School of Thought Blog
How National Honor Society Prepared Me for West Point
Just two weeks after I graduated from Central High School in Philadelphia, PA, I began basic training at West Point. After six weeks of push-ups, pull-ups, battle drills, and walking uphill with weights for what seemed like hundreds of miles, I successfully completed cadet training known as “BEAST.” I returned from the woods and immediately started my first semester of college.
(more…)CMU CS Academy provides free computer science curriculum
Is your school looking to expand its high school computer science offerings? Carnegie Mellon’s CMU CS Academy might be the right fit for top-notch resources. An online, graphics-based computer science curriculum taught in Python and provided by Carnegie Mellon University, CMU CS Academy offers novel, world-class computer science education for the secondary classroom. And it’s entirely free.
(more…)Why Principals Need a Say in Funding Decisions
When I read the results of NASSP’s recent survey and heard what principals around the country had to say, I was surprised so many of them reported that their districts haven’t consulted them enough about how state and federal COVID-19 relief funds are spent.
(more…)Why Self-Care for School Leaders Is More Important Than Ever
If I didn’t engage in the self-care practices that I’ve been following for the last 15 years I’ve been a school administrator, I wouldn’t still be in the profession. To do the job and not completely stress out, I simply can’t do without them.
(more…)Top Five Blog Posts of 2021
For a snapshot of what resonated with School of Thought readers in 2021, check out the five most popular posts. Because the year was incredibly stressful and far from normal, it’s no surprise that topics such as well-being and collaboration top the list. Our four-legged friends are honored here, too. Happy reading!
(more…)For New NEHS Advisers, Breakfast Chats Offer Ideas and Support
It’s not easy taking over as adviser of a National Elementary Honor Society (NEHS) chapter, especially if you’re already teaching full time. To help some of the new advisers where I teach in Hillsborough County, FL, I started hosting breakfast chats last year to share ideas and offer support.
(more…)Pausing to Reflect on a Stressful School Year
At the end of 2021, Beth Houf wrote about the extremely challenging school year she and her school leader colleagues faced across the country. Her reflections were posted on the blog of the Albert Shanker Institute, and we are sharing them here. Besides reminding principals and assistant principals that they are not alone in this work, Houf offers concrete ideas to act on in the new year.
(more…)10 NHS and NatStuCo Chapters Giving Back to Their Communities
National Honor Society and NatStuCo Chapters gave back this year through food drives. Check out some of their work!
(more…)NJHS and NHS Chapters Give Back
This holiday season, students from across the country are coming together to spread festive cheer through service! Get inspired by:
(more…)American Heart Challenge Provides Accessible Service Opportunities to NHS Students
Since the beginning of the pandemic, National Honor Society (NHS) advisers have faced the challenge of finding service activities that don’t involve big crowds (like charity walks) or extended close contact (like in-person tutoring). When they heard about a volunteer opportunity that students could do through social media and a smart phone app, sponsored by the American Heart Association (AHA), NHS advisers in two school districts near Houston, TX, welcomed the chance to involve their chapters.
(more…)Breathing New Life into One School’s NHS Chapter
2021 marked the centennial of National Honor Society (NHS), a program of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Since its founding in 1921, NHS has recognized and encouraged exceptional student leaders. One such chapter, established a few years after NHS was born, is now gaining new life. Sterling High School (SHS) in the rural community of Sterling, CO, had an active NHS chapter from 1925 through 2013. After eight years of dormancy, the school proudly reinstated its chapter this year.
(more…)Taking Stock of Where We’ve Been—and Where We’re Going
With the holiday season and winter break fast approaching, you as school leaders have time to reflect on where your schools have been and where they’re going. This halfway point of the school year gives you a well-deserved breather where you can take stock of your accomplishments in serving your students, teachers, and communities and confront the challenges that remain.
(more…)Four Strategies That Increase Student Opportunity in Advanced Courses
Advanced coursework and career and technical education (CTE) pathways provide high school students with the opportunity to learn and practice crucial college and career readiness skills while earning college credit and career certifications. According to The Education Trust, “Research shows that when students are given access to advanced coursework opportunities, they work harder and engage more in school, leading to fewer absences and suspensions and higher graduation rates.” Despite widespread understanding of the important opportunities provided by Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Dual Enrollment, and CTE, schools continue to struggle with addressing opportunity gaps by supporting all students in accessing and succeeding in these courses and programs.
(more…)It Takes Everybody: Building Your School’s SEL Plan
When school buildings across South Carolina closed in March 2020 due to COVID-19, the impact went beyond academics. The class of 2020 was stripped of prom and the full celebration of graduation, and high school athletes competing in spring sports were stripped of their opportunities to shine athletically.
(more…)Maryland NHS Member in the Spotlight at UNICEF Global Forum
When Stranger Things was such a popular TV show, I was obsessed with Millie Bobby Brown, the British actress and model. One day I was scrolling through Instagram, and I saw on her page that she had been selected as UNICEF’s youngest Goodwill Ambassador. That really caught my eye because she was 14 at the time—the exact same age as me.
(more…)A School That Celebrates and Honors Students’ Cultures
When Ronn Nozoe, the CEO of NASSP, and Gregg Wieczorek, NASSP President, toured Betty H. Fairfax High School in Laveen, AZ, in mid-November, it was an apt location for a school visit during Native American Heritage Month. The school enrolls a number of Native students, many from the nearby Gila River Indian Community.
(more…)10 NHS & NJHS Chapters Giving Back to Their Communities
This holiday, NHS and NJHS students across the country are finding innovative and unique ways to give back to their communities. Check out their great work and be inspired:
(more…)Virtual LEAD Conference Engages Student Leaders and Advisers
Despite the challenges of putting together an engaging virtual conference for more than 2,400 student leaders and advisers, the LEAD Fall Conference earlier this month was a big success, with positive reviews from student and adult attendees alike.
(more…)A Nurse in Every School: One School District’s Worthwhile Investment
At the onset of the pandemic, officials in the Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 did something that turned out to be a great use of money: They hired a full-time registered nurse for all nine of our schools. Larger schools like mine—a middle school with 1,100 students—also have a certified nurse assistant.
(more…)Wieczorek’s 50-State Tour Continues in the Midwest
NASSP President Gregg Wieczorek’s third leg of Leading Forward: The Listening and Learning Tour continued in late October with visits to four schools in three states: Illinois, Michigan, and Indiana. Below are brief highlights from the latest stops, one of which garnered a story in a student newspaper.
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