Online Learning Has Its Place, but Kids Need Their Teachers

Boy am I glad to have my kids back this year. Last year, I had to share them with a digital teaching tool. I had…

Hey Principals, Y’all Alright?

How many of you have asked the question, “How are principals doing during this time?” Since March of 2020, when our education system was turned…

Schools Will Spend Millions on Tutoring This Year — Here’s How to Do It Right

As the new school year kicks off, states and districts are launching tutoring programs using federal and state COVID-relief funding. A strong, consistent evidence base…

Now Is Not the Time to Let Down the Students Who Need Us the Most

After the unprecedented global pandemic that disrupted — not one — but two separate school years, educators are finally preparing to welcome students back to…

Students at My School Aren’t Complaining About Wearing Masks

As the rhetoric around coronavirus grows more partisan, it is easy to assume the worst about everything. That is just what I typically do. I…

I Almost Left Teaching But Then I Remembered Why I Started

This past year, I came the closest I ever have to ending my teaching career — midyear. Between August and December, my second graders and…

Here’s Why One-Size-Fits-All Professional Development Is a Waste of Time

My mentor and friend Chris Stewart often asks the question, “How are the children?” This simple yet powerful question captures me. I did a little…

Schools Have to Be Patient With Students When They Return

COVID-19 is still a threat, but as vaccination levels rise and public perception of the pandemic changes, life is getting slowly back to “normal.” Most…

Rigorous Curriculum Matters More Than Ever. Here Are 3 Steps We Should Take Now.

When teachers welcomed their students on the first day of school last September, they never imagined ending the year on Zoom. Now, as the new…

How I Navigate the Principal’s Gambit to Keep Everyone on the Board

This ain’t checkers. It’s chess.  It was guidance offered to me by Wayne Greer, a veteran principal and mentor, as I joined the ranks of school leadership…