Rebuilding school for scholars
In the midst of hectic changes in funding, programs, and the administrative scaffolding at the district level, it seems the data cannot be clearer: children are struggling badly, and staff is right there with them. Students are adrift. Teachers are drowning. Time for a reset.While a great many of the problems children face cannot be addressed by school, there are ways to help students gain and practice the skills they need to become lifelong learners who achieve success. And districts are already thinking ahead to ask guidance from employers, who say students can complete tasks well, but lack the ability to think outside the task, ask the right questions to the right people, and get messy to solve problems—not to mention practicing soft skills like communication with peers and supervisors.
Meta-analysis of 66 experimental studies from the last 20 years led researchers to one possible solution for schools: Project-based learning (PBL). Compared to traditional teaching techniques, PBL resulted in improved learning outcomes and at the same time had a positive impact on attitudes and thinking skills. That’s why in 2026 we’ll be on the lookout for districts doing their darndest to place agency in the hands of students.
Repairing relationships between school and home
Parent engagement comes from parent communication and strategy in service of the student. If students are adrift, many well-meaning parents are not far behind. Perhaps they want to be involved but aren’t sure how to bridge the gap. Thank goodness a plethora of edtech tools exist to try to facilitate this fleeting opportunity.- Tools help: Parent portals, multiple channels, and even social media can bring opportunities to communicate with parents, which is a step toward engagement.
- Expectations and ground rules help: While most everyone has attended school, parents often need guidance for their behavior now that they’ve been away from school awhile. While this makes sense, it’s also not always something a parent is comfortable admitting, so instead schools can lead the dance and spell it out.
- Backup from admin helps most: A visible principal, superintendent, and admin team is incredibly helpful to connect folks from all levels of the community. Knowing administrators are here to support teachers striving to engage parents and act as buffers for parents who are too demanding is crucial to retain great teachers.
- Data can guide the way: Visualizing data eliminates the overwhelm of it all and can help parents make sense of dense information. We’ll be talking more about student data visualization as 2026 goes on.
Reimagining retention strategies
There’s much already said on this topic and much to be discovered in the coming year. At present, teacher retention is also a struggle for many school districts. Leaders may consider taking a user experience (UX) perspective. Learn about using UX to design classroom experiences.What are educators experiencing in classrooms? Boil it down to three questions to see if things are flowing or stagnant.
- Is your technology infrastructure thriving?
- Is your culture intact? How about the climate of buildings and the district?
- Is respect the cornerstone of your relationships across your community?
The tools we use, the way we feel at work, and the interactions we have with peers all contribute to the overall happiness of an individual contributor. While the teacher retention crisis is systemic, district leaders can use what they have where they can to create a destination for high-performing teachers and substitutes.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOUR EDTECH? The right combo of tools & support retains staff and serves students better. We'd love to help. Visit skyward.com/get-started to learn more.
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Erin Werra Blogger, Researcher, and Edvocate |
Erin Werra is a content writer and strategist at Skyward’s Advancing K12 blog. Her writing about K12 edtech, data, security, social-emotional learning, and leadership has appeared in THE Journal, District Administration, eSchool News, and more. She enjoys puzzling over details to make K12 edtech info accessible for all. Outside of edtech, she’s waxing poetic about motherhood, personality traits, and self-growth.
