School of Thought Blog

Character Education: The Building Block of Success

Guest post by Kendrick Myers

For years, character education has played a large role in schools. In 39 states, character education is mandated or encouraged. It is mentioned in the legislation of every state except for one, and in Alabama it has been a mandated part of the curriculum since 1995. However, character education is more than a mandate or legislative injunction. According to the National Forum on Character Education, it helps solve behavioral problems and improve academic achievement. (more…)

May 10, 2016

Other

Advocacy Update: Tracking ESSA

Inside the Beltway

What is going on in Washington?

This past week was Teacher Appreciation Week, and Washington celebrated with a special event at the White House featuring the National Teacher of the Year and the award finalists. NASSP Principal of the Year Alan Tenreiro and NASSP Executive Director JoAnn Bartoletti were in attendance alongside inspiring educators and school leaders from across the country. (more…)

May 9, 2016

Education Policy Other

Family Holidays—A Reminder to Support Grieving Students

Mother’s Day offers a rich array of choices for classroom educators. Run an Internet search on “Mother’s Day classroom activities” and literally hundreds of ideas appear—quizzes, art projects, research, math, and that longtime standby, making cards for mom.

These can be fun endeavors for students and teachers alike. But a classroom activity focusing on mothers can be challenging for a student whose mother has died. It can also be difficult for students who don’t live with their mothers. Lesson plans posted on the Internet rarely take note of this. (more…)

May 4, 2016

Building Culture Curriculum Instruction Leading Learning Wellness

Legal Scenarios in Schools: Fine Tune Your Decision Making

Guest post by Heberto Hinojosa

From small rural to large urban schools across the country, school administrators make hundreds of daily decisions that impact their school communities. We know that these decisions must be led by the overarching question of what is best for our students. However, an equally important component of decision making is the consideration of the legal implications of our actions.

Being an active principal as well as teaching school law to over 100 aspiring principals in the last few years has given me a broad (more…)

May 3, 2016

Collaborative Leadership Leading Learning

Advocacy Update: Tracking ESSA

SOAR Passes the House

This week, instead of tackling bills concerned with child nutrition or career and technical education—both of which are overdue for reauthorization—the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Reauthorization Act. SOAR is a private school voucher program for District of Columbia students. NASSP opposes voucher programs, and as a member of the National Coalition for Public Education, NASSP sent a letter to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform expressing the harm that would be done to public schools and public school students in D.C. by the voucher program. (more…)

May 2, 2016

Education Policy Other

3 Reasons to Attend the NASSP Advocacy Conference This Summer

Together, NASSP and school leaders nationwide play a vital role in crafting federal, state, and district policies that support the achievement and success of each student. The NASSP Advocacy Conference, held in Arlington, VA, at the Key Bridge Marriott from June 20 to June 22, is a great opportunity for school leaders to expand their advocacy skillset by participating in training and activities.

If you’re wondering whether this is the conference for you, here are three reasons why this is a can’t-miss experience for any principal interested in becoming a better advocate for their students, staff, and school: (more…)

April 29, 2016

Education Policy Other school reform school reform policy

Edcamp Leadership: A One-of-a-kind Professional Learning Experience

If you’re like most school leaders, you have sat through countless hours of presentations and videos—some compulsory, some of your own choosing—that bear the broad label professional development. Typically, you’re talked at, given a few minutes to discuss, then talked at some more. This still-pervasive model reinforces a few damaging assumptions about professional learning. The first is the assumption that your professional learning is a passive activity—something that happens to you, not something you control and direct. The second is that professional learning is an information dump—the transfer of knowledge from an illuminated sage to, well, the rest of us. (more…)

April 28, 2016

Other Principal/Teacher Preparation

Student Voice Is Essential to Education Reform

Guest post by Felix Yerace

Over the last 11 years of my career in education, I have seen my students do amazing things and show leadership that I am not sure I possessed at 16 or 17, or 26 or 27, for that matter. They have improved their schools, advocated for their peers, given back to their communities, and made their world a better place. In doing so, they have learned powerful lessons that I could never have taught in the classroom. I am continually impressed with their efforts and abilities, and their work inspired me to go back to school to earn my PhD in Leadership Studies, focusing on youth leadership development to learn how to help other educators better support their own student leaders. (more…)

April 26, 2016

Building Culture Communication Education Policy Other

A Powerful Idea for a Productive Student Lunch

Guest post by Brad W. Staley

With so many things competing for their time, students often struggle to fit everything into a single school day. As administrators, we want to give them enough freedom to explore a variety of school offerings while still maintaining order.

At Northside High School in Jacksonville, NC, we decided to try something new to afford students more autonomy to make the most of their day. We call it Power Hour: A one-hour lunch period in which students can use the time as they wish. (more…)

April 26, 2016

Building Culture

Advocacy Update: Tracking ESSA

Inside the Beltway

What’s going on in Washington?

The ESSA Negotiated Rulemaking Committee met for the final time this past week. They were able to reach a consensus on the assessments but not on “supplement not supplant” language. The U.S. Department of Education now has full authority to regulate on “supplement not supplant” without stakeholder input. On assessments, the rulemaking committee agreed on rules related to use of a nationally recognized test at the high school level, computer adaptive testing, and testing for students taking advanced math in eighth grade. (more…)

April 25, 2016

Education Policy Other

Understanding Grieving Children’s ‘Confusing’ Reactions

Grieving is a personal and distinct experience for every individual. You might have heard the statement before that, “Everyone grieves differently.” However, children’s reactions to the death of a loved one can be particularly puzzling to adults. One reason is that their reactions can vary greatly. So, for adults, it helps to expect and be ready for the unexpected.

Adults are sometimes confused if a grieving child does not behave as expected. For example, sometimes, children appear happy, unaffected, and play as usual. And sometimes, they say angry or unkind things about others or the person who died. But it’s important to understand that after the death of a loved one, children will be experiencing deep and powerful emotions, even if it is not at first clear from the things that they say and do. (more…)

April 22, 2016

Building Culture Communication Relationships Wellness

Improving Quality and Reducing Duplicative Assessments Under ESSA

Spring is here, which for students, educators, and parents means testing season has officially begun. In 2015, several states across the country witnessed the growing opt-out movement, where parents are withholding their children from assessments in protest of the Common Core State Standards and the inclusion of student test scores in teacher evaluations, as well as the overbearing standardized testing culture.

Last year in New York, more than 200,000 third through eighth graders sat out of standardized tests, and the movement has shown no signs of slowing down in 2016. In February, the NASSP Board of Directors stated its opposition to state and district opt-out (more…)

April 21, 2016

Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessments Education Policy Leading Learning Other Results-Orientation

Mastering the Master Schedule: Ensuring Equity and Access for All Students

Guest post by Ashanti Bryant Foster

Master Schedule: the two words that usually cause a cringe and instant headache for many educators. The reality is that if you don’t have a firm grasp on the master schedule, it is difficult to understand the movements and ‘flow of traffic’ in your building. One of the reasons I wanted to be involved in scheduling is so I could understand the task inside out, just like discipline, leading collaborative planning, and supporting parent programs. As an administrator, I need to know the ins and outs of all major decisions that impact student achievement. (more…)

April 19, 2016

Building Culture Collaborative Leadership Equity Leading Learning schedule scheduling

Advocacy Update: Tracking ESSA

Inside the Beltway

What’s happening in Washington?

Last week, U.S. Department of Education Secretary John King appeared before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions for a full committee hearing. The topic of the hearing was “ESSA Implementation in States and School Districts: Perspectives from the U.S. Secretary of Education.” The full hearing is available for viewing online.

Why should principals care? (more…)

April 18, 2016

Education Policy Other

Advocating for and Celebrating Assistant Principals

This week is National Assistant Principals Week, and we’re celebrating the leaders who make things happen every day behind the scenes for our schools—assistant principals! Assistant principals are often the glue that holds schools together. This is a special week to thank them for everything they do to keep our schools safe and running smoothly, and to ensure the success of each and every student.

The U.S. Congress is also getting in on the celebration as well. On April 14, Sens. David Perdue (R-GA) and Thomas Carper (D-DE) introduced a resolution to commemorate the week. “Assistant principals play a key role in our education system, and their efforts deserve to be recognized,” said Sen. Perdue. (more…)

April 15, 2016

Education Policy Other

Connected Leadership: Empowering Stronger Leaders for Stronger Schools

Guest post by Jared C. Wastler

As an educational leader, I strongly believe that we must not lead from afar—we must engage and connect with our staff, students, community, and colleagues. Think of a leader whom you admire. It is rare that you would describe such an individual saying, “he talked a good game but never really followed through.”

Jimmy Casas, Principal at Bettendorf High School in Iowa, likes to say, “you get what you model.” For us to be effective educational leaders, (more…)

April 12, 2016

Collaborative Leadership Leading Learning

Advocacy Update: Tracking ESSA

NASSP Holds Student Briefing on Capitol Hill

The newly founded NASSP Student Leadership Advisory Committee held its first public event last Tuesday on Capitol Hill. Two student members, a teacher, and a principal were featured at the briefing titled “Technology in Schools: Student, Teacher, and Principal Perspectives.” Check out the Storify of the event featuring tweets and photos taken by committee members. Stay tuned to the School of Thought blog for more perspectives on the event from committee members.

Inside the Beltway (more…)

April 11, 2016

Education Policy Other

Get Ready to Celebrate National Assistant Principals Week

Celebrate your assistant principals’ successes during National Assistant Principals Week, April 11–15! This week recognizes the contributions of assistant principals to the success of students, teachers, parents, and school communities across the United States.

While the roles and responsibilities may depend on the individual school settings, assistant principals are essential to establishing a positive learning environment that ensures each student and adult is known and valued.

NASSP celebrated early by hosting all of the State Assistant Principals of the Year during the Ignite ’16 National Principals Conference in Orlando, Florida, February 25–27. (more…)

April 4, 2016

Other Recognition

Advocacy Update: Tracking ESSA

Center for American Progress Event Features NASSP Member

Richard Loeschner, an NASSP member and principal of Breakthrough School Brentwood High School in Brentwood, NY, was featured last week at a Center for American Progress event on “Harnessing the Talent of DACA and Unauthorized Students at the K–12 Level.” The event focused on the patchwork of policies and practices that unauthorized students face in K–12 schools and the varying levels of support they receive from schools that might not recognize their unique challenges. Mr. Loeschner’s school has found particular success in raising the achievement of immigrant students and was featured on the event’s panel discussion. A recording of the event can now be viewed online. NASSP’s Associate Director of Advocacy David Chodak was also in attendance. (more…)

April 4, 2016

Education Policy Other

Schools Succeed When Breakfast is Served After the Bell

Guest post by Mieka Sanderson

Secondary school principals across the nation are rallying around a new take on the School Breakfast Program: breakfast after the bell. The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) released a report in November 2015, School Breakfast After the Bell: Equipping Students for Academic Success, which showed that 87 percent of principals who implemented the program believe other principals should explore launching a similar program. Echoing the results of the elementary school principals’ report FRAC published in November 2013, implementing a Breakfast after the Bell program in secondary schools has proven to be a superior alternative to the traditional before-school breakfast program. (more…)

March 31, 2016

Building Culture Equity nutrition Wellness