Understanding Special Education Terms
Special education terms and jargon can be quite confusing to school board members, especially those new to their role. To help board members understand special education jargon we have provided and defined a list of relevant terms and acronyms, “The ABCs of Special Ed.”
March 2010
Changing the Grade
A revolution is occurring in Adams County School District 50. If it succeeds, the district will overturn a public school icon: the grade level. Starting this year, elementary and middle school students are being grouped by level, not age, and the reform moves to the high school next year.
March 2010
Helping Employees Cope With Stress
Educational leaders can do three things, none of which costs money, to help address employee stress: They can make better decisions about the use of time, ensure that employees get the mental health care necessary to deal with stress, and communicate clearly and consistently with every stakeholder in the community.
March 2010
Growing Through Adversity
Elkhart, Ind., once was known as the nation’s recreational vehicle capital, manufacturing RVs by the thousands. In recent years, however, the town has had one of the nation’s highest unemployment rates. Student achievement languished, and as the economy grew worse, many expected student results to plummet. Instead, the opposite happened.
February 2010
Q and A with Rod Paige
Buses, lunch counters, swimming pools, and drinking fountains were the battlegrounds of the ‘60s-era civil rights movement. Today, according to former U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige, that battleground is the classroom -- a place where too many African-American students are failing to achieve their potential.
February 2010
The Profession of Governing
Upon entering school board service, most of us are anxious to learn all we can about education and management. When we stand for election, we highlight experience in education and management, and voters believe we are better prepared because of that background. This all seems quite logical. It is also quite wrong.
February 2010
What Can Schools Learn from Business?
If school boards want to improve their schools, then all they need to do is to model the business practices of Corporate America. There’s no escaping this simplistic formula for school reform. As with most panaceas, there’s a fair bit of truth -- and no little rubbish -- in such thinking.
February 2010
Getting Support from Employers for School Leaders
It’s hard for any professional to juggle board duties with the ever-increasing demands of today’s jobs. And while it appears the vast majority of employers don’t mind and may even actively encourage employees to volunteer for public service, some make the lives of school board members anything but easy.
February 2010
How School Leaders Cope with Stress
Maybe it was the federal stimulus funds, a slowdown in job losses, or an uptick in the stock market that has lightened the mood in the country. But, as analysts have warned, the United States isn’t in the clear yet. No one knows this better than the three educators profiled here.
February 2010