While the role of the principal has often been compared to “drinking from a fire hose,” the authors of this article argue that with the right tools, principals can gently and consistently nourish a learning climate that enables innovation, collaboration, and growth. They offer five specific ideas that can help principals transform their schools and positively impact their students’ academic trajectory.
State Testing vs. COVID-19
Posted on March 20, 2020 Written by
Pressure is growing on U.S. Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, to grant a nationwide waiver for state standardized testing required under ESSA. Since these tests are extremely “high-stakes” in many states (impacting everything from grade advancement to graduation to funding), many educators are deeply concerned about the huge negative impact that this requirement might have on their students this year. This article is an update on the current situation and what may lie ahead.
Fake News!
Posted on March 17, 2020 Written by
Recently released PISA scores reveal that only 14 percent of U.S. students are able to reliably distinguish between fact and opinion. This inability to discern the difference between factual information and bias can make our students easy targets for unscrupulous manipulation.
In this commentary, Chris Link of the Global STEM Alliance at the New York Academy of Sciences shares strategies to help teachers improve students’ ability to identify online information that is either biased or patently false. It includes resources from Common Sense Media to help teach digital citizenship.
This is a “must read” for all serious educators!
For additional resources on this topic, see “Logical Fallacies” under the Resources/Instruction tab.
Why Principals Must Delegate
Posted on March 3, 2020 Written by
Today’s school leaders leader are often completely buried in work demands and expectations! A typical day includes a host of activities such as “scheduling, personnel and facility management, instructional oversight, meetings, budgeting, programming, disciplining students, connecting with parents and the community, reporting to the board or district, and addressing individual student needs.” That’s probably why over 30% of principals surveyed say they’re likely to change to a different occupation within the next five years.
One way to deal with the intense work load and stress is to learn to become more comfortable with and proficient at delegating. This article explains the many benefits of effective delegation, and why it’s a survival skill all effective principals must learn.