Community

Three Communication Practices That Successfully Transform School Culture, Regardless of Your Preference By Julia Ullmann, Ed.D. Assistant Principal, NeoCity Academy, Osceola County Let's be real—between budget meetings, discipline referrals, and the 127 unread emails in your inbox (all... Continue Reading

By Tracy Duval and Leslie Frick In Florida, teacher evaluations are guided by the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAPs)—a set of standards that outline what effective teaching looks and sounds like. But while these standards offer a clear framework, one essential question... Continue Reading

By Becca Lamon, Superintendent, Ball-Chatham CUSD5 (I.L.) Post COVID, the lives of educators can feel like a constant hustle. Scroll through social media and you’ll see it—reels and posts about burnout, feeling underappreciated, under attack, and, sadly, walking away from the... Continue Reading

By Nishira Mitchell Teacher retention is an ongoing challenge, and in many districts, leaders are struggling to fill vacant positions. In Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS), the nation’s seventh largest school system, we are facing a severe shortage of teachers and support... Continue Reading

By Debbie E. Bennett Before becoming a middle school associate principal, I was an elementary principal. Because of the size of my school, I didn’t have an assistant principal; sometimes I felt like I was doing the job of three people. With delegation and organization, however, my staff... Continue Reading

The Importance of Getting to Know the Students you Serve… As educators, we often focus on providing for a student’s physical, emotional, and developmental needs. But amidst these actions, there's one vital, yet sometimes overlooked, element: eye contact. Taking a moment to look... Continue Reading

By: Tracy Duval and Leslie Frick, The Pedagogy Pros In districts across the country, the question is no longer whether we have a teacher shortage—it’s how we keep the great educators we already have. Teacher attrition continues to climb, with the most vulnerable losses happening in... Continue Reading

By Maya Brown, Literacy Content Development Manager at the UF Lastinger Center New Worlds Reading[1] is Florida’s free program that mails eligible VPK - 5th graders 9 free books with reading activities each school year to help boost their literacy skills. We often get asked questions... Continue Reading

By Jennifer Abrams Hard conversations are an inherent part of school leadership. More often than not, as a principal or an assistant principal, you will engage in hard conversations, and you will need to do so in productive ways. Speaking with clarity and courage and addressing difficult... Continue Reading

By John C. Maxwell Years ago, I became convinced of a truth that changed the trajectory of my life: Everything rises and falls on leadership. Great leadership has the power to improve an entire organization. And, unfortunately, bad leadership has the power to bring down an entire organization.... Continue Reading

By Andy Farley and Eric Hagen At Brookfield East High School in Brookfield, WI, we work tirelessly to develop a culture of gratitude and recognition as we live our mission: “Dedicated to Academic and Human Excellence.” Like most schools, we recognize students and their many... Continue Reading

By Brad Gustafson People have the capacity to navigate extraordinary change when the conditions are right. But the conditions aren’t always right in education, and leading in an environment of constant change can be exhausting. Some weeks, I consider it a success if I’m able to stay... Continue Reading