B.Y.O.T Bring Your Own Thoughts
The latest on all student-centered models, leadership development, strategic planning, teacher retention, and all things innovation in K-12 education. We answer questions before you think to ask them.
Education Elements | Organizational Leadership & Change Management | Teacher Retention | Teachers
As an Instructional Leader, I remember sitting at my desk before the start of each semester, turning my wheels about how to make each day longer so I could prioritize the competing needs of my dozens of teachers and maybe have time for lunch. I supported five new teachers, all in different content areas with different curricula (or none) which added to this stress. I began to shift my mindset to discover that natural breaks in the year—such as new quarters/semesters or the beginning and end of the school year—hold significance. These times created an opportunity for a mini-reset to reimagine and prioritize our work. Here are six tips for leaders looking to adopt a new curriculum:
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District Leadership | School Leadership
Picture this...You are a Principal conducting a classroom observation, witnessing a teacher skillfully utilize data to drive instruction, and form small groups tailored to individual student needs. Suddenly, a crackling voice interrupts through the walkie-talkie, demanding your attention.You are needed in room 203 for a discipline matter, then in the girls' 5th grade bathroom for a busted pipe, and finally, to join an IEP meeting. Maybe this scenario also sounds familiar: You are a district leader, and you are in a strategy meeting to discuss the implementation of a new curriculum, yet you don’t have all of the key players in the room or a clear timeline to make decisions yet you continue to meet and get nothing accomplished.
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District Leadership | Innovative Leadership | Organizational Leadership & Change Management | Superintendents
What is the instructional leadership gap and how does it affect the learning outcomes of our students? I recently sat down with three district leaders, Sean Bulson, Superintendent, Hartford, (MD) Public Schools, Jerry Boyd, Superintendent of Washington County (TN) Schools, and Portia Slaughter, Chief Academic Officer at Harrisburg City (PA) School District to discuss these critical questions.
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Curriculum Strategy & Adoption | District Leadership | Organizational Leadership & Change Management | Personalized Learning | Superintendents
It’s the time of year that we start heading back into our schools and classrooms - some of us are already in school, and some of us are still counting down our last few precious days of summer vacation. Setting the stage for a new school year is crucial, but it can also be a complex undertaking. So we decided to round up some resources to help you start the school year off right! Whether you’re exploring personalized learning, building innovative and responsive leadership, implementing instruction and curriculum changes, or strengthening communication and collaboration we’ve got some incredible resources for you.
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District Leadership | Innovative Leadership | Organizational Leadership & Change Management | Superintendents
Have you ever taken up a hobby with enthusiasm, only to abandon it because life got in the way? Maybe you started knitting with dreams of creating beautiful scarves, but now the yarn sits untouched in a box tucked away somewhere. Or maybe you once eagerly hiked every weekend, but now your hiking boots sit in the back of your closet, gathering dust. What obstacles got in your way? Was it time, support, energy, difficulty, resources, ability? Or perhaps your priorities changed?
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Knowledge is Power! Measure what Matters! If our cliches are an indicator, we all know that data collection, review, analysis, and understanding is important. We all hear of data-driven decisions, and the importance of data in education and educational systems, but we are often challenged to incorporate data review and the next steps into our everyday lives. In some cases, schools may have deeply embedded practices where data are used only superficially to check a box. Data use may be inconsistent across the organization or only occurs in silos. Some school districts may even have beliefs and norms – a culture – that actually diminish the potential benefits of assessment and data collection. The truth is that the work to dismantle bad habits and unhealthy systems is really, really hard. As we built the Essential Elements of a Data Culture, we considered how an organizational culture can shift from a culture in which data is in the periphery, pulled to the center for high stakes discussions and decisions, to one in which data is an integral part of every day, informing the small moves that reinforce the vision, clarify decisions, and advance progress. This is where our love of habits comes in…
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