The Summer Illusion
Why School Improvement Doesn’t Happen Between June and August A familiar ritual unfolds in school districts across America every summer. Strategic plans are updated. Cabinet …
Education & Equity
Why Student Engagement Matters More Than Test Results
For years, educators have been sounding the alarm that something deeper is happening beneath the surface of declining engagement, rising disconnection, and narrowing definitions of student success.
Now the data is telling us what students, teachers, and communities have been feeling.
This moment demands more than concern about scores. It demands an honest conversation about what we have prioritized, what we have neglected, and what kind of learning experiences truly prepare young people for the future they are inheriting.
We Are Asking Schools to Do More With Less—And Expecting Better Results
Why the Current Model Is Broken—and What Must Change Over the course of the past decade, public education has been experiencing a tension that has …
COMMENTARY: WHEN SCALE OUTPACES EVIDENCE—A SUPERINTENDENT’S REFLECTION
I recently read a blog piece—“i-Ready: 13 Million Students, Zero Meaningful Evidence”—with both concern and recognition. Concern because of what it reveals. Recognition because, if …
Effective School Governance During Superintendent Scrutiny
When news breaks that a superintendent is under federal scrutiny, the instinctive response across a district is fear. Fear of instability. Fear of reputational damage. …
Why Teaching Kids AI Literacy Can’t Wait
It wasn’t that long ago that teaching students how to use technology meant showing them how to type, navigate the internet safely, or build a …
When We Silence Public Media, We Shrink Our Democracy
The drumbeat to cut funding for PBS and other public media and television programming has been fodder for political campaigns over the course of the …
When Too Few Hold Too Much: The Hidden Cost of Corporate Dependency on Our Schools
We have reached a moment in America where a small handful of corporations shape nearly every aspect of our lives—from what we buy, to how …