October 17, 2019
by Sheldon Smith, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent of Business Services at the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education In most school district and county offices there lies a hidden war that most people can’t see unless they are directly involved. Unlike some issues that emanate from district office staff regarding procedures, “work load,” or interpersonal…
October 15, 2019
Since the 2015 passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a large number of states have backed away from recently enacted policies that were designed to breathe new life into moribund teacher and principal evaluation systems, according to new research from the National Council on Teacher Quality. New research indicates policy reversals and state…
Developing a customer service mindset can pay off with deeper trust that facilitates better community-school cooperation and helps retain students. In Fort Wayne Community Schools in Indiana, which is often hailed as an example of a district with excellent customer service, Superintendent Wendy Robinson says her schools needed to understand they do have customers and…
October 15, 2019
Illuminate Education will stop support for its student information system in two years, before the 2021 school year. The company notified customers to plan for a replacement for the Illuminate Student Information product (ISI). Illuminate’s SIS is used in 3% of districts with fewer than 4,999 students. The company has a 2% share of districts…
October 15, 2019
A letter from Poway Unified SD Superintendent Marian Kim Phelps This month, thousands of community members and families that live within the boundaries of the Poway Unified School District will receive information on a potential bond measure that our Board of Education is considering placing on the March 2020 ballot. The bond measure would: Improve…
In an effort to battle teacher shortages, some states are considering plans to bump up teacher pay, District Administration reports. Florida is among the latest, with Gov. Ron DeSantis proposing the use of $600 million to increase minimum starting pay from $37,636 to $47,500. Teacher shortages are a problem nationwide, with an Indiana superintendent survey,…
October 15, 2019
Because of the nationwide shortage of qualified bus drivers, many kids have difficulty getting to school, forcing parents to do drop-offs and pick-ups and districts must get creative to recruit drivers. Finding qualified drivers is especially tricky because of the healthy economy and because of perceived obstacles, like the need for a special driver’s license—and…
October 15, 2019
Technology has the power to change the way we approach building management and design. Did you know that virtual reality headsets allow users to view a building’s layout before construction even begins? Biometric technology can boost building security and authenticate a person’s identity with the scan of a finger, palm or face. Drones can be…
Recently Oakland Unified School District announced plans to hire an investigator to look into allegations by two former teachers that grades were changed for courses, including those taught online, to allow students to graduate. Two teachers filed formal complaints with the district in June and July alleging that a teacher, two counselors and the school’s…
October 15, 2019
CA school districts need to significantly increase their education spending to ensure that students have adequate resources and support to provide the state’s content standards and meet its academic goals. Based on 2016-17 numbers, funding schools adequately to meet these goals would have required a 38 percent increase in spending, or $25.6 billion. That would…