Blog

Originally published March 2, 2020. Updated as needed. School districts across the country are using online learning as they grapple with a sudden and uncharted course to respond to COVID-19 (novel Coronavirus). Currently, nearly all of U.S. schools are closed, but are making plans on when and how to reopen...

An intermediate school unit (sometimes called Education Service Agencies) works with local school districts to coordinate and collaborate shared services to benefit students. These agencies present an opportunity for schools that need to share resources – such as professional development, apprenticeship programs, and mental health services. As school districts deal...

Jack Jennings is legendary in K-12 education policy. He spent more than 50 years in Washington—divided between serving as the head staffer on the House Education and Labor Committee and founder of the Center on Education Policy. As a young federal reporter at Education Week in the 1990s, Jack was...

The schools we know well--classrooms teeming with learning and discovery, lunch breaks, sports and extracurricular activities--now seem like the distant past. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues into the annual back-to-school season, school leaders have ventured into the uncharted territory of providing digital learning to all students and now must figure...

For many years, people have discussed doing school differently. Educators can see how the world has changed—and with it, the needs of our students. This is evident not only in so much of what we see on a daily basis in our classrooms, but also from numerous studies related to...

It’s an understatement to say that we’re living at a time of uncertainty. Public education is a large endeavor: While we have 50.8 million students in traditional public schools, we also have 14,000 school districts, many communities, and families who all have different needs. Yet all want to know, what...

The outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is a rapidly evolving public health situation. State and local PTAs must follow the direction and guidance of their respective health and education departments. In order to assist and support the most vulnerable children and families, PTAs should reach out to their local school districts...

Ever notice that the kids don’t come with instructions? We say that as parents, but I also was told that joke as I became a counselor for students with social and emotional challenges. I once was asked to work with four middle school boys who were not interacting well with...

Public Schools Week 2020 is hosted by the Learning First Alliance (LFA) to remind our communities about the importance of public schools and the integral role public education plays in providing for the future of our students, ourselves, and our country. Our third annual event will be held Feb. 24-28...

In the past 50 years, public schools have seen graduation rates have gone up while standards have been improved, the demand for higher-level skills has skyrocketed and the challenges have only gotten more profound. The National Superintendents Roundtable and the Horace Mann League released this infographic, "Giving Schools an Honest...