By Jamie Bricker Editor’s Note: This is the second article in a monthly series examining the role of affective leadership in schools. Affective leadership focuses on working with people—listening to them, valuing them, and responding to their needs—rather than simply trying to work through or around them. When staff, students, and families feel genuinely respected … Read more

By LeiLani Cauthen What a Learning Matrix Is A Learning Matrix is an advanced design approach for modern education that puts learners at the center of orchestration—managing time, space, teachers and resources so students can operate with greater independence. In a Learning Matrix, students generate need-driven requests for scheduling, movement, teacher interaction, location (in or … Read more

By Kelly Bielefeld One of the most important duties of modern educators is to develop students’ critical thinking and problem-solving abilities so they can adapt to a future labor market that will include jobs not yet imagined. To achieve that, students must regularly engage in the deepest levels of learning: analyzing, breaking ideas down, making … Read more

LeiLani Cauthen, Publisher and CEO of The Learning Counsel, explains that the pandemic fundamentally changed education. In her presentation she explored how schools can deliberately use space and time to their advantage, offering a practical framework for integrating human interaction and technology. “I’m going to walk you through what we mean by hybrid logistics. This … Read more

By Tamara Fyke For some students and teachers, the school year is just starting. For others, a month or more of classes is already behind them. What unites us all, however, is a shared sense that this academic year is not what we expected. Another surge of COVID-19 looms, and the uncertainty that comes with … Read more

Chicago Scholars Foundation Launches New Leadership Center to Guide Students Through College Access, Success, and Early Career Development The Chicago Scholars Foundation has opened a new, expanded workspace designed to accelerate leadership and career readiness across Chicagoland. The 11,000-square-foot Chicago Scholar Community, Leadership and Resource Center—located at 247 S. State Street, Suite 700 in Chicago’s … Read more

7 Mindsets, a leading provider of online social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum and professional development for K–12 schools and districts, has announced a strategic partnership with middle-market private equity firm Gauge Capital. Gauge Capital’s growth capital and recapitalization will support 7 Mindsets’ rapid expansion and accelerate the company’s plans to broaden its SEL offerings and educator … Read more

By Tamara Fyke Last week I led a professional development session for new teachers at a school where I’ve worked for several years. The Executive Principal and Assistant Principal joined the training, and our small group gathered around an oval table created space for close, honest conversation. I introduced a transformative approach to social-emotional learning … Read more

With permission from Michael Platt: Reconstructing the Dream: A Feature Documentary on the U.S. Skills Gap Reconstructing the Dream is a feature-length documentary that examines the growing skills gap within the U.S. education system and explores what it will take to build a stronger future for students, workers, and communities. About the Film This documentary … Read more

  By LeiLani Cauthen   Almost every school district in the United States is experiencing student attrition. Outside of areas with rapid population growth or migration, families are increasingly opting out of the traditional public classroom. Parents are choosing homeschooling, charter and magnet schools, virtual schools, hybrid models, or mixes of those options. This year … Read more