A school district superintendent is responsible for the overall performance of their district. Hiring new teachers, ensuring that current teachers have up-to-date certifications and follow continuing education requirements, and making sure that the students excel puts a lot of responsibility on individuals holding this position. Depending on the size of the district, many school systems… Read More

Preschool directors have an important role in early childhood education. In general, they’re responsible for supervising the daily programs and schedules, staff, and budgets at childcare centers or preschools. Preschool directors can work for private childcare centers or within public school district preschool programs. Many preschool directors begin their careers as early childhood education teachers… Read More

Department chairs stand on the front lines of education, handling a great deal of preparation work each semester. These professionals might spend all summer working on revisions to the curricula and training teachers about the changes. The start of the school year can be a rush of meeting students, on-boarding new teachers to the department,… Read More

Updated July 22, 2020 Right now an unprecedented situation has griped the country. Teachers are forced to teach online amongst school closures. Budgets everywhere are strained and conferences have likely been cancelled. While seminars and in-person courses are the normal ways for educators to gain professional development, there are tons of alternative online opportunities —… Read More

With dedicated teachers, administrators, and other school staff, public schools are there every day for every student, preparing tomorrow’s leaders. That’s why, during November, we celebrate public schools during American Education Week. Take part in this national event with a few celebration ideas below, and share online using the hashtag #PublicSchoolsForAll and #AEW2017. Monday, Nov…. Read More

Earlier this year, Netflix released a new series based on a bestselling 2007 YA novel by Jay Asher—and it’s got people talking, a lot. From start to finish, 13 Reasons Why tells the story of Hannah Baker, a high school student who deals with everything from bullying to assault, and ultimately decides (we learn in episode one)… Read More

Classroom teaching brings fresh challenges each year. But after a time, some teachers want to step out of the classroom and shoulder broader responsibilities. Taking a job in administration is a common path for those who want to stay in education but extend their reach beyond one classroom. “A lot of times, teachers decide they… Read More

Election Day, as I often tell my students, is like the Super Bowl for me. The commercials aren’t as exciting, but watching the returns is an interesting process, particularly when local elections have consequences that matter to us. Last Tuesday’s results, including several Colorado school board races, were no exception. Two Colorado school boards served… Read More

Most schools follow standard grading systems, with a letter scale of A through F, and a corresponding numerical value used to calculate students’ grade point averages. Although this system helps us to understand and track student performance on a universal scale, there are some drawbacks to the method. Some critics argue that assigning numerical or… Read More

In comic books, Rogue was a superhero, but on a school board, rogue members tend toward villainy. As the liaison among a superintendent, school sites and the district’s general populace, school boards navigate difficult space, often making tough decisions about revenue and budgets, teacher pay, and other district policies. School boards vs. citizens: cases in the… Read More

After exploring the case against homework as well as the ways homework benefits students, it’s clear that both sides have valid arguments. After examining the evidence, we’ve come up with recommendations for both teachers and parents for homework that contributes to students’ academic growth. What kind of homework is beneficial? While some research points to… Read More

This post has been updated as of December 2017. In another of our blog posts, The Case Against Homework, we articulated several points of view against homework as standard practice for teachers. However, a variety of lessons, content-related and beyond, can be taught or reinforced through homework and are worth exploring. Read on! Four ways homework… Read More

Teachers these days have a tough job (was it ever easy??). So we reached out to dozens of teachers and asked them for their favorite “hacks” that help make their lives easier and their jobs more manageable. So what’s a hack? A hack is an actionable tip or suggestion that doesn’t fit the norm for… Read More

This post has been updated as of December 2017. It’s not uncommon to hear students, parents, and even some teachers always complaining about homework. Why, then, is homework an inescapable part of the student experience? Worksheets, busy work, and reading assignments continue to be a mainstay of students’ evenings. Whether from habit or comparison with… Read More