Opinion

The latest opinion pieces by industry thought leaders


If you are interested in having your voice heard on K-12 Dive's Opinion page, please read our editorial guidelines and fill out the submission form here.

  • A drug-free and gun-free school zone sign at a school yard
    Image attribution tooltip
    alptraum via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Training, rapid response tools crucial to school safety

    A Michigan superintendent details how tragedy in a nearby district influenced his school system’s efforts to enhance its safety measures.

    Jim Fish • July 19, 2024
  • President Lyndon B. Johnson shakes the hand of Martin Luther King Jr. at the signing of the Civil Rights Act in Washington, D.C., as officials look on.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Hulton Archive via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    The Civil Rights Act turns 60: Have American schools complied?

    Six decades after the law’s passage, many schools remain segregated and unequal, writes the director of programming for the Education Rights Institute.

    GeDá Jones Herbert • July 2, 2024
  • A red and white megaphone lays against a red background.
    Image attribution tooltip
    mustafaU via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    4 ways superintendents can transform into super communicators

    A district leader shares how finding ways to showcase great district stories can build a culture of trust with the local community.

    Dan Cox • June 25, 2024
  • Two elementary students sit together working on a classroom assignment on a tablet.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Stock Photo via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    3 considerations for any district strategic technology plan

    A superintendent details how a student-first focus and strategies for tech refreshes are among must-haves for effective rollout and implementation.

    Gustavo Balderas • June 20, 2024
  • A Black boy seated at a desk raises his hand in a middle school classroom.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Drazen Zigic via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How to improve the emotional well-being of Black students

    By reframing how they react in difficult situations, educators can help ensure Black students feel and do better in school.

    Zi Jia Ng • June 13, 2024
  • A serious teenager sits with crossed legs on a library floor, reading an interesting book.
    Image attribution tooltip
    SeventyFour via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    For students catching up post-pandemic, reading and math are not up for debate

    The CEO of Teach For America writes that it’s time to double down on the basics.

    Elisa Villanueva Beard • May 29, 2024
  • Adult stands in front of a classroom with students who have their backs to the camera. Adult is high-fiving a student.
    Image attribution tooltip
    xavierarnau via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Feigned outrage over the education of students with disabilities in school choice won’t close opportunity gaps

    An education policy expert writes that critics of school choice shortcomings often ignore inequities that persist in traditional public schools.

    Ashley Jochim • May 22, 2024
  • An adult and young student sit at a desk. They are looking at each other and the adult is pointing to their mouth and has their mouth open.
    Image attribution tooltip
    AndreaObzerova via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    IDEA reauthorization: The risk from failing to act

    An education attorney writes that a generation of students with disabilities could be left behind if Congress doesn't update the legislation.

    Chris Yarrell • April 26, 2024
  • Side view of mixed ethnicity school kids sitting on cushions and studying over books in a library at school against bookshelves in background.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Wavebreakmedia via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How a New Jersey charter is prioritizing literacy to close opportunity gaps

    A school leader writes that declines in reading and writing stand to have the greatest impact on historically marginalized populations.

    Gemar Mills • April 17, 2024
  • A young bearded teacher is seated on a desk and talking with a diverse group of teenage students seated in a circle in a classroom.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Eduard Figueres via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Allowing space to discuss tough topics like gender strengthens students’ sense of self

    A Vermont program director writes that students must be equipped with tools to talk about their sense of self and their feelings on roles, rules and hierarchies.

    Alex Myers • April 11, 2024
  • A tray of milk cartons in a school lunchroom with students in the background.
    Image attribution tooltip
    John Moore via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    The dairy industry’s influence in Congress is harming students’ health

    A pediatrician writes that the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act would circumvent dietary guidelines and increase saturated fat content in school meals.

    Yami Cazorla-Lancaster • March 25, 2024
  • North Carolina State Capitol
    Image attribution tooltip
    The image by Jim Bowen is licensed under CC BY 2.0
    Image attribution tooltip

    How might Parents’ Bills of Rights impact the future of collecting student-related data?

    Three attorneys write that growing state legislative pushes create additional data privacy, collection and access obligations for schools.

    Sarah Hutchins, Laura Lashley and Will Barker • March 13, 2024
  • A female teacher of color reads to young students in a classroom.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Stock Photo via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Don’t wait until next February to improve the educational experiences of Black students

    A Yale University professor writes that Black students should see themselves reflected in curriculum and instruction beyond Black History Month.

    Christina Cipriano • Feb. 29, 2024
  • A teacher works one-on-one with a student on an assignment in the classroom.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Stock Photo via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Relationships matter in education, so why aren’t we better at prioritizing them?

    A veteran educator and teacher trainer shares how three stages of learning play a role in the mechanics of student-teacher relationship-building.

    Jay Schroder • Jan. 10, 2024
  • three lines of binary code begin on the left, blue on top, magenta in middle and yellow below. The lines expand then intersect as lines then jumble 1s and 0s in rectangles on the right.
    Image attribution tooltip
    NicoElNino via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How better data management can lead to better student outcomes

    An Alabama superintendent writes that lack of access to current, digestible data can hinder strategic planning and curriculum creation.

    Melvin Brown • Nov. 22, 2023
  • A young student sits in front of a computer screen.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Benetech
    Image attribution tooltip

    5 ways supportive school culture can counter lagging STEM achievement and inequity

    The National Math and Science Initiative’s Nichole Austion shares how schools can make strides to improve STEM diversity and success.

    Nichole Austion • Nov. 15, 2023
  • futuristic digitally generated human head with half of face having wiring under the skin
    Image attribution tooltip
    Devrimb via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    The future is now: Harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence in the classroom

    A New York superintendent writes that AI, if used correctly, has the potential to provide more personalized, engaging learning for students.

    Jared Bloom • Nov. 8, 2023
  • A couple of hands are raised. Behind the hands is a green chalkboard with math equations.
    Image attribution tooltip
    seb_ra via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    NAEP results underscore imperative to support, inspire math citizenship

    Three key elements can increase student motivation, engagement and persistence in math, writes the education director at the Gates Foundation.

    Bob Hughes • Oct. 25, 2023
  • A pink piggybank sits on top of a stack of books on top of a table. In the background is a chalkboard with math equations.  A hand is putting a coin into the bank.
    Image attribution tooltip
    seb_ra via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Securing the future of American education: For National Principals Month we ask that you listen.

    Three leaders of school administration organizations write that federal funding for education is "an investment in our nation’s future."

    L. Earl Franks, Ronn Nozoe and Leonard P. Pugliese • Oct. 18, 2023
  • Rows of empty chairs and desks sit in front of a blank chalkboard in a school classroom.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Stock Photo via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How innovation and strong teams turn RESAs into go-to resources for educators

    Two executive directors share four strategies that help these agencies serve as invaluable resources to school systems.

    Katie Lash and Leigh Ann Putman • Oct. 11, 2023
  • Teacher instructs student in remote learning.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Stock Photo via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Students seek flexibility and empowerment in public online schools

    Virtual learning can benefit students who crave self-guided pacing, flexibility and empowerment, writes the head of a public online school in Massachusetts.

    Patrick Lattuca • Oct. 6, 2023
  • college application, college admissions
    Image attribution tooltip
    Tero Vesalainen via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Colleges are ditching the SAT. The high school transcript should be next.

    Next generation credentials are a compentency-based alternative to transcripts that allow colleges to make better admissions decisions. 

    Laurie Gagnon • Sept. 14, 2023
  • U.S. Capitol In Washington
    Image attribution tooltip
    Stefan Zaklin via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    On the chopping block: The looming threat to America’s educational system

    A middle school principal writes that elected officials’ words and actions don’t align when it comes to the importance of investing in the nation’s youth.

    Suzan Harris • July 27, 2023
  • Young students sit at individual desks facing the front of the classroom with their hands raised.
    Image attribution tooltip
    PeopleImages via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    For the sake of our children’s learning, let’s embrace the spirit of rebellion

    A district curriculum director writes that educators and students must be empowered with high-quality instructional materials to transform learning.

    Kelly Carvajal-Hageman • July 26, 2023
  • Three young students eat lunch together at school.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Stock Photo via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Nutrition education needed to transform health and food practices nationwide

    As the nation faces complex nutrition and health challenges, now is the time for leaders to push for change and transformation, two experts write.

    Michael Hinojosa and Linda Novick O’Keefe • June 28, 2023