Opinion: Page 2

The latest opinion pieces by industry thought leaders

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  • A camera looks down at student sitting at a desk in a classroom holding a book.
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    Michael Loccisano via Getty Images
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    Reading reality in America’s classrooms

    The nation's schools are facing a long overdue conversation about "deeply flawed" reading curricula that don't serve students, three superintendents write.

    LaTonya Goffney, Sonja Santelises and Iranetta Wright • March 16, 2023
  • Students sit in desks in a classroom facing a backboard and a teacher who is handing out papers.
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    Daniel de la Hoz via Getty Images
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    Will there be a ‘Big Bang’ in education research in 2023?

    The head of the Institute of Education Sciences sees two key areas as having potential for major breakthroughs.

    Mark Schneider • Feb. 1, 2023
  • A young Black girl looks down, sadly, as she is excluded from peers in a school hallway.
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    LumiNola via Getty Images
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    4 strategies for unlocking the value of SEL

    The Newark Trust for Education’s P-12 strategy director writes that thoughtful planning is critical to maximize social-emotional learning’s benefits.

    Stephanie Parry • Dec. 9, 2022
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    solarseven via Getty Images
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    These 4 pillars support effective school cybersecurity strategy

    In a world where cybercriminals only need to get lucky once, districts should focus on mitigation, communication, training and remediation.

    Jim Corns • Nov. 23, 2022
  • A teacher instructs two students in a classroom while they look onto their laptops.
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    Stock Photo via Getty Images
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    Taking student support to the next level

    Public dollars would go further faster with integrated student support infrastructure that delivers relationships and resources to individual students.

    Julia Freeland Fisher and Joan Wasser Gish • Nov. 18, 2022
  • A person's hand is shown pointing to algebraic equations on a whiteboard, illustrating mathematical processes to unseen onlookers.
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    Peter Macdiarmid via Getty Images
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    The core problem at the root of math phobia? Fear of failure

    Concern over making the wrong decisions is hindering progress in school and extending to life beyond the classroom, a veteran math educator writes. 

    Eileen Slaton • Nov. 9, 2022
  • A person walks down a school hallway lined with lockers as another person sitting in a classroom can be seen through a window.
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    Jon Cherry via Getty Images
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    Educator shortages are a real crisis — especially in special education

    Administrators are straining under the pressure of finding qualified personnel to meet federal requirements on specialized instruction and related services.

    Myrna Mandlawitz • Nov. 4, 2022
  • A row of desks sit empty in a classroom with the desk in the forefront having a notebook and pencil sitting on top.
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    diane39 via Getty Images
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    Passion will only get you so far: What will it take to keep teachers from leaving?

    A high school social studies teacher writes that a “desire to inspire” students can only carry educators so far amid growing hardships in the profession.

    Tim Smyth • Oct. 14, 2022
  • A group of Black elementary school children stand in line to the left of their teacher in a hallway.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Who gets to be brilliant?

    A nonprofit director writes more must be done to ensure schools recognize giftedness in Black and Hispanic students.

    Autumn A. Arnett • Sept. 21, 2022
  • Young students sit at individual desks facing the front of the classroom with their hands raised.
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    PeopleImages via Getty Images
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    5 strategies for rebuilding student engagement after COVID-19

    The former superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools writes that reconnecting requires multiple strategies, open dialogue, trust and empathy.

    Anthony Hamlet • Aug. 22, 2022
  • A female 3rd-grade student sits at a home table while participating in online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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    Ethan Miller via Getty Images
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    How learning loss is framed shapes how it’s addressed

    An education nonprofit leader details three ways to approach and address pandemic-driven gaps in learning — and why the language used matters.

    Ronald Chaluisán Batlle • Aug. 11, 2022
  • The silhouette of dozens of gowned students throwing their graduation mortarboards in the air is shown against a bright blue sky as they celebrate, a portend of the bright future that lay ahead.
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    Christopher Furlong via Getty Images
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    How higher ed collaboration helped a district streamline college opportunities

    A superintendent shares how a partnership with Arizona State University expanded postsecondary opportunities with an automatic-entry program.

    Chad Gestson • July 26, 2022
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    How one district created a program to recruit and retain 100 men of color

    A South Carolina district superintendent explains how a pioneering initiative is already achieving success — and offers promise for the future.

    Baron R. Davis • July 7, 2022
  • An abortion rights activist stands next to anti-abortion rights activists in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Building, which is surrounded by fencing.
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    Those of us who remember pre-Roe campuses recognize the challenges schools now face

    A former college president writes that in a post-Roe v. Wade environment, educators face daunting challenges if they hope to prevent erosion in the educational achievement, workforce participation and economic contributions of women.

    Jo Ellen Parker • June 24, 2022
  • A boy and girl are sitting in the back of an elementary classroom during a lesson. One of the children is raising his hand.
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    Michael Loccisano via Getty Images
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    Why we stay: 3 Massachusetts principals on striking a balance between pressure, progress

    Despite the challenges, seeing students and educators strive to achieve makes it worth staying in the profession, a trio of school leaders writes.

    Sacha Garcia-Mailloux, Lori McKenna and Steven Moguel • June 13, 2022
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    Rodin Eckenroth via Getty Images
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    We need to stop teaching high school subjects separately

    A teacher writes that schedules and grading systems must be rethought to give students freedom to engage in projects that meld subject areas.

    Alyssa McKee • June 6, 2022
  • From an angled vantage point, an array of colorful books are shown extending into the distance on a library shelf.
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    John Moore via Getty Images
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    Why text diversity matters

    A literacy director with NWEA shares how her experiences with 'The Baby-Sitters Club' highlight the importance of diverse literature.

    Miah Daughtery • June 1, 2022
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    ESSER spending is a journey: How can ed leaders invest to keep the trip running?

    A former superintendent and a policy expert write that coordinated spending and braiding funds are essential steps to maintain the ESSER "road trip."

    Robert Avossa and Dana Godek • May 23, 2022
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    The image by Robert Couse-Baker is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    4 key factors to support district-wide math achievement

    A retired superintendent writes that making math achievement a "non-negotiable" is critical to improving outcomes.

    Amy Hodgson • May 19, 2022
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    OlyaSolodenko/iStock via Getty Images
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    Big money, big ideas: Will schools seize the day along with the cash?

    A former school district CFO writes administrators have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make bold moves that expand effectiveness and opportunities.

    Erin Covington • May 13, 2022
  • High School Students and Teacher wearing face masks and social distancing in Classroom Setting working on laptop technology - stock photo
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    Stock Photo via Getty Images
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    Entrepreneurship education won't save the teaching profession — but it's a good place to start

    A Florida educator writes that teacher satisfaction is a complex problem that can only be addressed with a multifaceted approach.

    Falia Justima • May 3, 2022
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Advancing an equity-oriented science of education

    The president of the William T. Grant Foundation sees new opportunities at the other end of unprecedented challenges for U.S. education.

    Adam Gamoran • April 28, 2022
  • A teacher gestures to her class of mask wearing students during a socially distanced classroom session at Medora Elementary School on March 17, 2021 in Louisville, Kentucky.
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    Jon Cherry via Getty Images
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    Being a teacher needs to be the best job in the district

    A leader and a staff member of NCEE write that teachers should be rewarded for leading the growth of their colleagues.

    Jason Dougal and Ann Borthwick • April 21, 2022
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    "2nd Graders using Build A Bird app on the iPad" by K.W. Barrett is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Emerging tools can help make student-teacher relationships stronger than ever

    A former superintendent writes that some classroom tech can free educators' time from logistics and rote grading to allow more face time with students.

    Robert Avossa • April 19, 2022
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    George Frey via Getty Images
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    We need a 'Bill of Rights' for pandemic recovery

    A former Education Department deputy assistant secretary suggests a 5-point plan of action for supporting student success.

    Ian Rosenblum • April 7, 2022