Recent studies show that loneliness in young people around the world is on the rise and smartphones together with social media appear to be major culprits. There are some interesting (and surprisingly simple) suggestions about how we can help reverse this trend, and it can be done at school. This excerpt from an opinion piece in the New […]
We are honored to be named by the Schoolhouse 302 as one of the top 5 resources to invest in with ESSER Funds. This article is a MUST read for every school leader. TJ and Joe unpack education funding, how ESSER Funds are distributed, and the best way to use them sustainably. While you are […]
The more I read and reflect on the impact the pandemic will have on education I am certain that the lynchpin of successful distance learning required authentic and consistent family participation. This, or course, is true in any learning environment, but for distance learning family engagement took on new importance. Family Support I teach in […]
We are all familiar with Newton's third law of motion which states "what goes up must come down." In other words, Earth’s gravitational pull will eventually bring whatever is thrown up in the air back to the ground. On a trail run this weekend I encountered a long downhill section. For long distance trail runners […]
Even as the pandemic continues many schools are beginning their transition from distance learning back to in-person instruction. As we make that switch it is important to analyze our students', and our LCAP subgroups in particular, experience during distance learning to determine who will need the most support moving forward. Regression, or learning loss, is […]
Over the past few weeks I have been trying to get an idea of how schools can gain a better understanding of the losses students are facing as a result of distance learning during the pandemic. The COVID slide is real and by the very fact that it will have been over a year since […]
I have been reading a lot lately about the idea of a COVID Slide during distance learning. Similar to the Summer Slide, it is predicted that many students will need significant intervention to help narrow learning gaps widened over the past year. Measuring Learning Loss Much of what I have read indicates that we don’t […]
I am 50 days into a 60-day writing challenge. Initially this was conceived by Daniel Bauer of Better Leaders Better Schools as a 30-day challenge. Then, on day 30, one of the members of our writing collective, Joe Clausi of The Traveling Principal, upped the ante to another 30 days. At the time it sounded […]
As indicated in this graph, the severity of learning loss due to the pandemic is real, with 97% of students impacted. There is no question that we are going to have to address these learning and achievement gaps as we transition back to the classroom. The way path forward is to get at what drives […]
“The way schools care about children is reflected in the way schools care about the children’s families. If educators view children simply as students, they are likely to see the family as separate from the school. That is, the family is expected to do its job and leave the education of children to the schools. […]
