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Our nation needs good public schools. For families, public education is the tool to ensure their children’s future; for businesses, to have the talent that they need to grow; and for communities, a means to come together to shape the future. And for your community to have good public schools,...

The Learning First Alliance, which collectively represents 10 million educators, parents and school board members through our 12 member associations, unveiled its groundbreaking “ Elements of Success: 10 Million Speak on Schools that Work ” in January 2018. The report was designed as a compendium of best practices for schools...

Member organizations of the Learning First Alliance found both praise and criticism for the long-awaited federal Commission on School Safety report released on December 18, 2018. The 177-page report included many recommendations advocated by LFA members, including a federal clearinghouse of information, support for school counselors, improved access to school-based...

It's been 25 years since Steven Spielberg released the groundbreaking film “Schindler’s List,” bringing new life to one remarkable story of the Holocaust. With Anti-Semitism incidents on the rise, the American Federation of Teachers and Facing History and Ourselves recently called on teachers to use the film to help instill...

Being a leader means that you have to make decisions, and in my five years as an assistant principal, I have gradually come to accept the fact that not everyone is going to like the decisions that I have to make. Here is my story in a nutshell along with...

This is the second part of a two-part blog series on suicide prevention and cyberbullying resources for parents and educators. Read the first part here . John Halligan has spoken with many parents of children who committed suicide, and has found one common trait: Each child was described as “very...

(Part one of a two-part series) After his 13-year-old son, Ryan, committed suicide, John Halligan became an advocate for suicide prevention in schools. And the first time he was asked to speak to students at a school near his home in Vermont, he agonized over what to say that would...

As the academic year begins, students and their families may find themselves concerned about the safety of their schools. After 22 school shootings in the first half of 2018 alone, their worry is reasonable. The National School Boards Association believes that the federal government has a role to play in...

Sometimes it makes all the difference if you use the right definition and process. After decades of half-hearted federal support for professional development, there is now data to support the investment in teachers and administrators. The new analysis was presented during a Congressional briefing late last month by Learning Forward...

Successful schools should engage families and communities in support of students, according to the Learning First Alliance’s Elements of Success: 10 Million Speak on Schools That Work . A solid body of research shows that involving families and community members in important roles improves student learning and development, as well...