Career & Technical Ed
superintendent
Leadership
Competitive, Coherent, Creative: The 21st Century School District
It’s time for district leaders to create clarity and coherence by making crystal clear how things are supposed to work. To accomplish that, it’s a good time to reexamine why school districts exist, how they work and what value they add.
EdTech
Elementary & Middle Schools Worth Visiting
Here at Getting Smart, we think school visits are the best form of professional learning. Based on a couple thousand school visits, and with help from colleagues and readers, we’ve compiled this list of elementary and middle schools worth visiting.
Competency-Based Education
Smart List: 30 School Districts Worth Visiting
Leading a public school district is difficult and complicated work. But done well, there is no other job that can change how a community thinks about itself, its children and its future. Here, we look at 30 districts that are changing the trajectory of both education and their communities.
EdTech
Data Interoperability in K-12: The End of the Human API
By: Erin Mote. My school has consistently helped students outperform their peers, and I believe that this is largely due to what teachers can accomplish when they aren't spending hours trying to access and read their student data. Here's why data interoperability is so important.
Leadership
How Financially Savvy Are Your School Administrators?
By: Jess Gartner. With the right support structures and financial data analysis tools in place, administrators can gradually learn to budget effectively and ensure that every resource is driving student achievement.
Schools Worth Visiting
Kepner Keeps True to the Innovation Model
Kepner Beacon Middle School is in its inaugural year, but it has already developed an impressive program. Here, I share some photos that outline what I saw in my recent visit to the school.
Smart Planet
For School Improvement, Network Globally
By: Bonnie Lathram and David Potter. Innovations and advancements in networks and platforms are improving schools. In this post, we look at why school districts everywhere should be looking to engage globally.
Marketing & Communication
6 Steps to a Successful School Marketing Plan
By: Stacy Jagodowski. Marketing plans are the roadmap to success for your school. In this post, I explore techniques that school and district leaders can use to develop plans that help them reach their goals.
Project-Based Learning
The 5 Pillars of Whole School Transformation
By: David Ross. Having concluded our recent study of 75 "Exemplar Schools" succeeding at providing 21st-century learning, we believe these are the foundational features necessary to transform into a 21st-century school.
Leadership
A School District Business Leader Goes Back To School
By: Brian Adesso. It’s easy to get caught up in the operational side of running a school district when you work in the business office, so I decided to take a step back and experience our school district from the students’ perspective.