Topic | Leadership

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• A Coach's Perspective: Identifying & Growing Student Leaders

  How do coaches spot and sharpen SEL skills in student athletes? Learn five things to look for.

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• School Districts Are Writing Thoughtful AI Policies. What Does that Look Like?

  5 considerations for a stronger, student-centered AI ecosystem in your district.

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• The Unique Courage Needed to Learn, and the Lifelong Benefits of Answering the Call

  Fire up your synapses: We’re growing new neural pathways at work, school, everywhere in between, and beyond.

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• 3 Conversations to Follow in 2026

  Rebuilding, repairing relationships, and reimagining teacher retention.

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• Math Anxiety Holds Students Underwater

  Even as more avenues for K12 math success open, nearly 20%of kids also confront a self-made barrier. What can teachers do to identify and ease math anxiety’s grip?

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• Should AI Write Your Master Schedule for You?

  No, but AI’s skillful summarizing and organization blend beautifully with the nuance and expertise of educator instinct.

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• Why Choose Data-Driven Leadership Tools, Anyway?

  Leading by instinct 🤝 leading with data. Why not both?

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• A Talk with a Superintendent: Community Compassion Starts at School

  We sat down with a superintendent to discuss how addressing a private grief can build bridges.

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• Just for fun: What Your Communication & Caffeine Style Says About You

  Spot yourself in these four archetypes of folks starting a busy day in K12.

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• Midyear Check-In: 2025 Conversations

  Whew, what a half a year for K12 (we say every single calendar year).

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• Queasy or Easy: The Effect of Change on Your Team's Productivity

  And how you can ride the rollercoaster, from an employee and employer perspective, using the Kübler-Ross Change Scale.

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• Where to Go from "I Don't Know."

  Saying “I don’t know” might feel like a flaw, but it’s one of the smartest moves a leader can make.

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• Return Joy to Teaching and Learning with Thoughtful AI PD

  AI can be a TA, but never a teacher. So how can educators truly harness the power of AI?

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• What Keeps Boys from Reading and Girls from STEM? Stereotypes.

  To graduate more successful students, we need zero-tolerance for bias of all sorts in the classroom.

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• 3 Conversations to Follow in 2025

  Each year we predict big topics for the following year in K12 schools. This year, changes to the DOE, increased parent engagement, and academic recovery.

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• How Maslow's Inspiration Informs K12 Leadership

  How self-actualization happens in the Siksika tribe, whose way of life inspired Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

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• What K12 Leaders Can Learn from Chefs

  Looking for wisdom in unusual places? Look no further than your local restaurant kitchen.

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• Common School-Related Dreams and What They May Mean

  Learn more about the symbols your subconscious offers as you sleep.

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• So You Want to Become a Superintendent

  If you’re aiming for district leadership, you'll shift from do-er to planner. Here's how.

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• The Two Kinds of Time You'll Spend in a K12 Career

  Examining both ends of the K12 spectrum and a kaleidoscope of time in between.

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• Tackling Tension within Your District: Steps for K12 Leaders

  Follow these steps to tease out solutions when tensions run high.

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• How the Pareto Principle Shows Up in K12 Schools

  The 80/20 rule with roots in Italian land ownership proves useful when prioritizing tasks in a high-energy, high-demand role like K12 educators have.

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• Midyear Check-In: 2024 Conversations

  Each year we predict the top newsmakers in K12 schools. The 2024 conversations: behavior crises, cybersecurity roles, and of course our friend AI.

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• 3 Ways to Play the Long Game for Staff Retention

  Use these tactics early in the school year to build educator stamina and keep morale high all year long.

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• How Are You Attracting and Retaining Teachers of Color?

  Automating your applicant tracking eases the effects of covert biases and provides an attractive applicant experience.

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• Your Video Guide to Measuring ROI: Vol. 3

  Signs your solution is worth its salt: Great data for goal-setting and progress monitoring.

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• The Quest for Social Media Authenticity

  As a K12 leader, people want to know you—the real you. Here's how to get comfortable with your online thought leadership.

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• Why Are We So Worried About AI in Schools?

  AI can’t be avoided—and the good news is, it’s not all that novel. Let’s explore the pros and cons of embracing AI in schools.

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• Data Migration is a Team Effort

  You’re ready for a big data migration—you just don’t know it yet.

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• Your Video Guide to Measuring Edtech ROI

  Set the stage to measure the return on investment for pricey edtech. Learn how in this video.

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• 3 Conversations to Follow in 2024

  Each year we anticipate the next hot topics for the new calendar year in K12 schools. See which three made the list.

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• Changing Your School Brand and Other Misfortunes

  Rebranding always feels like an uphill battle. A few strategies can help the process along.

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• Erasing Friday: What a 4-Day School Week Might Mean for Your District

  What does the data say about four days in school instead of five?

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• Productive PD: Building a Growth Mindset from Burnout

  The best time to do better is when you're already doing well. PD is no different!

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• The Value of Device Tracking

  Saving big bucks on tech? Terrific. Defending the district from data theft? Priceless.

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• Increase Engagement and Equity with SIS Translation

  And with built-in tools, it's as easy as pie.

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• We Have the Tools; Let's Keep Our Talent

  Use a clever mix of tools and talent to retain great educators.

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• Who Wants to be the Next K12 Leader?

  Refine your strategies for identifying and nurturing the future leaders in your district.

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• 3 Considerations in Favor of Momentum—Even When Times Are Tough

  When change feels heavy, build your staff up—don’t opt them out.

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• Authenticity and Your School Culture

  Is your school climate feeling a little stifled? Practicing authenticity can help.

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• Change Management for K12 Districts

  Change is coming. Learn a framework to launch district projects poised for success.

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• Midyear Check-in: 2023 Conversations

  What kind of progress are we seeing in recouping learning losses, stemming staff burnout, and keeping school networks secure? Let’s find out.

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• 5 Factors that Can Keep Your District Growing During Superintendent Succession

  Don’t let looming retirements slow down district progress!

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• Maximize Effort by Minimizing Measurement

  As the current year wraps up, leaders have one eye on the finish line and the other on what's coming next. A shift in perspective can help.

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• Secrets to K12 Communication, as Told by Two Pros

  Learn tips and tools of the trade from communication directors Gregg Gutschow and Sarah O’Donnell, who both serve school districts in Central Wisconsin. 

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• The Deep Work in Doing Nothing

  There's more to doing nothing than meets the eye.

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• 3 Conversations to Follow in 2023

  Let’s make it a year of sustainable progress recouping relationship losses, solidifying school culture that builds loyalty, and securing schools.

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• What K12 Leaders Can Learn from 80s Movies

  Mentors and nemeses, time travel and teamwork—what can you learn from '80's flicks?

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• Infographic: How to Spot Burnout from 10,000 Feet

  Learn to spot the early warning signs so you can step in sooner.

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• 6 Creativity Blockers and Their Antidotes

  Good news: a few leadership tweaks and the spark of creativity burns brighter than ever. 

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• Great Leaders Are Epic Failures

  Opening up about your own struggles is hard, but it pays dividends.

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• Progress is Not Linear

  A lesson that most definitely translates to the professional world.

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• The Summer of PD Plans

  Know you want to get going on a DIY, digital credentialing professional development program, but not sure where to start? Here’s one option with built-in support.

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• Your District Needs an Advisory Panel (Here's Why)

  Looking to better engage with your community while boosting school culture? Try setting up an advisory panel.

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• The Future-Ready Progress Report

  Half a decade later, let’s check in on the concept Future Ready Schools shares with district leaders to guide planning for technology, professional development, student achievement, and more.

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• Silence is Not Stagnant—It's Power

  Harness the power of silence in a loud world.

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• K-12 Crisis Communication: What Does It Look Like Now?

  Let's review the lessons from the past two years of crisis communication and crisis management.

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• Listening Is a Superpower

  Practice six new skills to level up your active listening.

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• Retaining Teachers Starts with Leadership Opportunities

  Offering leadership opportunities with growth potential might be a way to keep teachers in the profession for years to come. Consider these tips as you’re building out your teacher retention strategy. 

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• 3 Conversations to Follow in 2022

  Here's a quick primer on 3 of the biggest K-12 talking points of 2022: teacher retainment, standardized tests, and hybrid/remote learning. 

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• One-Page Pitch: How Attendance Letters Improve Absenteeism

  Chronic absenteesim continues to challenge schools and families. This pitch outlines why automated attendance letters work to turn the tides.

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• How EdTech and Culture Work Together to Retain Teachers

  By easing administrative tasks and investing heavily in culture, districts may be able to prevent or stem teacher shortages.

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• Facilities Challenges During Low Occupancy

  Caring for school buildings during virtual learning brings its own set of challenges.

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• Maximize Classroom Space for Maximum Comfort

  Space has always been at a premium, but with a little design thinking leaders can break out of the box.

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• Midyear Check-In: 2021 Conversations

  How's the year going so far? Let's check in on our three important conversation topics for 2021.

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• 5 Good Things the Pandemic Revealed in Schools

  Celebrate the wins.

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• Get Your Board On Board

  Behind just about every public school district is an elected school board. Here are a few considerations to cultivate harmony.

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• 3 Conversations to Follow in 2021

  Goodbye 2020. Let’s prepare for whatever comes next

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• Being Approachable as a Leader

  Approachable leaders break down the walls that separate them from those they lead. Here’s why this strategy is important and how you can master it.

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• 10 Principles of Leading Great Teams

  One leader's observations of what makes a team happy, productive, and great—don't miss the infographic!

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• Ditch Passwords and Use Passphrases

  “Passphrase? Is that the same as a password?” Not quite! Find out why you should be using passphrases in this quick, shareable pitch.

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• What K12 Leaders Can Learn from Movie Monsters

  It was a dark and stormy school year…

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• 5 Important Pieces of Your Mental Health Toolkit

  A proactive approach to mental health sets you up for success, especially as a community caregiver working in K12 education. Here are 5 ways to build one.

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• Pandemic-Era Safety and Security in School Buildings

  COVID-19 has changed the way schools operate. Here’s how school administrators are protecting their communities.

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• Tell Me Something Good

  Just four words might turn the tide of school culture.

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• 5 Budget Curveballs for 2020

  Mission: Impossible just got more... impossible.

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• Midyear 2020 Conversations Check-In

  A year like none other.

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• What K12 Leaders Can Learn from Late Night TV

  Night owls appreciate long-running hosts and a solid, familiar format. What can you learn from late night shows?

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• 5 Tactics Radio Gives Us for Loud and Clear Communication

  What can “radio talk” protocol teach us about quality communication? Turns out, a lot! Here are 5 takeaways from this tried and true method.

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• Introducing the Careers of the Future Quiz

  Peer into the crystal ball to see which jobs might suit your skills in 2050!

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• Should Your School Use a Crisis Text Line?

  May is mental health month, but students struggle all year round. Here’s how technology can play a role in compassionate care.

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• What K12 Leaders Can Learn from Saturday Morning Cartoons

  Saturday morning used to represent golden hours of freedom and indulgence for kids. What can you learn from the heyday of kid freedom?

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• Beware These 5 Threats During COVID-19

  Hackers are capitalizing on vulnerabilities due to COVID-19-prompted remote work. Here’s how to stay safer in cyberspace.

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• When Your Team Struggles with Working from Home

  Troubleshooting and coaching the challenges of the new normal: remote work.

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• Branding Is An Inside Job

  Education Dive's Superintendent of the Year Dr. Joe Sanfelippo shares how to get your entire team involved in telling your school's stories with pride and energy.

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• 3 Conversations to Follow in 2020

  As we welcome a brand-new year and decade, we'll explore the connection between technology and soft skills, ransomware, and measuring software efficacy.

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• 4 Strategies to Manage Educator Empathy

  Empathetic educators focus so much on keeping their spirits up to care for others—the quick refill cycle can lead to burnout. Here's how to stay healthy.

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• One-Page Pitch: Positive Attendance

  The Advancing K12 One-Page Pitch Series is designed to help you lead from within. This month's pitch: Postive attendance!

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• Leading Different Generations in a School District

  Leading multiple generations is all about striking balance between recognizing (and celebrating) differences and keeping all people focused on the same goals, regardless of age or experience. 

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• Take the EdTech Careers Quiz

  Have you ever wondered what your ideal role would be if you worked at an edtech company? We put together this career quiz to help you discover where your talents could be put to the best use.

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• Teaching our Teachers: The Value of Teacher Mentorship

  Listen as a veteran teacher talks about the crucial role mentorship plays in an educator’s success.

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• One-Page Pitch: Data Security

  The Advancing K12 One-Page Pitch Series aims to help team members lead from within. This month's topic: data security.

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• 7 Things You Don’t Have to Print This Year

  Which processes can you shift online to move closer to a paperless office? Here are 7 ideas to consider.

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• Empowering Students with UX Classroom Design

  Studies show classroom design affects student learning. Why get students involved in the process? And how?

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• Do You Have a Crisis Communication Plan?

  If an emergency occurs today, how prepared is your district to communicate with the community? 

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• Midyear Check-in: Conversations to Follow in 2019

  How's the year going so far? Let's check in on our three important conversation topics for 2019.

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• Rethinking the Traditional School Schedule

  As we gaze into the future of K12 education, what scheduling changes do we see budding? How do these changes affect kids?

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• Staging the School

  No budget for fancy landscaping, signs, sculptures, or fountains? No problem.

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• The 5-Step EdTech Integration Checklist

  Here's a customizable template of the five main tasks leaders can follow to start an interoperability journey.

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• One-Page Pitch: Edubranding

  The Advancing K12 One-Page Pitch Series is designed to help you lead from within. This month's pitch: Edubranding in the era of school choice!

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• 10 Digital Badges Worth Pursuing

  Which digital badges can make the greatest impact on teaching and learning? These 10 cover parent communication, digital skills, mentoring, and more!

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• 3 Contradictions Between Research and Practice

  Schools (and vendors) love to tout research-based solutions, processes, and practices. But is “research-based” really all it’s cracked up to be?

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• Talking to Parents About Digital Citizenship

  Parents may have various qualms about technology. Most of them boil down to one thing: protecting kids. Digital citizenship skills can help.

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• 6 Surefire Cures for Initiative Fatigue

  Or, how to keep your eyes on the prize and refrain from chasing the latest, shiniest trend.

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• One-Page Pitch: Digital Badging

  The Advancing K12 One-Page Pitch Series is designed to help you lead from within. Our inaugural pitch: Digital badging for professional development!

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• Guest Post: Our Journey to Mass Customized Learning

  "This wasn’t a small shift in mindset. We were completely reexamining how school has been 'done' to kids for the last century." Join us for a deep dive into the future of public education in Central York, Pennsylvania.

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• Parent Engagement: Beyond the Homework Helper

  What factors make parents into your biggest advocates

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• The Perils and Promise of K12 Crowdfunding

  What if you could skip the sales and go directly to donations for classroom supplies, edtech, or other initiatives?

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• 10 New Year's Resolutions for School Leaders

  A collection of initiatives (and supporting materials) to consider after the clock strikes midnight.

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• 3 Conversations to Follow in 2019

  What’s on the horizon for the New Year? We’re keeping a weather eye on boosting computer science for early learners, digital badging for PD, and the future of hiring.

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• What School Choice Means for Edubranding

  In the age of choice, what can educational leaders do to turn their schools and districts into desirable destinations for families and job candidates?

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• Why Can't We Get Teacher Evals Right?

  What does the research say about teacher evaluation, and what are some of the most common takeaways from recent studies?

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• Introducing the EdLeader Personality Test

  We've assembled the first ever personality test designed specifically for educational leaders. What's your archetype?

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• The 4 Stages of Filling Big Shoes

  Few leadership challenges are more difficult than following in the footsteps of a local legend. Grab the torch and run with this four-step blueprint.

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• 10 Do's and Don'ts for Effective Teacher Mentorship

  Looking to boost teacher retention, build a strong school culture, and contribute to new teachers' professional growth? Learn 10 tips for improving your teacher mentorship program.

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• Midyear Check-In: 2018 Conversation Topics

  We've been closely following 3 key education topics in 2018. See what the past six months have revealed and what to keep an eye on in the second half of the year.

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• 4 Paths to Safer Schools

  Without a foolproof formula for school safety, how do you tackle such a serious topic? Find action items in four areas of opportunity, including advice from a lieutenant who works in a school district.

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• It's Ok to Have No New Projects

  Is innovation always the right answer, or are we just spinning our wheels? Give yourself a breather to build on what you're already doing.

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• Guest Post: Behind the Curtain with Predictive Analytics

  How can we possibly account for unexpected, yet inevitable, expenses that happen within districts? Predictive analytics offer school business officers one powerful tool for peering into the future.

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• 4 Ways to Build a Better Schedule

  Scheduling is one of the most time-consuming yet rewarding tasks in school operations. These student-centered and flexible scheduling methods are trending up.

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• 3 Conversations to Follow in 2018

  Goodbye, 2017! The new year sets the stage for fresh ideas. Here are three topics sure to make an impact in 2018.

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• The Right Fit: Hiring a New Superintendent

  If recent trends are any indication, these four central themes will dominate superintendent job postings, interviews, and hiring decisions in the years to come.

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• How Can We Fix Professional Development?

  Two years removed from one of the most eye-opening professional development studies ever published, what's changed?

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• Keeping Top Teachers in the Classroom

  Are teachers left with little choice but to “outgrow” the classroom to pursue admin roles? Find out how to identify and invest in your district’s future leaders.

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• 8 Great Data-Sharing Districts

  Data shapes the day-to-day operations of schools. How can you improve and clarify the conversation? Check out 8 great examples of data visibility.

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• The 3 Places Your Candidates are Looking

  Job seekers are doing the bulk of their research online before reaching the application stage. What does your digital presence say about your school district?

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• Design Thinking for School Leaders

  What does it mean to be a "visionary" leader? Here's what happens when we apply design thinking to three common school scenarios.

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• Security Drill: 3 Threats to Watch For

  When you get proactive about security, you’re protecting more than just your network. Learn how to stay protected against phishing attacks, share Google documents safely, and reduce the risks of local data storage by password-protecting your folders.

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• Guest Post: A Different Approach to IT Leadership

  Excellent leaders are essential. In this guest post, Klein ISD’s Vicki James shares her unconventional path to IT leadership and how a student-centered culture shift is making a difference.

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• 8 Social Media Accounts to Learn From

  Social media is no gimmick; it's a direct line to audiences you wouldn't otherwise reach and mediums better served to deliver your message than any traditional approach. These districts are getting it right. 

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• 3 Smartphone Uses for Administrators

  From district leadership to building principals, there's an app (or several) for all levels of administration. Learn to simplify approvals, automate notifications, and move evaluations to the cloud.   

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• EdTech Battle Lines: Specs vs. UX

  Is it time to look beyond features and functionality? When making smarter edtech purchases, user experience is the best place to begin.

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• 10 School District Websites to Learn From

  The web may be a place of constant change, but most district websites are frozen in time. As digital presence becomes a higher priority for administrators, take a page from these ten, ahead-of-the-curve districts.

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• Technology is Transforming Special Education

  From custom-designed solutions to common devices, technology empowers students in special education to reach new heights...

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• Guest Post: Communications Done Right

  The School District of Milton's commitment to comms excellence can be traced back to the collaboration of its leadership team. Here's an inside look at how they got there.

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• EdTech Playbook: Digital Badging

  We're pleased to introduce this multimedia launch kit for digital badging. Included: A four-part video series on how to launch your badging program, an infographic featuring nine badges you can implement today, and a downloadable library of badge designs to help you get started.

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• Where is the Middle Leadership in Our Schools?

  How could another level of leadership between principals and teachers change our schools? Middle leadership is catching on in high-performing schools around the world, and it can lead to big benefits in student achievement and staff effectiveness.

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• Libraries: The New Epicenters of Technology

  It’s time to turn the page on the library as we know it. Here are some tips for turning your school libraries into the heart and soul of your technology initiatives.

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• Is Email Dying?

  If email is on its way out, what is taking its place? Here's a look at four communication tools vying to fill the gap. 

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• Depth Charts and the District Office

  It's the year of the backup. Just as NFL teams have been forced to deal a slew of star player injuries, so too do school district offices struggle to stay competitive when turnover strikes their MVPs. Cue the Employee Disaster Recovery Plan. Includes infographic.

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• 3 Conversations to Watch in 2016

  With another year coming to a close, it’s time to look ahead. Here are three topics that will dominate the education circuit in the coming year. 

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• 3 Easy Ways for Your District to Go Green

  As you ring in the New Year, look for ways to go green and save your district time and money. Get started by electronically distributing W-2s, employee offer letters, and custom forms.

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• Defined Autonomy: A Proven Approach to EdLeadership

  Are school district administrators an undervalued source of leadership or a bureaucratic roadblock on the way to progress? According to one study, the answer lies in the leader's approach.

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• Improve Community Outreach over the Summer in 4 Easy Steps

  As competition for enrollment increases, community relations continue to be a key component of successful school districts. The summer months offer a great opportunity to get proactive with your outreach programs - here are 4 ways to improve your public perception while students are out. 

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• A Future Ready Primer for Superintendents

  One of the major takeaways from the 2014-15 school year was the Future Ready Schools initiative, led by the U.S. Department of Education and Alliance for Excellent Education.

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• 10 Questions for a Leading Superintendent

  Superintendents play a critical role in establishing school district leadership strategies and pursuing achievement goals. We talked to Dr. Joseph Burns about some emerging K-12 trends and the specific steps he has taken to position his district for long-term success.

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• 3 Ways to Improve Community Relations in Your District

  School districts and their communities are too often at odds with each other despite the shared goal of helping students achieve success. Here are three emerging strategies that you can use to promote partnership over confrontation by nurturing the symbiotic relationship between district and community... 

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