The traditional school calendar with several weeks of “summer vacation” has been in existence since the early days of public education. While there is a widely held belief that our school calendar was originally based on the “farmer’s calendar,” i.e., “farmers needed their children home in the summer to help on the farm,” that is actually more of a myth.... READ MORE >
There are many reasons that I love being a school principal and working in a public school. And even while we so often talk about how much education and schools have changed, we have to remember that so much remains the same. Every day, students come to school and teachers strive to teach the students in their classrooms. Every day,... READ MORE >
Like most people in Minnesota, teachers and principals are looking forward to spring—the reprieve of warmer temperatures and melting snow. However, teachers and principals also know that spring means it is time for Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs). In April, students in grades 3-8 will take MCAs for reading and mathematics. This will take four mornings of class time. (Some high... READ MORE >
It was thrilling to read an email this week that indicated that Broadband will be installed into our school this summer! I cannot say what this means for Broadband’s installation throughout the rest of the county, but it is a long awaited event for us and one that our district very much needs. Technology is not a “quick fix” to... READ MORE >
My responsibilities as a PK-12 principal are many and diverse. I must provide leadership to improve and increase student achievement, while at the same time I must respond to the immediate, unexpected events and the multitudes of details that happen each school day. However, there is never a doubt, that my number one priority is always student safety. Violence such... READ MORE >
The summer days in my office are vastly different than they are during the school year. And I admit that it is a welcome reprieve to not have the seemingly endless flurry of responsibilities, meetings, emails and student/staff/parent conversations and multi-tasking that I experience on a “typical” school day. However, there is still much on my “to do” list this... READ MORE >
Most people agree that this is a very challenging era for public schools. Decreases in funding, declining enrollment, higher expectations for student achievement, increased accountability based on test scores, the continuous evolution of technology and its impact on education and brain development, and the impact of family stresses on some students’ ability to focus on academics during the school day... READ MORE >
