As a school leader, it’s natural to focus on scarcity – there never seems to be enough time, resources, or support to get everything done. However, this scarcity mindset can limit your potential and negatively impact your school community. Instead, embracing an abundance mindset can... Continue Reading
By Matthew Moyer Hiring the right people is one of the most essential tasks for every principal. Over my career, I have hired hundreds of staff for my school. Some decisions were spot on. Others appeared to be correct at the time but were made in error. Analyzing my decision-making process over... Continue Reading
By L. Earl Franks, Ed.D. End-of-the-year promotions represent the celebration of a collective effort to prepare our kids for the future. We’ve endeavored all year long to ensure every child feels accepted, believes they can succeed, and builds the critical skills they need to thrive in a... Continue Reading
Something transformative is happening in the Downey Unified School District in Southern California. “There’s a buzz,” says Allison Box, principal at Lewis Elementary School. “It’s exciting — there’s never a boring day here, and that’s because... Continue Reading
By: Jesse Pachter A child returns from school, walks through the door, and takes off their backpack, and their caregiver asks, “How was your day at school?” The child thinks for a second and then responds, “Fine.” That’s the end of the conversation.... Continue Reading
By: Miriam Plotinsky TGIF, Victor thinks as he opens his laptop and gets ready for the day. Suddenly, the classroom door opens and Victor’s assistant principal pokes her head in. Gina already has an apologetic look on her face, and Victor braces himself. Sure enough,... Continue Reading
By: Mohannad Arbaji, ChalkTalk Founder & CEO Imagine you’re observing two geometry teachers in your school’s math department. You need to assess the teachers’ use of evidence-based lessons and how the students are engaged with the learning. Both geometry teachers are... Continue Reading
There are many timeless leadership lessons about how to create a vision for your school, including the one my first superintendent offered me: “When teachers come to your office with a monkey on their back, listen and give them your advice and guidance, but when they leave your office,... Continue Reading
By: Jo Lein Teachers struggling in the classroom? Hire an instructional coach. Coaching has become wildly popular in the last several years, and books like Get Better Faster, Instructional Coaching by Paul Bambrick-Santoyo, The Art of Coaching by Elena Aguilar, and The Definitive Guide to... Continue Reading
Unlocking Every Student’s Potential to Lead BY SUSAN DOHERTY Student councils give kids the opportunity to unlock their leadership potential and effect positive change in their schools and communities. There have been dynamic shifts in our schools in the last decade, as we work to... Continue Reading
Picture this: You’ve been wanting to change the way you do a family event at your school for a while. You finally get organized early enough to pull together this new and improved classroom community event and you are feeling sky high about it. Not to toot your own horn, but this event... Continue Reading
Great School Leaders Know How (and Why) to Tell Their School’s Story We think that everyone can agree that there simply is not enough good news being spread among the masses, all around the world. That’s why we loved John Krasinski and his show, Some Good News, during the... Continue Reading
