Getting Smart, November 30, 2018
Leading a public school district is difficult and complicated work. But done well, there is no other job that can change how a community thinks about itself, its children and its future. The following are 15 districts that are changing the trajectory of both education and their communities by working on personalized and competency-based learning.
Using Teacher-Leaders To Improve Schools
The Hechinger Report, November 29, 2018, by Tara García-Mathewson
Edgecombe County Public Schools in rural North Carolina has long had trouble filling all of its open teaching positions. Historically, there just hasn’t been enough interest among qualified candidates. But that’s changing.
Opportunity Culture in the News: Edgecombe County Schools
Today’s Hechinger Report highlights Opportunity Culture in Edgecombe County Public Schools, a rural North Carolina district, noting its effects on: teacher recruitment (schools using this model have historically started the year with two to four empty teaching positions, but this year had none), “profound collaboration among teachers,” and strong student growth (North Edgecombe High School […]
Local Principal Awarded National Fellowship
Rocky Mount Telegram, November 19, 2018, by Amelia Harper
North Edgecombe High School Principal Donnell Cannon recently was selected as one of 15 Opportunity Culture Fellows nationwide. The 15 fellows come from multi-classroom leaders and principals serving in school districts that have adopted the Opportunity Culture model. This year’s fellows were selected as leaders who have achieved strong results in districts in Texas, Indiana, Arkansas and North Carolina, a press release from Public Impact said.
70 Elementary and Middle Schools Worth Visiting
Getting Smart, November 18, 2018
Here at Getting Smart, we believe school visits are the best form of professional learning. Based on a couple thousand school visits, and with help from colleagues and readers, we’ve compiled a list of elementary and middle schools that can give educators a better sense of what’s possible.
What Principals Can Do to Keep Good Teachers in Their Schools
EdWeek, October 16, 2018, by Madeline Will
Principal Mary Beck knew that in order to transform her Chicago high school’s staff culture, she had to go the distance—13.1 miles, to be exact. Beck, who is the principal of Nicholas Senn High School on the North Side of Chicago, ran a half-marathon last year both to raise money for her teachers and to encourage them to prioritize their own wellness.
What Schools Can Learn From Google (Spoiler: It’s Not What You’d Expect)
eSchool News, October 3, 2018, by Talia Milgrom-Elcott and Mo-Yun Lei Fong
One of the American workplaces with the most to learn is, ironically, public schools themselves. Too few schools prioritize employee satisfaction, failing to recognize the link between it and customer value. In other words, they fail to see how fulfilled and supported teachers lead to better student learning and growth.
Achievement Zone Transformation: A Georgia School District Raises Achievement with a Turnaround Strategy
American School Board Journal, October 2018, by Nora K. Carr
When Georgia’s Fulton County Schools formed its Achievement Zone, the district hoped to improve a cluster of 10 schools characterized by poverty and low achievement. Three years later, strategies forged in the Achievement Zone are transforming the entire district, thanks to the school board’s willingness to take the calculated risks necessary.
Improving Reading Outcomes—New Column from NC Early Childhood Foundation
In Friday’s EdNC.org., Mandy Ableidinger asks, “The most recent NC end of third grade reading assessment results show scores hardly shifting from last year and continued racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic gaps. What can we do differently?” Referring to our recent report, Closing Achievement Gaps in Diverse Schools: An Action Guide for District Leaders, Ableidinger, the […]
Predictable Third Grade Reading Assessment Results Prompt the Question – How Can We Do Better?
EdNC, September 28, 2018, by Mandy Ableidinger
The most recent NC end of third grade reading assessment results show scores hardly shifting from last year and continued racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic gaps. What can we do differently? A recent research study on how best to reduce achievement disparities in diverse schools finds that a comprehensive set of strategies is needed.
School Scores Show Improvement in Edgecombe County
Rocky Mount Telegram, September 10, 2018, by Amelia Harper
Edgecombe County Public Schools registered some improvement on the 2017-18 preliminary school performance scores and exited low-performing status this year, but still has plenty of room for improvement.
The Risks and Rewards of Using Blended Learning to Reach More Students
By Elizabeth Annette Bartlett. This column first appeared on EducationNC. If, as a teacher who sees success with one class of students, I could reach twice as many students per class, why shouldn’t I try? That’s the question I asked myself in trying to solve a dilemma my middle school science students faced. In the […]