Category Archives: Parents

Looking for a school or district report card?

You and your family are moving to a new state, and you have some idea of where you are moving – a metropolitan area, for example – but before you make any firm commitments, you want to get some sense … Continue reading

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Ten Cool Things We Learned This Summer

Summer’s a great time for learning. Even the time spent reading the newspaper and talking about front page stories, something that doesn’t happen with regularity during the hustle bustle mornings of the school year, provide rich fodder. But how do … Continue reading

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“Look fors” in effective classrooms

A friend (and parent) and I got talking about this the other evening: Imagine you’re moving to a new state, a new city, but before you decide on a neighborhood and therefore a school for your kids, you want some … Continue reading

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Transitioning from elementary to middle school

I’m going re-purpose another piece from my past work place, The Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement, this one a summary of research about elementary to middle school transition, since that process is starting in many schools districts this … Continue reading

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Happy the beagle

Being home over the holiday got me thinking about school and the town I grew up in – and Happy the beagle. I used to take that dog to school. My brother Jeff and I would walk there – it … Continue reading

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Parents and selecting a new principal

Parents: How are principals selected in your school district? What sort of input do you have? How transparent is that process? This summer, my son’s school needed a new principal fast – the previous one left abruptly in July – … Continue reading

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