This report is rooted in a simple idea: In order for schools to be successful, they must listen to, learn from, and lead with the students and teachers who comprise the very life of the school itself. Whether schools choose to accept our view that
Russell Quaglia makes an important distinction about the concept of student voice. He notes that equal in importance to asking and listening to students is what happens next—the engagement of teachers and students in meaningful dialogue and then working together to allow students to see
Years of research and practice show that connecting with families positively impacts student achievement. Check out 10 realistic and ready-to-use ideas to help teachers and administrators actively engage parents as educational partners from my new book, 201 Ways to Involve Parents. #1: Begin the school year with
Well the school year might be over but school is still on my mind. As summer seeps into our families, thoughts of next year’s classes and teachers may creep into your mind. We may wonder which teacher our child will have next year, what their
When should kids get their first cell phones? How can I keep kids safe as they use the internet? How much screen time is too much? These are just some of many common questions parents and caregivers have about technology in their kids' lives. Parents
Parent involvement? Wait a minute! Do we really want more parental involvement in our schools? Parents can be whiny, demanding, insulting and, well, simply wrong. They insist upon schedule changes, certain teachers for their child, more homework, less homework, different homework. They often remind us
It’s not uncommon for one news article or one parent rant about a school on social media to cause enough public negativity to leave the principal and staff feeling deflated. They are all working so hard to do what is best for their students, so
A few years ago, I recall walking past the door of our school makerspace and noticing a crowd of kids surrounding a table. Inside a group of 5th and 6th graders were hovering around someone, listening intently to directions. As I inched closer I heard
As anyone who has ever visited Ireland would attest, the people there are remarkably friendly and hospitable. How is this so? Is there a fine for being unfriendly? Is there an incentive program for those who are caught being nice? I don’t think so. People
I cannot remember a time when teachers were pleased with their school’s record of success with mathematics fluency. Individual teachers may have been pleased, but there was no system in place for school-wide success. Three of the major problems with mathematics fluency can be solved by