“Courage is the commitment to begin without any guarantee of success.” - Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe In January 2014, I had the privilege of meeting an incredibly courageous group of leaders from Ka’imiloa Elementary School on Oahu, Hawaii. They were brave, heroic, and willing to
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
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
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
Russ Quaglia is known for his unwavering dedication to student voice and aspirations. His innovative work is evidenced by an extensive library of research-based publications, prominent international speaking appearances, and a successfully growing list of aspirations ventures. Among these ventures, Dr. Quaglia authored the School
One of the main points that Justin and I have been emphasizing in our school trainings and presentations is that we don’t just want students to not do the wrong thing (i.e., not engage in bullying and cyberbullying). Rather, we want them to actively do
While many people reflect on their school experiences from childhood, they remember the principal as one who struck fear in the hearts of misbehaving students. Today’s administrator must have an upbeat, welcoming, no-blame, solutions-oriented, professional demeanor; model respect for all members of the school community;
If people ask me how we should redesign learning spaces today, I say, “Think Starbucks!” Why? Stroll into any Starbucks located near a high school or university, and you’ll find students plopped down in its big chairs and couches as they text, surf, study, or just hang
Dr. Steve Constantino writes about family engagement in his new book, Engage Every Family. In the book, he shares the incredible story below. Read it and join in the conversation! Mary teaches middle school science. She has assigned her students the long-term project of picking one