Recently added articles from Leadership:
Strategic planning during tough times: here's how school leaders should plan for the best possible future during an economic downturn.(Cover story)
Jan 01, 2009; ... No question about it. These are the toughest economic times we have seen in decades. School systems and their leaders are being hit from all sides. Foreclosures in communities all across the social spectrum are depriving school districts of their anticipated funding. In San ...
Fanning the flames of future fulfillment: in a world where a doom-and-gloom outlook makes sense, it is important to remember that it is survival of the spirit that matters most.(Column)
Jan 01, 2009; ... "Financial Flames Fan Fears for Future" would not be an unusual newspaper headline as I write these words in mid November. I understand that it's the job of cable news networks to keep us watching by scaring us to death ("The world is about to end, stay tuned for details right after this ...
Collaborating on district budget priorities: it is critical to include all stakeholders in the budget process when identifying key priorities for your district, especially at a time when funds are tight.
Jan 01, 2009; ... Each year, school districts throughout California face significant budget restrictions. As costs continue to escalate, ongoing revenue sources remain lower than anticipated, ongoing expenditures. This is most critical for the school district's unrestricted sources of revenue. As these ...
Communicating "bad" budget news: in crisis situations, school leaders need to openly, honestly and proactively discuss what is being done to come to a solution.
Jan 01, 2009; ... By anyone's terms, 2008 was a terrifying budget year--from the state level to the global economy. It was no different for schools, which were forced to make financial "guesstimates" without knowing the real numbers. And for many, it involved bad news and reductions in staff or ...
What to look for when observing teachers: conducting classroom walkthroughs through the lens of student achievement data.
Jan 01, 2009; ... After you have breezed in and out of classrooms conducting walkthrough observations, do your teachers ever ask, "What can you tell from observing three to five minutes of my teaching?" It's a fair question. And in some cases, the answer may be, "Very little." However, if you know what to ...
The next generation of walkthroughs: today's walkthroughs are designed to be dynamic and meaningful to school site staff, and to help drive ongoing instructional improvement.
Jan 01, 2009; ... Ms. Saavedra, the principal of Hamilton High School, looked anxiously at her watch as the last group of students rushed up the stairs in an effort to make it to class on time. She had been making her regular rounds since early morning to make sure everything was running smoothly; teachers ...
Strategies for raising achievement in algebra: two principals find out what really happens in schools that have sustained achievement in algebra for all student subgroups.
Jan 01, 2009; ... Student achievement in high school mathematics presents problems at all levels of public education, and, on a larger scale, with the national economy. Although Russia's launch of the Sputnik satellite many decades ago was the initial catalyst for America's anxiety about the inadequacies of ...
Preparing for successful leadership: how to develop the necessary habits of mind and practice.
Jan 01, 2009; ... In 1865 Josiah Gilbert Holland called for new leadership: "A time like this demands strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and ready hands; men [and women] whom the lust of office does not kill; men [and women] who the spoils of office cannot buy; men [and women] who possess opinions and ...
Leveraging technology to transform our schools: the future holds some exciting prospects for the thoughtful and selective application of technology to help our students meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Jan 01, 2009; ... "Marley was dead: to begin with." So begins "A Christmas Carol," Charles Dickens's classic parable in which fearsome visits from the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future convince Scrooge to modify his miserly ways. Technology, on the other hand, is very much alive and with us. We ...
Skills for courageous leaders: school leaders can develop a culture of equity and excellence for all students by improving the quality of instruction.
Jan 01, 2009; ... In working with many courageous school leaders from high-and low-performing schools around the country, I have realized the principals I successfully coached possessed very similar leadership traits: Good leaders develop a good vision, they follow through, they understand budgets, are ...
Learning for life: a more complete education.(To our readers)(Editorial)
Nov 01, 2008; ... Dear Colleagues: It was easy to get drawn into the excitement of the recent presidential campaign. Some of our students also found the issues and personalities to be compelling, but not all of the nation's students have access to a history/social studies curriculum that put the ...
Ask not what your students can do for you ... the Nov. 4 election provided a remarkable opportunity to teach lessons about the history, politics and culture of our nation. Unless you work or learn in a district where history and social studies aren't really taught anymore.(Essay)
Nov 01, 2008; ... The political contest just concluded--arguably one of America's most historic presidential elections--provided a remarkable opportunity for us to guide students in lessons about the history, politics and culture of this great nation. In several weeks, the new president will set forth his ...
How we don't learn: if you're using strategies that ignore the natural learning cycle in children, how will you reach your goal? Marginally and only with the brightest students?(Essay)
Nov 01, 2008; ... Historically, education in America had more in common with Henry Ford's, auto assembly line or Pavlov s dogs than with that superb preoccupation of the human brain--learning. Up to the 1900s, most education was delivered in rural one-room schoolhouses, sheltering local students of all ages ...
Attaining 21st century skills in a complex world: although purposeful conversations among professionals are essential to most school reform plans, such conversations are rare for principals.
Nov 01, 2008; ... During the first month of my sixth year of being a principal I received a unique request from a parent that I just wasn't sure how to deal with. Seeking advice, I called another principal, explained the situation and was left with these words of wisdom: "That's an interesting situation ....
Strong schools for a strong democracy: when schools teach reading and writing using history/social science texts, students make more connections and build greater understanding than is possible with isolated reading and writing tasks.
Nov 01, 2008; ... Climbing out the window of his bedroom, where his parents had grounded him, Joshua glanced at his watch. "I've got to hurry to the school. Our 'We the People' Congressional hearing starts in a few minutes and I don't want to let my team down by being late. Besides, my part is the best ...
The role of the arts in learning: a comprehensive education should include the arts as a way to understand and appreciate the core curriculum and expand students' views of life and culture.
Nov 01, 2008; ... If you say to a room full of kindergartners, "Raise your hand if you are an artist," almost everyone will raise a hand. But if you ask a room full of high school students to do the same thing, virtually none will respond. Most students, as they get older, do not know how to relate to the ...
Creating, performing & communicating through dance: in Oakland, where many families have limited access to the arts, students are advancing their cognitive, social, kinesthetic and artistic development through dance education.(Case study)
Nov 01, 2008; ... "We become used to murders happening and we remain tranquil in the midst of the sirens, yellow caution tape, blood and candle lights." "Every tear that falls down is one of my peers saying goodbye ... and every goodbye is a minute taken out of my life." These words, ...
Improving academics, behavior and character: positive action is the only program recognized by the U.S. Department of Education's What Works Clearinghouse for simultaneously improving academics and behavior in character education.
Nov 01, 2008; ... It seems like a no-brainer. There's more to life than the ABCs. But which ABCs? Today, it is Academics plus Behavior and Character--the new basics that can make students' school years relevant for their entire lives. Since the inception of No Child Left Behind, many educators ...
Evidence-based practice for lifelong learning: adult education programs may soon have to set performance standards in order to continue to receive funding. Data that is carefully collected and analyzed can be used to manage programs and improve teaching and services.
Nov 01, 2008; ... In the 2006-2007 school year, more than 1.15 million students were enrolled in programs designed to provide diverse educational opportunities to meet adult learner needs. Adult education classes are offered in 10 program areas, and through these diverse programs, California meets the ...
High-fidelity, creative teaching: teachers may feel they are doomed to an instructional prison sentence after attending curriculum training. Here are strategies to help teachers deliver the standards-based instructional program creatively and with fidelity.
Nov 01, 2008; ... "They've taken away all my creativity!" How often do leaders at every level hear this discouraged pronouncement? The teacher grieving this perceived loss is usually leveling her complaint at the requirement that teachers fully implement their standards-based adopted curriculum, with ...