By Michelle Ryan and Vanessa Vaquerano, Ed.D. Chronic absenteeism was becoming an urgent concern in our district, forcing us to reframe priorities across K–12 education. We quickly understood that traditional, reactive methods—such as mailed notices or after-the-fact phone calls—were not sufficient to address the deep consequences that missed school days have on academic progress and … Read more

What is your favorite tool for teaching in an ELL or Bilingual classroom? During my years teaching ESL at the elementary and middle school levels, I noticed a recurring pattern whenever new students entered my classroom. Many arrived from diverse countries and backgrounds with widely varying educational experiences. Too often, limited English proficiency led to … Read more

Written By: Grace O’Shea New York City, summer 2011. I joined a corps of Teaching Fellows determined to close the opportunity gap across the city. I began my summer assignment full of equal parts excitement and dread. I was about to teach live for the first time, and my task was straightforward yet daunting: get … Read more

By Kate Eberle Walker Last year, leading children’s health authorities declared a national state of emergency in children’s mental health, and schools nationwide are struggling to provide enough trained staff to respond. The available workforce of school-based clinicians—counselors, psychologists, and other mental health professionals—cannot keep pace with the growing needs of students. In the 2020–21 … Read more

André Thomas, CEO of Triseum and former Head of Graphics for EA Sports Madden Football, is elevating game-based learning on university campuses by combining rigorous academic standards with advanced graphic design. New investment in Triseum supports continued growth for a company that already stands out for diversity, with more than 40 percent of its staff … Read more

Written by: Robyn D. Shulman “Quiet people have the loudest minds.” — Stephen Hawking About two weeks ago I shared, via LinkedIn, Josh Steimle’s review of Susan Cain’s bestseller Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Within 48 hours that post had more than 43,000 views and over 130 shares. … Read more

By Mac Bogert Taking Stock The first rule of navigation is not to know where we’re going but to know where we are. For leaders, that often translates into learning who we are. That learning depends on honest self-reflection. For me the hardest part was acknowledging my whole self — my full story — without … Read more

By Franklin Schargel We must not assume that school violence cannot happen here. In truth, “here” could be anywhere. What began as a hopeful new school year after extended closures turned tragic just days into classes when a thirteen‑year‑old student at Washington Middle School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was shot and killed by another thirteen‑year‑old. … Read more

By Franklin P. Schargel Depression is the most significant factor linked to youth suicide, though there is no single cause. Young people often have vulnerable emotional reserves, and a range of stressful experiences can push them toward considering suicide as a way to escape deep emotional pain. Common triggers include: Bullying — Persistent harassment and … Read more

By Robyn Shulman, M.Ed. Protecting Children from Online Strangers Do you remember when a police officer visited school to teach children about “stranger danger”? Today, the phrase has evolved. Strangers can be people we know and mistakenly trust, people we have never met in person, or faceless users hiding behind computer screens. Each of these … Read more