Superintendent Goes Door to Door Checking on Students to Reduce Truancy
New Memphis Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins says too many of the 110,000-plus students in the MSCS System are missing school, and she wants to know why, according to a report on WREG. “Hey Neighbor,” a program Feagins started, consists of searching for students not at school and providing participants with support…
How Physical Movement Can Improve Learning
Finding ways to get students active can be particularly helpful in making elementary literacy content more memorable, says Susan Griss, who teaches graduate courses for early education and elementary teachers at the Bank Street College of Education in New York, according to K-12 Dive. Griss, the author of “Minds in Motion: A Kinesthetic Approach to…
How to Help Older Kids Who Need Basic Reading Skills
A new national survey of teachers in grades 3-8 from the RAND Corp. finds 44 percent of their students always or nearly always face challenges reading the content in their classes, according to Education Week. Ninety-seven percent of teachers say they modify their instruction to help struggling readers at least once or twice a week….
Involve Students on School Boards for Valuable Input
“Empowering students with a voice on school boards is critical to building better school systems,” writes Logan Endres, senior policy manager for the Equity in Education Coalition, in a column in The 74. “Student representation on school boards is a growing national trend. Washington state is a pioneer, with nearly half the 295 districts in…
Focus on Adverse Childhood Experiences to Prepare Kids for Schooling
Kindergarten readiness is not impacted by high number of adverse childhood experiences (ACE), according to a study involving 115 preschoolers attending a comprehensive school readiness summer program in Miami in 2017, 2018 and 2019, reports K-12 Dive. The children were enrolled by their parents or other caregivers due to concerns about disruptive behavior problems at…
How to Be a “Culturally Responsive” Teacher
Teachers in public schools undervalue the potential for academic success among students of color, setting low expectations and seeing cultural differences as barriers rather than assets, according to years of research reported in an Education Week article. Exactly what is “culturally responsive” teaching? It means using students’ customs, characteristics, experience and perspectives as tools for…
How to Reduce Teacher Distress & Disappointment
The share of teachers who say stress and disappointment of the job are “worth it” has fallen to 42% — 21 points lower than other college-educated workers, according to a poll by Rand, a nonprofit think tank. As recently as 2018, more than 70% of teachers said the stress was worth it, according to an article in…
Sharing Stories to Build Empathy and Understanding
“In the words of Brené Brown, ‘Teachers are the guardians of spaces that allow students to breathe and be curious and explore the world and be who they are without suffocation.’ Classroom environments that respect student identities support empathy and understanding among students as well as higher achievement and well-being,” writes Becky Corr, a coordinator…
Educators Need to “Find their Voice” Says the Nation’s Teacher of the Year
The Tennessee educator chosen as the nation’s teacher of the year wants America’s 3.5 million teachers to “find their voice” for students as many states seek to censor teachers, ban books, and push voucher policies that send taxpayer funding to private schools, according to an article in Chalkbeat Tennessee. Missy Testerman, who just ended her…
How to Equip Students with Essential Leadership Skills
In a 2023 poll conducted by the U.S. News-Harris Poll survey, 86% of Americans were disappointed in society’s leaders, perceiving them unable to handle crises and failing to reflect traditional American values, according to The 74. Recent findings from an NPR/PBS News/Marist National Poll reveal that 60% of Americans do not want their kids to…
