresh, actionable insight over broad platitudes. Before drafting, ask: What can I teach that most founders haven’t heard before? What concrete steps or examples can I provide? Strong, narrowly focused pieces are more likely to be assigned and shared.

Build a portfolio and publish often

Editors want to see that you can write clearly and consistently. If you don’t yet have published work, start by posting well-edited essays on your blog, LinkedIn, or a personal newsletter. Assemble your best pieces into a brief portfolio you can share with editors. Prioritize clarity, strong openings, and concrete takeaways—these qualities make your work editorial-ready.

Regular publishing demonstrates commitment. Aim to publish something—short or long—on a predictable schedule, whether weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Consistency helps refine your voice, builds audience trust, and supplies a record of work that editors can review.

Craft a strong pitch

When you’re ready to approach a publication, your pitch should be concise, editor-focused, and tailored. Lead with a one-sentence hook that states your argument or the lesson you’ll teach. Follow with 2–3 bullets that outline the article structure or the evidence you’ll use—examples, data, or case studies. Include 1–2 links to your best work so the editor can quickly assess your style and credibility. If you have a series idea that fits the outlet, mention it; editors often appreciate contributors who can deliver multiple timely pieces.

Optimize for readers and search

Good writing serves both human readers and discoverability. Use clear, searchable headlines that include relevant keywords—terms your target audience would use when searching for help. Lead with a compelling opening that promises a benefit, then organize the piece with subheadings, numbered lists, and bolded takeaways to improve scannability. When appropriate, include real examples and metrics to increase credibility and shareability.

Make it easy for editors

Editors have limited time. Respect their process by meeting deadlines, following style guidelines, and being open to edits. If you promise a piece, deliver on schedule and make revisions quickly. Over time, reliability is as valuable as originality and can lead to recurring columns or regular assignments.

Amplify and measure impact

After publication, share your column across your channels and encourage employees, partners, and customers to engage. Track engagement metrics—page views, shares, comments, new subscribers, and inbound inquiries—to understand what resonates. Use that insight to refine topic selection and tone for future pieces.

Keep iterating

Writing a column is a marathon, not a sprint. Expect to refine your voice, tighten your pitches, and learn from feedback. Stay curious, keep documenting lessons from your business, and treat every published piece as both an opportunity to help readers and a step toward greater influence in your field.

With a clear voice, a topical framework, a short portfolio, and consistent effort, any entrepreneur can move from occasional bylines to a regular column that builds authority, opens doors, and creates lasting value for both the writer and their readers.

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Is Helicopter Parenting Rewiring Children’s Brains?

Last month I wrote about helicopter parenting arriving in the workplace. That pattern — once most visible in family homes — now follows young people into college dorms and careers. Parents who hover, intervene quickly, or remove obstacles for their children often do so from anxiety, a desire to protect against failure, or cultural pressures tied to success. But how does neuroscience interpret these behaviors, and what practical steps can parents, educators, and managers take to reduce harm and build resilience?

What neuroscience reveals about helicopter parenting

Neuroscience does not define “helicopter parenting” as a discrete brain disorder, but it does study the family of behaviors that characterize it: overprotection, intrusive control, limited autonomy, and frequent intervention in a child’s problem solving. Research into brain development and behavior highlights several consistent themes. Early life experiences shape neural circuits that govern emotion regulation, stress responses, error processing, and decision-making. Environments that limit opportunities for manageable risk and independent problem solving can slow the development of self-regulation and reduce exposure to the normal learning that comes from mistakes.

For example, repeated shielding from failure prevents young people from practicing coping strategies when they face setbacks. Over time, this can make emotional reactions to stress feel more intense and unfamiliar, which in turn can increase dependence on external reassurance. Similarly, if children are not given gradual responsibility, the neural pathways that support planning, persistence, and flexible thinking may develop more slowly than they otherwise would. Neuroscience emphasizes plasticity — the brain’s capacity to change with experience — which means that parenting approaches can either promote resilience or reinforce avoidance, depending on the environment they provide.

How these effects show up in college and the workplace

When helicopter behaviors continue into late adolescence and early adulthood, the consequences often emerge in academic and professional settings. Young adults who have not had repeated chances to solve problems independently may struggle with complex tasks, tolerate criticism poorly, or seek immediate support rather than trying alternative solutions. In work environments, this can look like frequent requests for oversight, difficulty coping with ambiguity, and reduced initiative. At the same time, managers and teammates who respond by further accommodating or shielding can unintentionally create a cycle that prevents skill building.

Practical steps rooted in neuroscience

Neuroscience points to interventions that encourage healthy brain development and adaptive behavior. These strategies apply both to parents and to supervisors who want to support the next generation without undermining their growth:

Promote manageable challenges. Give children and young adults tasks with a clear, achievable level of risk so they can practice problem solving and learn from mistakes. Successes and small failures both contribute to neural learning.
Gradually increase responsibility. Move from close guidance to more independent decision-making over time. This helps build the cognitive control and planning skills that underlie autonomy.
Teach coping and reflection. Encourage naming emotions, pausing before reacting, and reflecting on what worked or didn’t after a setback. These habits strengthen emotion-regulation circuits.
Set boundaries while offering support. Be available to advise without taking over. Clear limits combined with consistent support signal safety while preserving opportunities for learning.
Model resilience and problem-solving. Demonstrate how to manage uncertainty, solicit feedback, and iterate on solutions. Adults who show adaptive responses provide templates that young people can internalize.
Create supportive environments at work and school. Managers and educators can build cultures that reward effort, normalize constructive feedback, and scaffold autonomy so people can stretch their abilities progressively.

Addressing helicopter tendencies requires patience and small, sustained changes. Neuroscience suggests that replacing protection with guided independence promotes healthier stress responses, stronger emotion regulation, and better capacity to handle real-world challenges. Parents, mentors, and leaders who apply these principles help young people develop the skills they need to succeed in college dorms, careers, and life beyond.

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Weekly News Roundup: Top Headlines This Week

Lawmakers, school officials meet over facial recognition technology in schools – By Kathleen Shannon, Montana Public Radio

State lawmakers reviewing the use of facial recognition technology raised concerns about student privacy and oversight when the technology is deployed in K–12 settings. Montana Public Radio reported at least one school district is already using the technology, which prompted the Economic Affairs Interim Committee to convene a meeting with school officials and education groups.

At the session, committee members heard from a district using facial recognition and representatives of major public school associations and state education agencies. Kris Goss, Director of Policy Services for the Montana School Boards Association, told lawmakers there are no specific Montana statutes that apply exclusively to facial recognition in schools. Instead, companies and districts must rely on broader state and federal privacy laws and existing contractual protections when handling student data.

“Compliance matters for vendors and districts alike,” Goss said, noting that student privacy is a top concern for those who advise school boards on legal and policy issues. The committee discussed how current legal frameworks apply and whether additional safeguards or clearer rules are needed to protect children’s biometric and personally identifiable information.

Representative Katie Sullivan, a Democrat in the Montana House, emphasized the trade-offs involved. While facial recognition can support campus safety and access control, she pointed to the important question of who controls and uses students’ data and whether those third-party companies use it appropriately.

Nebraska schools using federal COVID relief to invest in social emotional learning – By Laura Wagner, Omaha.com

This school year, many Nebraska classrooms have added new morning routines focused on students’ emotional well-being. Alongside traditional items such as the Pledge of Allegiance and attendance, teachers are introducing mood check-ins, listening sessions and other activities designed to help students express how they are feeling.

Districts statewide are directing federal COVID-19 relief dollars toward social and emotional learning (SEL) programs. Schools are using these funds to hire additional mental health professionals, expand SEL curriculum that teaches coping strategies and emotional regulation, and provide tools that support student resilience after the pandemic.

State and national data show the pandemic has intensified mental health needs among children and adolescents since 2020. In response, Nebraska districts and schools across the country are investing federal relief money to bolster supports that prioritize students’ social and emotional health as part of their recovery and long-term success.

Governor Greg Abbott appoints Texas’ first school safety and security chief – By Micah Ward, District Administration

Texas Governor Greg Abbott named John P. Scott as the first chief of school safety and security for the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The position was created in the wake of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde and is intended to strengthen statewide coordination on school safety policies.

According to public information, Scott is a former U.S. Secret Service agent who served in the Vice Presidential Protective Division and later in the Dallas field office. In accepting the TEA role, Scott said he intends to collaborate closely with partner agencies and local school systems to promote best practices and help ensure campuses are taking appropriate measures to protect students and staff.

The new chief’s responsibilities are expected to include ensuring implementation of school safety policies passed by the legislature and advising districts on actions that reduce the risk of violent incidents and other threats to school communities.

NC’s school bus shortage is real – despite new pay raises – By Alex Granados, EdNC

Across North Carolina, districts are reporting persistent shortages of school bus drivers, even as some systems have raised pay to attract and retain staff. In one district, superintendent Keith Parker temporarily drove a bus route himself after a driver shortage threatened to delay students’ arrival to school.

District leaders say the shortage forces remaining drivers to cover multiple routes and can lead to late starts for students — a challenge that is particularly acute in districts working to improve academic outcomes. School administrators statewide continue to seek solutions, from recruitment campaigns to improved pay and training, but many report the driver shortage remains a significant operational issue.

Katherine Joyce, executive director of the North Carolina Association of School Administrators, has heard concerns from districts across the state. While exact statewide figures are difficult to quantify, feedback from local leaders indicates the shortage is widespread and ongoing.

This week’s News briefs were brought to you by The Learning Counsel.

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Students: Education’s Most Untapped Resource

By Betsy Hill and Roger Stark

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

– William Butler Yeats

Education has changed dramatically in many ways over millennia, yet one enduring pattern remains: teaching is still often viewed as the primary vehicle for learning.

Technology evolves. Thirty thousand years ago, people created enduring cave paintings near Montignac in southwestern France. Millennia later, papyrus and the printing press made information more portable and widely available. The electric telegraph shrank distances for communication, the World Wide Web transformed global information access, and most recently generative artificial intelligence has entered public awareness. Still, despite these technological leaps, the central role of a teacher as the conduit of knowledge persists.

But the landscape of learning is shifting. Students today bring vast, often untapped potential to the classroom. When educators shift the emphasis from teacher-led delivery to student-centered empowerment, learning becomes deeper, more engaging, and more equitable. The aim is to create classrooms where students arrive ready to learn, take responsibility for their progress, and develop a lifelong love of learning.

Ask yourself the following questions:

What if every student arrived in class prepared and motivated to learn?

What if we could close the achievement gaps that affect economically disadvantaged students, learners with disabilities, and English language learners?

What if behavioral challenges decreased because students felt capable and engaged?

What if each student took more responsibility for their own learning, reducing stress and increasing confidence?

From Passive to Active Learning

When books became widely available, education scaled to meet the needs of many more learners, and instructional models inspired by mass production encouraged whole-group, teacher-centered instruction. That approach can leave students as passive recipients of information, with limited opportunities to question, explore, or develop higher-order thinking skills. Passive models often prioritize memorization over understanding and fail to fully use the unique perspectives each student brings.

Children are naturally curious, but rigid curricula and standardized testing can suppress that curiosity. Shifting to student-led inquiry—in which learners pursue questions, investigate real problems, and make decisions about their learning—reawakens intrinsic motivation. This approach fosters autonomy, nurtures creativity, and strengthens the cognitive skills learners need to think deeply and solve problems.

Every student is born with cognitive abilities—attention, visual and auditory processing, memory, executive functions like planning and organization, and higher reasoning skills. These abilities form the foundation for learning. Cognitive training, sometimes called brain training, targets these skills intentionally. Effective programs are comprehensive and integrated, addressing multiple cognitive processes to improve a learner’s capacity to acquire and apply knowledge.

Welcome Diversity

Classrooms are rich with diversity: cultural backgrounds, life experiences, languages, and ways of thinking. When educators intentionally draw on this diversity, learning becomes more collaborative and inclusive. Encouraging students to share their perspectives, engage in respectful discussion, and work together on authentic tasks expands understanding, builds empathy, and prepares learners for a multicultural world.

Cultivate Critical Thinking

Critical thinking and problem-solving are essential skills for the 21st century, yet they are often underemphasized in traditional classrooms. Active learning—through projects, debates, and real-world problem solving—creates opportunities for students to analyze, evaluate, and apply knowledge. These experiences develop transferable skills that serve learners both inside and outside the classroom.

While better teachers, facilities, curricula, and technology are important, the internal cognitive capacities each student brings are central to learning success. Neuroscience shows that the brain is plastic: neural pathways change with experience and training. Cognitive skills significantly influence academic performance, accounting for a substantial portion of the differences observed among students. Improving these underlying capacities can transform how students learn from the inside out.

Despite their importance, training to build cognitive skills is rarely taught in traditional teacher preparation programs. Yet techniques to develop attention, memory, processing, and executive functions have been used for decades in clinical and educational settings. Today, computer-based and classroom-friendly cognitive training programs make it feasible to support every learner’s development.

Get Them Engaged

Meaningful, relevant curriculum and hands-on engagement do more than make school enjoyable: they produce measurable learning. When students can apply learning to real situations, retention improves and skills become durable beyond the test. Engagement helps develop problem-solving, communication, and creativity—abilities that reflect strengthened cognitive processing. As assessment moves from rote content recall to measuring mental processes, insights from neuroscience will guide more effective instruction.

Foster Creativity and Innovation

Creativity is essential for addressing complex challenges and generating new solutions, yet many systems still prioritize conformity. Classrooms that encourage exploration, open-ended projects, and imaginative thinking cultivate innovation. As students build cognitive capacity and confidence, they experience less stress, greater motivation, and increased classroom participation. Confident learners are less likely to act out and more likely to take on difficult tasks and persist until they succeed.

There is tremendous potential in positioning students as leaders of their learning. When we unlock creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving—while honoring diverse perspectives—education becomes a catalyst for personal growth and social progress. The path forward depends on trusting students to take the reins and helping them develop the cognitive tools they need to succeed.

About the authors

Betsy Hill is President of BrainWare Learning Company, which applies practical neuroscience to build learning capacity. An experienced educator, she has studied the connection between neuroscience and education with experts in the field. She has served on the board of trustees at Chicago State University and teaches strategic thinking in an MBA program. Betsy holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and an MBA. She is co-author of the book “Your Child Learns Differently, Now What?”.

Roger Stark is Co-founder and CEO of BrainWare Learning Company. He has championed making the science of learning, cognitive skills training, and assessment broadly accessible. Roger led development of BrainWare SAFARI, an integrated cognitive literacy training tool delivered online, and has worked with clinical collaborators to refine training approaches over many years. He is co-author of the book “Your Child Learns Differently, Now What?”.

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How a Texas EdTech Company Creates Personalized Learning

Summit K12’s Dynamic Science curriculum, adopted for the 2024 Texas Science proclamation, is a comprehensive K–12 science program built to transform how science is taught across Texas. Covering elementary, middle school, and high school Biology, Physics, and IPC, the curriculum blends hands-on investigations, literacy-rich resources, and personalized learning pathways to support teachers and students with modern, standards-aligned materials.

In this feature, John Kresky, founder and CEO of Summit K12, describes the program’s goals, authorship, partnerships, and supports for multilingual and special needs learners throughout Texas and beyond. He explains how the Dynamic Science suite integrates TEKS-aligned phenomena, virtual field investigations, interactive simulations, and scaffolded assessments to give every student a chance to succeed.

Robyn Shulman: Mr. Kresky, can you provide a high-level description of Summit K12 and its mission?

John Kresky: Summit K12 was founded to ensure every student can succeed when instruction is tailored to individual learning needs. Our materials help teachers differentiate instruction, monitor progress, accelerate learning, and provide accommodations so science and English language learners receive the support they need to meet state standards and thrive academically.

Shulman: What inspired the founding of Summit K12 in 2015?

Kresky: I started Summit K12 with the vision of creating an education publisher rooted in Texas practice and priorities. From the beginning, the goal was to empower teachers to deliver differentiated, culturally relevant instruction across diverse classrooms.

Created by Texas Educators for Texas Teachers

Shulman: How is Summit K12 distinct in its approach to science education in Texas?

Kresky: Our programs were developed by Texas educators specifically for Texas classrooms, integrating local phenomena, state standards, and authentic classroom practice. While the curriculum is tailored for Texas TEKS, the instructional design and resources are adaptable for districts nationwide.

Personalized Learning at Summit K12

Personalized learning means adapting instruction, content, and pacing to each student’s strengths and needs. Effective personalization relies on teachers knowing students well and connecting classroom learning to their lives and communities.

Shulman: How does Dynamic Science support personalized learning?

Kresky: Dynamic Science offers online tools for whole-class and small-group instruction, targeted review, and individualized practice. Teachers can assign differentiated lessons and monitor progress so students work at their own pace toward mastery, whether they need remediation or enrichment.

We also incorporate Texas-specific phenomena and multimedia—such as the ‘Kate the Chemist’ videos and virtual field investigations in state parks—so students connect science to real-world contexts inside and outside the classroom.

Shulman: Who authored the Dynamic Science materials?

Kresky: The content team includes an experienced editorial and professional development leadership group: past TSELA presidents and board members, a former STAT president, a former NSELA president, and multiple Texas district science directors and coordinators. Over 80 Texas K–12 science authors and editors contributed, and Summit K12 employs 150 Texas-based staff.

Professional Development for all Stakeholders

Shulman: How do you support teacher learning and implementation?

Kresky: Veteran Texas science educator Dr. Linda Cook leads our professional development efforts. We provide implementation webinars, on-site training, synchronous and asynchronous sessions, and resources for teachers, instructional coaches, district coordinators, principals, superintendents, and parents to support a transition to 3D teaching and learning.

Shulman: How can districts experience the professional development offerings?

Kresky: We schedule live training and maintain a webinar series and on-demand modules so districts can select formats that best meet their needs.

Support for All Texas Learners

Image by Summit K12©

Dynamic Science was built from the ground up to align with the 2024 Texas Science Proclamation. The courses incorporate updated Science TEKS, ELPS, RTCs, and SEPs, combining science instruction with literacy supports to make learning engaging and accessible. Vertical scaffolds, personalized learning plans, and built-in accommodations enable teachers to differentiate and accelerate learning across grade levels.

To support multilingual and special needs students, Dynamic Science embeds the TEA’s Accessibility Accommodations and Designated Supports and offers K–8 Spanish science courses suitable for multilingual, bilingual, dual-language, and ESL classrooms.

Working with Media and Thought Leaders in Science

Shulman: Who are some of your partners in developing the curriculum?

Kresky: Summit K12 collaborates with state and national science organizations, educators, and thought leaders. Partnerships include organizations and experts who contribute to media, curriculum design, and research-based practices. Dr. Okhee Lee’s research on science and language learning has informed our approach to supporting multilingual learners.

We produced a multi-part interview series with Dr. Lee that discusses contemporary approaches to science education and the intersection of language and disciplinary learning.

Engaging and Motivating All Students to Do Science with ‘Kate the Chemist’

Shulman: Tell us about the ‘Kate the Chemist’ collaboration.

Kresky: Dr. Kate Bieberdorf, a University of Texas professor and science communicator, worked with Summit K12 to co-create TEKS-based pre-lab, full-lab, and scientific phenomenon videos. These resources support K–12 instruction and ignite student curiosity through engaging demonstrations and real-world connections.

Curriculum Differentiation in Science

Shulman: Why is differentiation important in science?

Kresky: Differentiation tailors instruction to student needs, helping teachers identify learning gaps and provide appropriate scaffolds. TEKS-based vertical scaffolds in Dynamic Science are designed to build conceptual understanding across grade levels so all students can access rigorous science learning.

Honoring the Texas State Parks during its 100th Anniversary

To celebrate Texas State Parks’ centennial, Summit K12 partnered with numerous parks to produce TEKS-aligned virtual field investigation videos. These field investigations highlight local phenomena and park-based science, giving students statewide virtual access to natural and engineered sites. An eight-season plan supports ongoing exploration, with the 2024–25 season launching the series.

Science Guarantee

Shulman: What assurances accompany your assessment supports?

Kresky: Dynamic Science includes a patented STAAR Readiness Solution for grades 5, 8, and Biology. The solution is designed to help campuses reach a Domain 1 Science component score greater than 60 (an “A” level) and aligns assessments to new HB3906 items within the Dynamic Science assessment bank.

Relationship Managers you Can Trust Because they Reflect your Values

Kresky: Our District Relationship Managers are former classroom and district leaders who understand Texas schools. They guide districts through materials selection and support the transition to 3D teaching and learning, working alongside teachers and administrators during implementation.

Meet the Support Team at Summit K12

Shulman: How does your customer support team assist educators?

Kresky: Summit K12’s support team provides onboarding and ongoing help throughout the school year via phone and email. Many team members are former K–12 teachers with extensive classroom experience, enabling them to offer practical, classroom-tested guidance that addresses real implementation challenges.

Students

Shulman: How many Texas districts and students do you serve?

Kresky: Summit K12 currently serves 769 Texas school districts, 7,533 schools, 75,088 Texas teachers, and 1,368,112 Texas students.

The Dynamic Science Package

The Dynamic Science package offers a comprehensive set of instructional and assessment resources designed for Texas classrooms. Key features include:

• Student and teacher online access; 3D lesson guides aligned to TEKS, SEPs, and RTCs; teacher training and PD supports; a phenomena master library; instructional TEKS video lessons; TX virtual field investigations; Kate the Chemist lab videos; PHET simulations and virtual labs; science-literacy eBooks incorporating RLA TEKS; TEKS vocabulary mastery resources and image bank; newcomer science lessons and vocabulary; a STAAR Readiness Module for grades 5, 8, and Biology; a TEKS assessment bank with STAAR 2.0 items; personalized learning plans for STAAR review; optional printed teacher editions and 3D student activity workbooks; and optional lab materials kits.

English Language Learning

Shulman: Do your English language programs support other states?

Kresky: Yes. Summit K12 tailors English language learning supports to state expectations. In Texas we align with TELPAS; elsewhere we provide programs and supports tailored to other state assessments and consortiums, adapting materials to local needs.

Kresky: Our mission is to empower Texas to be a national leader in science teaching and learning. We invite districts and educators to review the Dynamic Science materials, meet the team, and consider a partnership for the coming years.

To learn more about Dynamic Science, request a free digital trial, or download program materials, please visit Summit K12’s Dynamic Science information and resource pages available through the publisher.

Summit K12©

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5 Unique Focus Areas for Teaching Science

Who was your favorite teacher growing up? What qualities do you remember most about that person, and why did they matter?

Yes—this is me in my first year of teaching. The 90s hair my students loved. This was my fourth-grade classroom, where I stepped in after my own teacher retired at Nelson School. But back to what really matters…

My first classroom and first year teaching

Two factors consistently determine whether students are engaged and motivated in the classroom: teachers who are genuinely passionate about their subject, and teachers who build strong, caring relationships with students. Positive student–teacher relationships often influence students’ aspirations, career choices, and future opportunities in meaningful ways.

Beyond a great teacher, an effective science curriculum should include the following core elements:

Hands-on, inquiry-driven learning
Opportunities to explore science beyond the classroom
Content that connects to students’ lives and experiences
Activities that develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills

Why science works so well in schools

Science engages students because it invites curiosity, experimentation, and discovery. It also pairs naturally with other subjects—especially language learning—so it can serve as a vehicle for broader academic growth. A strong science curriculum weaves together inquiry, literacy, communication, and real-world problem solving to deepen understanding and sustain interest.

Top five priorities for a successful science curriculum

The Teacher: An effective science program begins with an engaged teacher. Teachers who model enthusiasm for the subject create a positive classroom culture that motivates students to explore and persist. Even when students arrive with negative experiences or limited interest, a teacher’s energy and thoughtful instructional choices can rekindle curiosity and support students as they grow toward their goals. Research indicates that teacher enthusiasm influences student motivation and achievement across both in-person and online settings.

“The aim is not simply to make students like a topic, but to provide experiences that help them discover their own interests and strengths.”

Hands-on experiments and investigations: Science education shines when students actively investigate questions—formulating hypotheses, conducting tests, collecting data, and drawing conclusions. These inquiry cycles develop reasoning, analytical skills, and an approach to problem solving that transfers to many disciplines. Fieldwork, outdoor observations, and lab investigations make abstract ideas concrete and memorable.

Hands-on lessons also build collaboration: students work together to design experiments, interpret results, and explain findings to peers. That cooperative work supports social skills and deepens learning.

Cross-disciplinary connections: Science naturally integrates with language, math, technology, engineering, and the arts. For emergent bilingual learners, science lessons create meaningful contexts to practice academic English through vocabulary, reading, discussion, and documentation. Tools like graphic organizers, simulations, visual models, and short videos help students build both scientific understanding and language skills. When students see science linked to other subjects, they recognize its relevance and practical applications.

Differentiated instruction: Effective science instruction adapts to learners’ varied needs and styles. Differentiation can involve adjusting the complexity of tasks, offering alternative ways to demonstrate learning (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or project-based), or providing scaffolds and extensions. Science lends itself well to flexible grouping, tiered tasks, and personalized projects so every student can engage at an appropriate level and make steady progress.

Relevance and real-world connections: Students learn best when they see why a topic matters. Relating scientific concepts to everyday life—local ecosystems, climate issues, health, technology, or community projects—helps students connect classroom learning to real decisions and contemporary challenges. Simple field trips, neighborhood observations, or project-based assignments make science tangible and worth exploring.

Science influences public policy and individual choices in areas such as energy, agriculture, health, and technology. Teaching students how scientific knowledge informs real-world problems prepares them to engage thoughtfully as citizens and problem solvers.

These five elements—passionate teachers, inquiry-based learning, cross-disciplinary integration, thoughtful differentiation, and real-world relevance—work together to produce a strong, engaging science curriculum that builds deep understanding and a lasting appreciation for learning.

If you found these ideas useful, please consider connecting with me on LinkedIn and share this newsletter with colleagues who might benefit from practical strategies for building an effective science program.

Thank you for reading.

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How Diversity Education Builds Unity and Drives Progress

Written By: Mac-Z Zurawski

As educators committed to helping students bridge the gap between dreams and reality, we must make diversity a central part of our practice. In community classrooms—noncredit classes offered in community centers, nonprofits, and some corporate settings—learners arrive with varied life experiences, languages, cultures, and economic backgrounds. That mix is a powerful asset when instructors intentionally include diverse perspectives in conversation, materials, classroom activities, and personalized interactions. The goal is to build a welcoming, inclusive environment where every student feels seen, heard, and able to learn.

Endorse Diversity

Begin by acknowledging individual experiences and challenges. Use reflective questions and prompts that invite students to share their backgrounds and viewpoints. When learners tell their stories, trust grows and the group begins to cohere. Early conversations help reveal assumptions or stereotypes that should be addressed and set the tone for respectful interaction.

Because many community-class students are volunteers and have competing priorities, fostering an inclusive atmosphere early is especially important. Students who feel excluded are more likely to drop out. As an instructor, your role is to create a safe, comfortable learning environment where students know expectations for behavior and dialogue. A helpful resource for facilitating honest dialogue about race and identity is the handbook The Handbook of Race and Adult Education: A Resource for Dialogue on Racism by Brookfield and colleagues.

Example: In my ESL current events conversation class, I used an icebreaker related to protests and civic action. I asked, “What kinds of protests have you witnessed in your home country?” Students from Mexico, Burma, and Japan shared different experiences tied to very different political contexts. That conversation not only helped me learn about their backgrounds and perspectives on freedom of expression, it also revealed the kinds of political and civic topics they wanted to explore in class—questions about protests, inequality, and civic rights. Open, relevant conversation energized the course and guided my selection of materials.

Resource suggestions: Look for conversation-starter decks such as Cathy’s Cards, consider books like Way of Teaching: Tools and Techniques for Democratic Classrooms by Stephen Brookfield and Stephen Preskill, and explore classroom activities and respect-building exercises from multicultural education organizations and teacher resource sites. A web search for “diversity icebreakers” or “conversation starters for multicultural classrooms” will yield many practical ideas.

Use Global, Relevant Materials

The internet has dramatically expanded access to diverse content, allowing instructors to tailor readings and multimedia to reflect students’ histories and interests. Older textbooks often omit important voices; locating articles, news pieces, short biographies, and primary-source materials that reflect students’ cultures makes lessons more meaningful. When learners see themselves in the curriculum, engagement, motivation, and retention increase.

Example: For GED preparation classes with predominantly African American students, I select reading passages and comprehension exercises that touch on African American civic history—short pieces about figures such as Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—so learners connect academically and personally. In ESL classes, bringing news stories about events in students’ countries of origin—natural disasters, holidays, cultural celebrations—helps students feel the course relates directly to their lives and encourages participation.

Resource suggestions: Tap local public library databases for journals and articles; many libraries provide free access to research databases. Check adult civics curricula and resources designed for ESL or adult basic education, and search for curated lists of teaching materials that emphasize ethnic and cultural histories.

Restorative Teaching and Learning

Integrated classrooms are central to community life, but differences can sometimes produce conflict. Set clear expectations about respectful behavior from day one. Providing a short orientation to civil rights principles and classroom norms helps establish a shared understanding of what is acceptable.

Practical strategies include offering a discreet way for students to report concerns—such as a comment box for questions, worries, or reports of insensitive remarks—so issues can be addressed quickly and confidentially. When incidents occur, use restorative approaches that invite those affected and the responsible party to participate in a facilitated conversation. Restorative discussions allow the class to express harm, explain why language or actions were hurtful, and identify concrete steps to repair relationships. Adults respond well to learning opportunities that prioritize accountability and reconciliation over simple punishment.

If a situation escalates beyond the classroom or involves serious policy violations, involve your organization’s leadership or human resources. In small nonprofits and community programs, include available staff in finding resolutions so that the learning environment remains safe and productive for everyone.

Unity Is Key

Teaching in diverse settings has taught me how much volunteers, students, and instructors gain from learning across differences. When you intentionally include diverse voices and perspectives, you help learners build connections with each other, deepen their understanding of course content, and develop mutual respect. Confidence in your role as facilitator supports classroom unity: be clear about your expectations, consistent in enforcing norms, and open to learning from your students.

Community classrooms often face constraints—limited resources, time, and space—but those challenges can be overcome by creativity, commitment, and the generosity of volunteers. The more you engage students with relevant materials and respectful dialogue, the stronger the sense of belonging and curiosity will be in your classroom. Volunteer teachers and learners form communities that support personal growth and collective learning.

Please feel free to contact me with questions, comments, suggestions, or improvements. My intention is to help bridge the gap between dreams and reality for both students and teachers so we can create rich, inclusive learning experiences together.

Mac-Z Zurawski is an active community instructor in adult education throughout Chicago. She teaches an adult ESL current events class at Aquinas Literacy Center and tutors GED and U.S. citizenship preparation through Chicago Cares. She combines adult-learning principles and technology to design active, learner-centered environments. Inspired by her son’s early struggles with a severe speech impairment, she is committed to supporting learners who face barriers in education. Mac-Z serves on the Midwest Sociological Society’s Committee on Women in the Profession and works to develop workshops on networking and support for newcomers to academia. As a member of the Working Women’s History Project, she promotes awareness of women’s history. Her academic background includes political science, social justice studies, women and gender studies, sociology, and criminal justice, and she seeks opportunities to apply those interests in higher education and community-based teaching.

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Education Leaders: Preparing Schools for the Future

By Katherine Prince

Public schools remain foundational institutions in communities, serving students while supporting families, caregivers and broader neighborhoods that rely on them to prepare the next generation. Yet confidence in public institutions—including K-12 education—is declining. Schools face growing resource constraints, rising expectations, and ongoing debate about how to meet evolving community needs. At the same time, many students feel a disconnect between classroom learning and the realities they face now and the skills they will need in the future.

Daily operations are further strained by frequent disruptions, from extreme weather and cyberattacks to polarizing debates about curriculum and instruction. The rapid integration of artificial intelligence into classrooms is changing both what and how students learn, prompting difficult questions about creativity, judgment and human-machine collaboration. These overlapping pressures put both the effectiveness and the perceived public value of education at risk in the coming decade.

Given this context, education leaders must intentionally design learning systems that are resilient, relevant and centered on human needs. Strategic foresight—the practice of anticipating change, exploring plausible futures and making informed choices today—can be a practical tool for navigating uncertainty and shaping better outcomes.

Strategic Foresight Matters for Education

Strategic foresight helps leaders move beyond reacting to crises and instead develop plans that guide both immediate action and long-term direction. As a professional discipline, it supports the anticipation of emerging trends, exploration of multiple scenarios, and the shaping of desired futures while reducing the risk of unintended consequences. In K-12 settings, foresight is not optional—it is essential for making durable decisions amid ongoing disruption.

Taking a long view enables school and district leaders to set priorities that align short-term responses with longer-term vision. Forecasts and scenario-building exercises can provide practical frameworks for evaluating choices, testing assumptions and mobilizing stakeholders around shared goals. When organizations apply foresight thoughtfully, they can create strategies that are flexible enough to adapt as circumstances evolve.

Exploring Future Possibilities

Looking ahead reveals many possible directions for learning systems and the conditions that shape them. Advances in AI, shifts in governance, changing market dynamics and climate-related disruptions could all influence the content, delivery and structure of education. Considering these possibilities now helps leaders design systems that remain effective across a range of futures.

AI could enable highly personalized learning pathways, adjusting content, pacing and supports to match each student’s needs. At the same time, climate impacts and other disruptions may require schools to design for adaptability, prioritizing continuity of learning and the well-being of students and staff.

Institutional models might also diversify. Families may increasingly draw on a mix of public, private and community-based providers. Mechanisms for transferring credentials or coordinating learning across providers—sometimes described as universal learning passports—could make transitions smoother. Public systems might evolve toward modular offerings that allow students to build individualized programs, while districts could collaborate to create thematic learning packages across neighboring communities.

Governance models could change as well. Some communities may move toward shared decision-making that includes multiple stakeholders and aligns many providers; others could face reduced regulation and support, prompting debates about funding, accountability and how to define school quality in more pluralistic systems.

Making Sense of Future Possibilities

Engaging people in future-focused conversations broadens understanding about what matters and surfaces both risks and creative solutions. Immersive experiences and scenario exercises can make potential futures feel tangible and useful for strategy development. For example, events such as the Red Pecan Learning Community 2035 Open House at SXSW EDU 2025 and a forward-looking graduation party in Avonworth School District invited participants to imagine learning environments a decade from now and helped inform local strategic choices.

Whether through workshops, simulations, or community dialogues, futures-focused practices develop foresight skills and “futures literacy” that help educators, students and families navigate uncertainty. These practices encourage innovation and immediate action while keeping long-term priorities in view.

Areas for Strategic Consideration

As leaders respond to rapid change, several strategic considerations can guide planning and near-term decisions:

Leverage emerging market dynamics for the public good. The range of learning providers and educational services is expanding, and families are exploring more options. Public education must clearly articulate and differentiate its value, innovate in ways that meet community needs, and communicate those strengths effectively. Ignoring these market shifts risks diminishing public institutions’ central role in communities.

Ensure equitable, sustainable funding and school quality systems. As systems diversify, equity gaps may deepen if funding mechanisms and accountability systems do not evolve. Policymakers and leaders should design financing approaches and quality frameworks that support access to high-quality learning across multiple providers, ensuring public funds reinforce strong outcomes for all students.

Develop adaptive leadership and continuous learning practices. The next decade will demand leaders with skills in adaptive management, systems thinking and ethical AI literacy. Preparing educators and administrators to use AI responsibly, address climate-related impacts and lead through iterative change will build organizational resilience. Relying solely on static “best practices” risks brittleness; instead, cultivate practices that evolve as conditions change.

Act with intention—now. The consequences of preserving the status quo in a rapidly changing environment are significant. Education leaders must take a long-term view, set direction, and pursue creative, courageous approaches that protect education as a public good and expand opportunities for learners, families and communities.

About the author

Katherine Prince is the Vice President of Strategic Foresight for KnowledgeWorks.

See other great articles in the new issue of Learning Futures Magazine.

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EdTech Funding 2018: Bigger Deals and Rising Venture Bets

By Jon Thomas and Spencer Wu

With more than 4 billion people now online—roughly half the global population, according to Forbes (December 2018)—it is unsurprising that education has rapidly adopted devices and software to engage students and improve learning outcomes. The subscription-based SaaS revenue model that supports many online learning products, combined with the vast addressable market for digital education, has attracted venture capital and private equity for decades. What has changed in recent years is that funding has concentrated into larger rounds for a smaller number of EdTech companies. For the fortunate few, this means well-funded growth plans, the ability to expand market share, and the patience to weather long customer adoption cycles. For those unable or unwilling to raise large sums, competing with heavily capitalized rivals risks eroding early advantages and delaying cash-flow breakeven.

In the EdTech sector alone, startups raised $1.45 billion in 2018, matching the previous high set in 2015. Yet deal count fell sharply, from 165 deals to 112—a 32% decline. One reason for fewer but larger deals is that many late-stage private financings today resemble what would previously have been IPO-bound transactions. Because private capital remains abundant and the costs and scrutiny of public markets have grown, companies often stay private longer and take sizable private placements that in prior cycles would have been recorded as public market activity. That shift inflates private placement totals while reducing the number of distinct deal participants.

Unicorns—EdTech companies reaching valuations of $1 billion or more before going public—are prominent in both the United States and China. Of the ten most-highly funded EdTech firms that achieved this status, six are based in China. Companies such as VIPKid, iTutorGroup, and Youdao have gained traction as online education and personalized tutoring platforms. Zuoyebang, a web and mobile service that helps K–12 students with homework, completed two rounds totaling $500 million in August 2017 and July 2018, and additional capital from SoftBank has been reported. In the U.S., Udemy and Udacity reached $1 billion valuations with backing from firms like ICONIQ Capital and Bertelsmann Digital Media. Age of Learning also attained unicorn status by building a robust curriculum for K–12 learners.

Beyond the unicorns, mid-size and smaller EdTech companies have seen bigger checks as well. Concentrated, larger early bets from a handful of venture firms can accelerate a particular startup’s path to market dominance while limiting opportunities for competitors. Notable large equity rounds in 2018 included Omidyar Network’s $40 million Series C in Handshake, a platform that connects students with recruiters; JMI Equity’s $55 million investment in CampusLogic, which provides student financial services; and New Enterprise Associates’ $85 million into MasterClass, an online platform offering video-based courses and professional instruction.

This pattern—fewer but larger deals—is not unique to EdTech. Across all sectors, venture capital reached a record $99.5 billion in 2018, up from $76.4 billion in 2017 (PWC Money Tree Report, January 2019). Average check sizes increased: later-stage venture rounds averaged about $37.5 million and early-stage rounds averaged roughly $8.0 million in Q4 2018, up 50% and 14% year-over-year, respectively. Meanwhile, total deal volume dropped to just over 5,500 private placements, the lowest level since 2013. The broader implication is clear: investors are concentrating capital into a smaller number of companies while cutting larger checks to those they believe can scale.

We expect these trends to persist in the near term for EdTech and the wider private placement market. Private valuations can move with public markets at times, though limited liquidity and opaque secondary trading in private securities can blur the immediate impact of public market swings on private round pricing. The long-term effect on education is uncertain: we may see fewer truly experimental products reach scale, but increased standardization and consolidation across segments of the industry as well-funded firms expand their footprints.

Jon Thomas, Managing Director, leads private placements and financial sponsor coverage at Woodside Capital Partners, an investment bank focused on middle-market and emerging growth technology companies. This article provides an overview and analysis of industry trends and is not intended as investment advice. Information in this report is for informational purposes only and should not be considered an offer to buy or sell securities, investment guidance, or an endorsement by Woodside Capital Partners International, LLC, or its affiliate Woodside Capital Securities, LLC.

This article was originally published by The Learning Counsel, a research institute and news media organization that provides context on the shift to digital curriculum in education.

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Science of Reading and Learning: Evidence-Based Strategies

The Science of Reading and the Broader Science of Learning

By Betsy Hill and Roger Stark

Education is shifting from tradition and intuition toward evidence-based practice. Research from education, neuroscience, cognitive science, and psychology is increasingly shaping how we teach. One area that has received growing attention is the science of reading, which uses brain and learning research to inform effective reading instruction.

Modern research explains how reading develops in the brain and identifies five essential components of reading instruction:

Phonemic awareness
Phonics
Fluency
Vocabulary
Comprehension

Although those elements may sound familiar, the current emphasis centers on phonemic awareness (the ability to hear and manipulate the meaningful sounds of language) and phonics (explicit instruction in the relationships between letters and sounds). This focus aligns with neuroscience findings about the neural pathways that support decoding and word recognition.

The science of reading highlights an important reality: humans evolved for spoken language, not for reading. Reading requires the brain to build new connections—linking visual recognition areas with language-processing regions—so most learners need explicit instruction to develop fluent reading. High-quality, science-based reading instruction greatly increases the likelihood of success, yet many students still lag: national data show a large share of fourth graders do not read at grade level.

However, the science of reading should be understood as part of the larger science of learning. Reading depends not only on the five components above but also on more fundamental cognitive processes that enable the intake, comprehension, storage, retrieval, and application of information. These cognitive skills—such as attention, working memory, and cognitive flexibility—are essential contributors to reading ability.

Key cognitive skills relevant to reading include:

Sustained attention: The capacity to maintain focus on a task over time. Weak sustained attention can cause students to lose their place while decoding words or reading sentences, resulting in incomplete comprehension or repeated re-reading.

Visual span: The ability to process multiple visual elements in a single glance. Students who can take in only one letter or one word at a time will struggle to build fluency, while those who process groups of words or full lines of text are better positioned to grasp meaning and read efficiently.

Sequential processing: The skill of perceiving and remembering information in order. Reading requires precise sequence processing—letters and words must be perceived in their correct order. Difficulties here can produce errors in decoding and in understanding text structure.

Visualization: The ability to form and manipulate mental images. Strong readers often create mental pictures of scenes and events to support comprehension and recall. Students with less developed visualization skills may find it harder to understand or remember what they read.

Working memory: The capacity to hold and manipulate information temporarily. Working memory lets readers keep earlier parts of a sentence in mind while processing the rest, compare new information with prior knowledge, and monitor comprehension. Research links working memory capacity closely with reading comprehension.

Inhibitory control: The ability to suppress competing responses or irrelevant thoughts. Effective reading requires the mental control to reject incorrect word candidates or distracting impulses. Poor inhibitory control can lead to premature guessing or loss of focus while reading aloud or silently.

Cognitive flexibility: The ability to shift between different mental strategies or perspectives. Reading uses multiple brain processes—sounding out unfamiliar words and recognizing familiar words by sight—and skilled readers switch between these strategies fluidly. Cognitive flexibility also supports interpreting characters’ points of view and revising initial understandings when new information appears.

While the science of reading establishes essential instructional practices—especially structured literacy and explicit phonics—it does not fully explain why some students continue to struggle despite strong, evidence-based teaching. That gap points to the need for the science of learning, which examines learners’ cognitive capacities and how those capacities can be developed and strengthened.

The science of learning emphasizes that cognitive skills can be improved through targeted training. Strengthening attention, working memory, sequential processing and other core skills enhances a student’s ability to acquire and apply reading, math, and other academic skills. Cognitive training complements classroom instruction by increasing the learner’s capacity to benefit from teaching.

Practical advances in technology make it possible to deliver integrated cognitive skills training at scale. Training can be supervised by paraprofessionals, older students who have completed training, or teachers, expanding the workforce able to support learners. Compared to ongoing professional development for every grade level, many cognitive training programs are a one-time intervention of limited duration (for example, several weeks to a few months) that yield lasting improvements in cognitive capacity.

As schools invest in improving reading outcomes, both high-quality, research-based reading instruction and attention to underlying cognitive skills are vital. Teacher professional development to implement structured literacy remains essential, but pairing that instruction with focused cognitive skill development offers a complementary path to raise reading achievement and to strengthen learners’ overall academic potential.

Embracing the science of reading and expanding that focus through the science of learning provides a comprehensive strategy: align instruction with how the brain learns and invest in the learner’s cognitive capacity so every student can better access, understand, and apply what they are taught.

About the authors

Betsy Hill is President of BrainWare Learning Company, which develops programs that apply neuroscience to improve learning capacity. An experienced educator, she has studied the connections between neuroscience and education and has served on academic boards and taught strategic thinking at the graduate level. She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and an MBA from Northwestern University.

Roger Stark is Co-founder and CEO of BrainWare Learning Company. He has led efforts to make comprehensive cognitive literacy training widely available and helped develop BrainWare SAFARI, an integrated online cognitive training program. His work focuses on building effective, accessible tools grounded in decades of clinical research and educational practice.

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