January is a pivotal moment for PLCs. Mid-year data and shifting priorities often require a reset—and the best insights come from leaders who’ve already done …
Professional development
What It Looks Like to Put Teachers in Charge of Their Own PD
It’s not easy for school leaders to plan the perfect professional development for their teachers. Teachers often find sit-and-get PD boring, repetitive, or untethered to …
School Leaders Struggle With Teacher Buy-in. What to Do About That (Opinion)
One of the most common questions I hear from school leaders is, “How do I get buy-in from teachers?” While they find the ideas we …
How One District Is Getting Secondary Teachers Up to Speed on Reading Support
Reading intervention isn’t just about K-3. It’s a collective responsibility. That’s the commitment from Georgia’s Marietta school district, which is now looking beyond the early …
Teachers Need Help Reaching Teens Who Missed Basic Reading Skills. Can PD Help?
Like many districts, the Marietta school district in Georgia has spent the past five years focused on improving literacy achievement for its youngest students, intent …
Calling Yourself a ‘Lead Learner’ Doesn’t Make It So (Opinion)
Over the last few years, education leaders have been inspired to call themselves lead learners. Although we are sure the concept came from a good …
How Education Leaders Can Build a Better Space for Collaborative Learning (Opinion)
As educational leaders with a combined experience of over 70 years, we have championed efforts to support collaboration for teachers while finding ourselves in a …
A Seat at the Table: How School Leaders and Teachers Can Learn From Each Other
What gets in the way of teachers and school leaders learning from each other? Too often, teachers and school leaders look past each other in …
How Do Teachers Learn Best? Here’s What They Say
Like it or loathe it, professional development is part of most every teacher’s job. State laws might mandate training to prepare for new curricula. Districts …
Looking for a New Way to Approach Professional Learning? Try This (Opinion)
We’ve all been in meetings where leaders are asked to collaborate, yet the room doesn’t feel collaborative at all. Andy Hargreaves once called this contrived …