Teacher Shortages, Classroom Management & More

Busy week? We’re here to help. Here’s our roundup of top educational stories from the past seven days:

• “The reality of contemporary public education is that it’s amazing; it’s fulfilling; it’s a calling. But it can also be exhausting.” Data shows that schools throughout the US are grappling with teacher shortages.

• “I think we have an obligation — a moral responsibility — to serve all campuses and to serve all students.” Fort Worth, Texas has a $5.5 million plan to fix failing schools.

• Eric Simpson from The Texas Association of School Administratorstalks to Dr. Rod Berger about how the TPAC consortium is pushing for community-based accountability in schools.

• “Educating our nation’s students is not a partisan issue […] Education is a de facto civil right. Any rhetoric that divides, excludes or demeans others based on their race or creed threatens their civil rights and undermines the very basis of our democracy.” President of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, Michelle Asha Cooper, calls Betsy Devos’s comments on Charlottesville a good starting point, but action needs to take place.

• Team work makes the dream work when it comes to building a successful blended learning program.

• “We must find new and innovative ways to help teachers better manage their classrooms, and we must do it fast.” Matthew Lynch discusses how edtech is shaping the future of classroom management.

• “Painting the entire public education system with such a broad brush doesn’t address the diversity of institutions within the system, and does a disservice to the children who attend them and the educators and administrators who work there.” Trump continues to disparage public schools. The Washington Post talks about why that matters.

• Edutopia shares effective communication tools that will help you keep parents in the loop, reduce your workload, and boost student engagement.