Restorative Practices Roundup: 5 Leaders, 5 Stories“RP has become increasingly important as a tool for educators who are struggling to meet the educational and social-emotional needs of children surviving a pandemic.”
— Karen Webber
3 Steps to Intentional Instructional Leadership“If I want to encourage students to excel, I have to equip teachers to excel – and that means working deliberately to provide my team with the tools, structures and support they need.”
— Ranesia Edwards
It’s time to mathematize our schools“School leaders like you have an important role to play in building a school-wide positive math culture, regardless of your own background in math. Research shows that the way adults talk about math powerfully shapes students’ math mindsets.”
— Margie Pearse
Answering the School Phones Gave Me an Instant Connection to Families
I hadn’t planned to answer the secretaries’ phones – but I’m so glad I did.
How Two Handwritten Letters Can Make a Difference
Two letters. One powerful message: You matter to me.
Using Student Data to Inform Equity Goals
As my district’s director of equity and inclusion, I know how much school leaders care about promoting success for every student, beginning on the very first day of school. This year is off to a complicated start, and I also know that it can be easy to feel like we’re already behind on planning anti-racist […]
3 Pillars for Building a Restorative Practices Culture
My journey with restorative practices is similar to that of a lot of folks who believe in the power of student relationships. After years as a teacher, assistant principal and then as a principal in Baltimore, I’d seen the impact that investing in relationships can have on school culture and on students’ futures, and I […]
Student-ready resources for college and career planning
“When our students are planning their futures, they count on the adults in their school communities for guidance. But for many of us, our own college application experiences happened a long time ago – and career and college planning processes have changed immensely. We might be able to tell our students, ‘Back when I was […]
How to get all-staff buy-in on restorative practices
As you lean into planning for a new year, I know you are thinking through how best to support students in what will hopefully be a more normal year. I’ve worked in several schools as a leader, and what I’ve learned is we have to teach to the heart before we can teach to the […]
6 Ways to Make FAFSA Completion a Community-Wide Effort
Take a community approach to boosting FAFSA completion and increasing opportunity.
3 Steps to Intentional Instructional Leadership
As a school leader, I know that if my team and I can promote academic success for our students, we can set them up to achieve so much in high school and beyond. If I want to encourage students to excel, I have to equip teachers to excel – and that means working deliberately to […]
5 Ways to Empower Your Counseling Team to Thrive
My counseling department is so strong because I give them what they need – and get out of their way.
3 Ways to Make Sure All Families See College as an Option
As a first-generation college graduate, I make college readiness a priority for my students and families.