Don’t Change the Program; Change Your Mindset

With the start of the new year, we all think about change.  The interesting thing is that most people hate change, so we don’t call what we’re thinking about “changes.”  We call them “resolutions.” And then a few weeks from now, we’re back to the way it was…because change is difficult. In education today, there…

Does Technology Drive Your Processes, or Do Processes Drive Your Technology?

No matter what holiday you’re celebrating at this time of year, there is a time-honored tradition of exchanging gifts with others.  Perhaps you’ve even purchased a gift for yourself after returning those things you received that you really didn’t need. Today, at this point in history, there’s a good chance that one of those gifts…

The Enrollment Slide

We’ve become a nation accustomed to top-line data and headline news.  In-depth investigation and reporting on why issues arise are left to those who want to dig deeper themselves.  After all, they can do so by accessing the Internet. Because, as you know, everything on the Internet is truth. (Yes, the sarcasm is intentional). If…

Nobody Writes Anymore

For at least the past ten years, research has shown that learning cursive writing has a positive effect on brain development, helps to ease difficulties associated with dyslexia. Yet, keyboarding is taught while writing is dropped. The U.S. Postal Service recommends addressing cards in block letters to facilitate delivery (i.e., so it can be read…

Prayer in Public Schools

Oh, yes there is!  There are at least three times it happens: Students do it in school, albeit privately, right before a test; The school community does whenever there’s a tragedy – a death, a shooting, an act of terrorism, etc.; and Teachers do it every day, since, oftentimes, it’s all they can do for…

The Millennials

Why is knowing about The Millennials important?  After all, the children in school today are digital natives, right?  They’re the next generation, and that’s who we’re educating. Almost right. If you look into any of the research regarding the generations, you’ll see a comparison of traits, and the traits of generations are similar across all…

Listen, My Children, and You Shall Hear…

…hey, I said listen…listen to me! (With apologies to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow). And then, the screaming starts. There are some memes out there today that propose that yelling is the new spanking, and one that states, “Don’t yell at your kids, whisper.  It’s much scarier.” In public school classrooms today, it’s not necessarily the pedagogy…

The Evil of Standardized Testing

With all the hype about standardized testing, you may come to the conclusion that it’s just purely evil. After all, we’re all created with individual gifts and talents, and should accommodate learners according to their abilities. Then what’s the goal of standardized testing? Is it to create a benchmark, or is it to assess learning?…

The Painful Saga of Some Faith-Based Schools

Now before you think this is an all “doom and gloom” article regarding faith-based schools, let me say that there are a number of faith-based schools across the country that are doing things “right,” evidenced by their continued growth, vibrant parent community, excellent work atmosphere, healthy support from donors and alumni, and phenomenal students that…

In Change Management, the Key is “How;” In Retooling, the Key is “Why”

In 2009, Simon Sinek published an excellent text titled, “Start With Why.”  The premise is that in our world today, “What” is still emphasized, forcing customers to evaluate features rather than benefits. Prior to 1990, “features” were the reason that consumers made economic decisions.  “Let me show you what this car can do!” “What do…