The word "homeless" typically does not bring to mind images of children and youth; but in reality, more than 1 million children and youth experiencing homelessness have been identified by U.S. public schools every year since the 2010-2011 school year (National Center for Homeless Education, 2016). Further, the number of students…

Implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a critical issue for public schools in our country. UDL is an inclusive framework based on the science of learning. It supports and removes barriers to learning for all students while maintaining high expectations. Federal education policies have called for inclusive instruction based on UDL…

This paper reports a study of permanent secretaries who served at the Department for Education (DfE) from 1975 to 2011. Located within a context of theories that explain how government bureaucracies operate, it focuses on Michael Bichard. Appointed in July 1995 when attempts were being made to open Whitehall to non-career civil servants, he…

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of how students with disabilities, including students with significant cognitive disabilities and English learners with disabilities, can be included in local assessments used for instructional and programmatic decision making--that is, for formative purposes. This article focuses on formative…

On March 13, 2020, following the directives given on March 12 by the State Superintendent of Education in Maryland (Dr. Karen Salmon), all public schools across the state were to be closed for 2 weeks beginning March 16 following the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a pandemic. It was hard to believe that a new pandemic would be any…

School leaders will face great challenges balancing health considerations of students and school staff with powerful political forces demanding that schools reopen as early as possible. In order to navigate this new educational landscape, school leaders will need to work with medical and public health officials to acquire health literacy. This…

A Mathematics Department Chair plays many roles within the department and within the university as a whole. Facilitating the development and teaching of mathematics services courses requires working with mathematics faculty as well as members of other departments on campus. In this paper, we discuss many issues related to the Department Chair's…

Poverty cuts across culture, race, gender, age, and geography, so how can educators lessen the effects that poverty can instill in the classroom? Gain a quick overview from this infographic that showcases the Supporting Students in Poverty with High-Impact Instructional Strategies Toolkit and learn how easy-to-implement steps can lift outcomes for…

Intentional, individualized instructional coaching, combined with interactions that benefit the teacher in context, position a new teacher for long-term success.

The emphasis on increasing diversity within medical schools is not a new trend. At Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, we made a concerted effort to increase the percentage of Hispanic students in each incoming class. In this article, we highlight the experiences, actions, and lessons learned from key stakeholders. We conclude…

Part of being an effective school leader is helping staff and students deal with situations related to inequity and race--helping the fire of emotion that accompanies such issues energize your school rather than becoming a wildfire. Danique Dolly faced this challenge as principal of Baltimore's City Neighbors High School during the time riots…

Few question the difficulties of being a college or university president in today's era. The work of college and university presidencies is getting harder not easier with the passage of time. In this article, the author discusses how leadership in higher education is due for a change. She offers and discusses a solution of co-presidency.

If leaders want to support and retain--not just hire--Black educators, they must understand what it means to be a Black educator now. El-Mekki, a veteran educator and founder of the Center for Black Educator Development, shares realities Black teachers face, from the fact that schools don't always feel safe to them to the responsibility they feel…

Subtitle VII-B of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. § 11431 et seq.; hereafter the "McKinney-Vento Act"), reauthorized in 2015 by Title IX, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act, guarantees educational rights and supports for students experiencing homelessness. The Act requires State education agencies (SEAs) and…

Counties, districts, and schools have had to respond to ever-shifting issues related to COVID-19. This brief describes the complex challenges that district superintendents faced, which often required expertise in areas beyond traditional expectations for the role, particularly in public health. The brief gives examples of crisis management…