Schools are facing a growing number of disaffected parents. To win them back, says one policy analyst, educators need to take their concerns to heart. After two-and-a-half pandemic years, writes policy analyst Robert Pondiscio, public schools are facing a growing number of disaffected parents--a trend reflected in declining enrollments. Pondiscio…

Principals are tasked with being the instructional leaders in their schools--developing teacher's abilities through formal and informal classroom observations and feedback. But how can school districts ensure that principals have the skills they need to fulfill this crucial role? In Clarke County School District in Georgia, central-office leaders…

Status, the perception of one's standing in relation to others in a group, negatively influence learning. Status issue have implications for educating students with special learning needs: Both these students and the learning support or special education teachers who serve them often hold low status in a school community. Like adults, children…

"Residential segregation's causes are both knowable and known," writes Richard Rothstein. According to Rothstein, those causes are "20th century federal, state, and local policies explicitly designed to separate the races." Even seasoned policymakers are convinced that the residential isolation of low-income black children is…

It's undeniable that too many schools with high percentages of low-income students and students of color are low-achieving. But a few schools with these student populations stand out as successes, with academic achievement rivaling and exceeding that of their counterparts in middle-class communities. What do these schools have in common? Research…

According to Frederick Hess, the point of rethinking pay is not to bribe teachers into working harder, but to redefine the contours of education so the profession can attract and retain good teachers. Traditional step-and-lane pay is ill suited to do so in a world of career-changing, scarce talent, and heightened expectations. Well-designed…

Five Public Agenda surveys--A Mission of the Heart (2008); Lessons Learned (2008); Reality Check 2006; Rolling Up Their Sleeves (2003); and Stand by Me (2003)--provide snapshots of how instructional leadership is working in schools. Most principals see instructional leadership as a key mission. "Transformer" principals are able to focus squarely…

At a time when the United States faces unprecedented challenges at home and abroad, public schools must do far more to prepare young people to be engaged, ethical advocates of "liberty and justice for all." This article explores what makes some people behave ethically--even at the risk of their own lives--and asserts that developing…

Educators cannot withstand the inevitable advance of alternative education and privatization efforts. Luckily, no one alternative will become the ultimate solution. Visionary educators can respond by adapting to new management and governance concepts, expecting increased accountability, creating teams, maintaining a customer orientation, planning…

An American Association of University Women study indicates that 85% of girls and 76% of boys in grades 8-11 have experienced some form of sexual harassment. Recent court decisions underline schools' responsibility for ensuring a safe school environment. Administrators should act to eliminate sexual harassment, educate students, involve parents,…

When moral authority transcends bureaucratic leadership in a school, commitment and performance outcomes far exceed expectations. In transactional leadership, the leader and the led exchange needs and services to accomplish independent objectives. In transformative or bonding leadership, leaders and followers are united in pursuit of common goals.…

Since polls play an increasingly prominent role in shaping educational politics, educators need to distinguish between prevailing opinion and what polls really measure. Heroic leaders sometimes swim against the tide of public opinion and change it. Polls are fickle; they accurately depict near-future voting or consumer behavior, but are less…

Children react to divorce and custody battles with powerful emotions. Schools can mitigate classroom effects of family breakups by recognizing and responding to children's feelings and by involving both parents in a child's school life via newsletters, conferences, and progress reports. Principals should form coalitions with community groups, lure…

Teachers who regularly "enable" or rescue students are inadvertently reinforcing irresponsible behaviors that undermine students' self-esteem. This article discusses how and why "enabling" occurs in schools, how it affects students, and how "codependent" adults can minimize behaviors allowing students to avoid responsibilities and opportunities…

Since genetics is about biological development and diversity, it is related to contentious social issues (like racism) and already permeates the K-12 curriculum. Staff who educated themselves about brain research can grasp genetics concepts and decide what knowledge is worth imparting to students. Print and web resources are listed. (MLH)