When I took the helm as principal of Nathanael Greene Middle School in April 2023, one in every two students was chronically absent. This school boasted a celebrated history, but at the time, it ranked in the bottom 1% of the state – a one-star school.  It was identified for comprehensive support and school improvement.  […]

In our building, we have a commitment to honoring the experiences of all our students and families. We have students from all over the world with rich and diverse histories and cultures, and we want each and every child and the adults in their lives to feel like they belong. What’s more is that we […]

One thing I’ve come to appreciate as a leader is the power of new beginnings – the ability to create moments to reset, restart and recommit to our team’s values and goals. Creating those opportunities at the start of a new term in our building isn’t exactly the same as the conversations I had when […]

I grew up in a bilingual program here in Buffalo, New York, and now it’s my privilege to support students and educators in bilingual programs as an instructional coach. Much of my work with educators focuses on dual language instruction and amplifying students’ home language – Spanish, in the case of our community. This year, […]

Leaders like you know how tough chronic student absenteeism is to tackle. Data shows that each chronically absent or at-risk student and family will benefit from individualized support at school. But to make a difference for all your students, you and your team need consistent, scalable processes. That’s why we’ve rounded up 5 data-driven tools […]

Here’s a situation your fellow leaders have shared: You’re welcoming new English language learners and immigrant students into your building, and your team has questions about how to support their success.  Longtime ESL educator and district facilitator Valentina Gonzalez knows this challenge well, too. Here’s the No. 1 strategy she recommends to school leaders like […]

When children first walk through our school doors for pre-K or kindergarten, they bring a natural desire to learn and an effortless joy for school. They’re inquisitive and eager to engage. However, as a teacher and now as a leader, I’ve seen how students’ connection to school can sometimes gradually dissipate over the years.  That’s […]

More than 23 years ago, my journey in education began as a kindergarten teacher, where I discovered my passion for teaching young children to read. Right from the start, I noticed the diverse reading abilities among my students – some were just learning their letters while others could already decode words. At that time, the […]

Five years ago, my school was one of the middle schools with the highest number of suspensions in the county. I know data demonstrates that suspensions just aren’t effective  for students, and as a principal I’ve seen it firsthand, too. When a student is repeatedly suspended, it’s easy for them to feel unwanted at school, […]

We’re leading through a tough moment in education for many reasons, one of which is that more school communities are grappling with chronic absenteeism. As a school leader, I know how hard it can be to develop a consistent, positive school culture when students are struggling with regular attendance. It’s not easy work, but it’s […]