The best coaching partnerships are built on conversation and listening, and they are not built on a coach giving answers to a mentee. Ronald Bearward explains how coaches can use questions to help mentees find answers for themselves. Effective questions lead to greater reflection and solutions that teachers can use now and in the future.

Teacher benefits, once a sleepy question primarily of interest to actuaries, have become a flash point in the education debate. With individual states on the hook for tens or hundreds of millions in unfunded pension and health insurance obligations, state leaders are trying to determine the severity of the situation and the appropriate response.…

Maximizing student potential requires explicit (yet flexible) guidelines for tutors and advisors. Many tutors enhance student potential by utilizing an effective process known as the "The Tutoring Cycle," which promotes content knowledge and facilitates independent success (MacDonald, 2000). Similarly, when students attend advising sessions in…

Leaders are constantly being brought into situations they did not anticipate or telephone calls that extend well beyond the promised period. Directors' lives are a constant turmoil with daily challenges such as: staff illnesses, which create ratio problems; children with knee bruises, requiring ice and TLC; and don't forget the parents who require…

Rich artwork, beautiful classrooms, articulate educators: through conferences, art exhibits, lovely books, and fabulous study tours early childhood programs in Reggio Emilia have captured the attention of the early childhood community all over the world. The study of Reggio Emilia has engaged many educators in a dynamic dialogue about the…

Teaching young children takes a great deal of dedication and commitment. One spends every day helping young children to grow and change. It's important to be as committed to one's own growth as one is to the children's. By setting goals related to one's own personal growth, being an active participant in learning events, and creating an action…

This article examines the importance of context in evaluative inquiry. Following guidelines from real-world and utilization-focused evaluation frameworks, four projects are described to illustrate one foundation's pragmatic approach to evaluation that values collaboration, methodological appropriateness, and utilization. The authors contend that…

The author began teaching in 1959, so he has been in the profession for half of the National Council of Teachers of English's (NCTE) first 100 years. In this article, the author details the work of NCTE in his lifetime and forecasts needs for the second century. For the author, NCTE means: celebration of successes and collegiality; conversations…

The U.S. economy today has been in recovery since 2009. But nearly everyone agrees that the recovery is anemic--too slow to reduce the high level of unemployment. Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP)--the total value of all the goods and services produced in the United States--increased at an annual rate of 2.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010.…

This article reports on a private Massachusetts company that specializes in showing districts how to rethink the way they staff and deliver special education services. Futures Education is a private company that works with dozens of districts around the country on cutting special education costs. Futures Education may be hired simply to evaluate…

The frenetic legislative season now finished or wrapping up in many states has brought big changes to education policy, some forged through bipartisan compromise, others only after hyperpartisan battles. From teacher issues to vouchers, the 2011 state legislative season saw widespread action on education. Republican leaders who swept into office…

For The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., last year proved the perfect backdrop for meeting learning and development goals as the company completed the largest acquisition in its history. While training and development have always been a priority for PNC, in 2010 the company climbed one step higher. The acquisition of National City…

Billionaire philanthropists compare notes in private with their peers. Whether experienced philanthropists or first-time donors, they all want their gifts to make a difference, and they are hungry for knowledge about how to be effective donors. They want to be educated about philanthropy. Educational institutions are experts at making the case for…

It makes headlines nearly every day: U.S. cities, counties, and states are grappling with record budget shortfalls. Given the economic climate, many higher education administrators recognize that their institutions need to be more vocal and creative in providing and promoting the value they bring to their communities--not just to hold on to…

For the last few years, Georgia State University has taken steps toward becoming a more traditional college instead of a commuter school. It bought two Atlanta hotels to be used as residence halls, started a football team, and is building townhouses for Greek fraternities and sororities. "When alumni come back to campus, they are shocked at…