Month: May 2025
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As Federal Policies Threaten Special Ed, State & Local Leadership Are a Lifeline
This article was written and published by Sarah Sandelius — May 15th, 2025 Sandelius: 5 key steps schools and districts can take to protect students with disabilities and enhance learning for all children. As mid-2025 nears, special education stands on increasingly shaky ground. Threats to Department of Education funding, efforts to shift the Individuals with Disabilities Education…
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How New Teachers Can Encourage Student Agency
This article was written and published by Lainie Rowell — May 6th, 2025 When students get stuck on a concept, a compassionate approach that supports productive struggle might help them proceed. Do you like to rescue? I’ll admit it—I do. It brings me tremendous joy to help others, especially when I can clearly see what…
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3 Reflection Questions to Help You End the Year Intentionally
This article was written and published by Marcus Luther — May 8th, 2025 Reflecting can help teachers bring closure to the school year, connect with students, and continually improve their practice. The final month of any school year has an endless supply of distractions for a teacher: assemblies and ceremonies, field trips and field days,…
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How These 4 Teachers Go Above and Beyond for Their Students and Colleagues
This article was written and published by Elizabeth Heubeck — May 7th, 2025 Teachers go above and beyond every day: grading papers through the weekend, using personal funds to decorate their classroom or set up a library corner, waiting on the curb outside school with a student whose parent is running late. Many go further still,…
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Advice for New Teachers, from Teachers
This article was written and published by Robin Vitucci— August 8th, 2023 I am here to give you some advice. But the advice doesn’t come from me personally, it comes from hundreds of AFT members I have had the pleasure to hear from over the years. No one knows how hard it is to be…
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How One District Built Coherent Systems for Digital Equity
This article was written and published by Donna Phillips — April 25th, 2025 Key Ideas Having solid systems in place provides the conditions for innovation and sustainability to occur within our education systems. When the Digital Equity Framework’s Coherent Systems, Resources and Policies domain is present in a school district, leaders have aligned systems, resources,…