Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

Districts brace for fiscal cliff as COVID relief funding nears an end

Key points:

  • COVID relief funding must be spent in the next year, but administrators are grappling with inflation and high costs that have shifted priorities
  • One-third of superintendents believe all students will be impacted equally by the discontinuation of ARP-funded instructional programs
  • See related article: Federal COVID relief funding will dry up soon. Are districts ready?

With one year remaining to spend close to $200 billion in federal COVID relief funds, more than half of school district leaders are shifting their American Rescue Plan (ARP) spending decisions due to higher-than-expected costs and inflation, according to a survey administered by AASA, The School Superintendents Association.

Educator feedback and the need to further direct resources toward the social and emotional needs of students were cited by nearly half of district leaders as the source for realigning spending priorities and decisions.…Read More

12 things superintendents say they could do with better data access

Data access is critical when educators need to make informed decisions about curriculum, assessments, academic and social-emotional interventions, and more. So how are superintendents using data–and can they access it quickly and effectively in order to use it?

A national poll from the Data Quality Campaign and AASA, The School Superintendents Association surveyed district superintendents to find out they use data to support their students and schools.

Data is an important part of superintendents’ decision-making and it provides insights about student and school performance. Data gives school and district leaders confidence that students are on track for success.…Read More

Surveys show troubling trends in student behavior

Eighty-four percent of teachers are concerned about student mental health, saying that students are developmentally behind in self-regulation and relationship building compared to students prior to the pandemic. Teachers also report that they are increasingly the target of disruptive student behavior and that classroom incidents involving physical violence have more than doubled since the onset of the pandemic.

These are among the findings of a new survey report from education company EAB at the School Superintendent Association (AASA) National Conference on Education (#NCE2023). The report summarizes findings from a survey of more than 1,000 district and school administrators, teachers, and student support staff.

“Students who exhibit disruptive behaviors are often dealing with underlying mental or social health issues,” said EAB Senior Director of K-12 Research Ben Court. “Unfortunately, nearly 60 percent of teachers feel that pressure to boost lagging academic outcomes leaves them with insufficient time to address behavioral issues, and only 45 percent feel they are receiving adequate training to do so.”…Read More

In cybersecurity, balancing vigilance with access

Cybersecurity is at the forefront of IT issues to be addressed over the next year. Nearly every list of major IT or educational technology issues for 2023 includes the need to further harden educational systems and infrastructure.

More than 20 educational organizations–including AASA, the American Association of School Administrators (the primary superintendents’ association)–have asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to expand E-rate to cover advanced firewall technology to support protection from denial of service (DOS), improve virtual private network (VLN) access, and similar upgrades. The FCC is currently soliciting public input on the potential change here until February 13, 2023.

It is easy to understand the need for increased cybersecurity safeguards. In the first half of 2022, at least 34 major cyberattacks were made against schools. Cybercrime cost more than $6.9 billion in 2021. The evening news commonly reports on cyberattacks against pipelines, government systems, and other vital services. Due diligence in considering ways to harden cyber targets and protect student and institutional data is essential and to not do so in today’s environment would probably be willfully negligent. However, there is a need for balancing security with usability.…Read More

The Cook Center for Human Connection Co-Sponsors National Mental Health Cohort for District Leaders

Salt Lake City, UT — The Cook Center for Human Connection, a Utah-based nonprofit dedicated to eradicating suicide and advocating for mental wellness for everyone, today announced its co-sponsorship of a Mental Health Cohort created in conjunction with AASA, the School Superintendents Association and the Jed Foundation. The purpose of the group is to connect district leaders committed to serving the mental health of students, educators, and their communities. 

The Mental Health Cohort will be led by Anne Brown, the president and CEO of the Cook Center; Paul Imhoff, the superintendent of Upper Arlington Schools in Ohio as well as a past president of AASA; and Rebecca Benghiat, president and CEO of the Jed Foundation. 

“We invite superintendents, district staff, building leaders, and other educational leaders to join the AASA Mental Health Cohort,” said Brown. “Participants will connect with fellow leaders and collaborate in creating resources that every school district can use to address the mental health needs of their communities.”…Read More

District leaders outline top 3 COVID relief funding priorities

School districts continue to prioritize expanding summer learning and enrichment offerings, adding specialist staff such as mental health personnel and reading specialists, and investing in high-quality instructional materials and curriculum, according to a survey administered by AASA, The School Superintendents Association.

The School District Spending of American Rescue Plan report is part of a multi-series survey focused on how district leaders across the country are utilizing American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and, in particular, address student learning recovery.

This survey also sought information about what issues districts are experiencing in spending ARP funding and how they would change their spending decisions if they had more time to drawdown federal COVID-relief funds.…Read More

School superintendents say navigating political divisions is their biggest challenge

Eighty percent of U.S. school superintendents say that navigating political divides over issues ranging from school closures to mask mandates to teaching about racism in schools is the most difficult part of their job. Nearly half say they are considering or planning to leave their job in the next two to three years.

These are among the findings in a new report, “2022 Voice of the Superintendent Survey,” released by education company EAB at the School Superintendent Association (AASA) National Conference on Education (#NCE2022).  

The results offer an important look at how education leaders are navigating an ongoing pandemic that is taxing administrators, classroom teachers, support staff, and stakeholders.…Read More

Making access and equity a reality for diverse students

Large school districts in different parts of the United States have now developed systematic ways to increase diverse students’ access to advanced courses, and the districts are also providing other important aspects of equity, including an education that prepares the students for 21st century careers.

During a recent edWebinar, hosted by AASA, The Superintendents Association and AASA’s Leadership Network, Dr. Christine Johns, Superintendent of the Utica Community Schools in Michigan, and Dr. Ann Levett, Superintendent of the Savannah-Chatham Public Schools in Georgia, explained how their districts were achieving better outcomes for their student populations and offered recommendations for other district leaders.

Related content: Did you know online learning can lead to equity?…Read More

23 amazing STEM and digital learning tools

Technology changes at a rapid pace, and educators have to keep up.

Check below for the latest marketplace news to keep you up-to-date on product developments, teaching and learning initiatives, and new trends in education.

College and Career Readiness…Read More

AASA names 2016 Superintendent of the Year

Announcement made at AASA’s National Conference on Education

Thomas S. Tucker, superintendent of Princeton City Schools in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been named the 2016 AASA National Superintendent of the Year. The announcement came at the National Conference on Education, hosted by AASA, The School Superintendents Association.

The other National Superintendent of the Year finalists were:

• Pamela Moran, Albemarle County Schools, Charlottesville, Va.
• Steven Webb, Vancouver Public Schools, Vancouver, Wash.
• Freddie Williamson, Hoke County Schools, Raeford, N.C.…Read More

Philip Lanoue named 2015 AASA Superintendent of the Year

Winning superintendent announcement made at AASA’s 150th anniversary celebration

superintendent-leaderPhilip Lanoue, superintendent of the Clarke County School District in Athens, Ga., has been named the 2015 AASA National Superintendent of the Year.

The Febuary 26 announcement came at the National Conference on Education, hosted by AASA, The School Superintendents Association.

“To be recognized by your peers is something I honor but more importantly, it’s great recognition for the work being done in our community,” said Lanoue during an interview with AASA last month. “This recognition (as a National Superintendent of the Year finalist) for me is really a recognition for our district, teachers, school leaders, parents, students and all of our community constituencies who have faith in the work we’re doing.”…Read More

Leading the Digital Leap

digital-leapDespite the fact that technology use is part of daily life, on balance, schools’ use of technology remains far from ubiquitous. There is no question that some teachers, principals, and district leaders have made considerable progress in using technology to transform learning. And there are strong examples of school districts that are leading digital change system-wide. However, there exists a major challenge: Few school systems have found a way to create a sustainable, digitally-enabled ecosystem.

The irony is real: Some school systems have not yet realized the promise of technology, for reasons that are varied and complex. Many schools and classrooms lack robust technology infrastructure due to affordability and adequate funding barriers, as identified in CoSN and AASA’s new national E-rate and infrastructure survey. Other factors include district cultures where there is apprehension and often aversion to changes that occur through technology, or a history of past tech investments that were not well-aligned to district needs. While in other cases, districts’ inability to experience an effective digital transformation rests with a lack of human capacity and communication, from vision setting to technical implementation.

District administrators and school board members, though, have an opportunity today to surmount these barriers. To empower K-12 system leaders to make or advance their digital leap, we at AASA, CoSN, and NSBA have formed a powerful partnership. This partnership, which brings together the leading professional organizations for superintendents, district technology leaders, and school boards nationwide, lends our knowledge, resources, and networks to help school system leaders strengthen their ability to lead the digital leap.…Read More