March 2024: School Administrator
Time in School and Remote Instruction
This issue examines the rise of the four-day school week and the digital learning landscape in the aftermath of COVID-19.
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Additional Articles
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Virtual High-Impact TutoringIn Ector County, Texas, the school district is closing students’ learning gaps from the pandemic through a distinctive form of remote support.
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The District's EconomyHow superintendents view the economic state of their districts.
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Relocated But Not Out of MindIs a school finance assistant obligated to answer questions once he’s moved into a new job elsewhere? Our ethics panel weighs in.
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Student Privacy and Safety SimultaneouslyDon’t view FERPA as a barrier to intervention by law enforcement and mental health support when a student presents a threat to self or others.
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If You’re Working in School Leadership, Facebook Isn’t Your FriendA superintendent barks at the platform as a marketplace of misinformation, innuendo and trading in false or even harmful narratives.
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A Potent Strategic Governing Team from the Get-GoA superintendent’s behind-the-scenes efforts that turned the board chair into an ardent champion for governance change.
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Learning Peak Performance Through a Lizard on My WallA former superintendent gets his inspiration from a gravity-defying force.
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Working Through the Messy Middle
Moving past the grumblers and naysayers when putting in place a new initiative in your schools.
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All Goals Are Not Created Equal
Setting a lofty target is the box we check, but then come the hard steps of planning, execution, reflection and iteration.
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Let’s Move Beyond the Carnegie UnitHitting “reset” when we examine learning measurements in schools.
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A Robust Agenda for Technology’s InfrastructureThe real possibilities of making remote teaching and learning more inclusive and practical.
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Spreading Seeds for Rural LearningThe Roscoe, Texas, education leader spreads seeds statewide for dynamic rural learning.
Staff
Editor's Note
Cry from a Profession
In the midst of our coverage this month about the gaining phenomenon of the four-day school week, a veteran school leader in Texas is quoted as saying this: “I can give my kids four days a week with an excellent teacher. I’m not sure that’s a worse deal than five days a week with a mediocre teacher.”
I’m not picking on this respected superintendent, but I think his comment represents a sad commentary right now on the ability of public schools to attract the caliber of teaching talent that’s so desperately needed in K-12 education. In a nutshell, it captures the precarious state of a vitally important profession. Despite any certainties yet about the academic benefits of the shortened school week (and some limited evidence pointing to the learning downsides), the modified operating calendar is looking to be the most accessible tool right now for education leaders to attract and keep teaching talent.
As freelance journalist Sarah Hall reports in “Embracing the Four-Day School Week,” the growth of this structural change coming out of the pandemic continues unabated, though our coverage captures some voices in state government, as well as education, that are beginning to question the merits.
The subject of personnel in schooling is one that will remain high on our agenda at School Administrator. In fact, in May’s issue we’ll be looking at personnel practices in school districts.
Jay P. Goldman
Editor, School Administrator
703-875-0745
jgoldman@aasa.org
@JPGoldman
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