Presented by Venola Mason, Associate Partner, International Center for Leadership in Education; and Meaghan Pavlovich, Ed.D., Director, Product Management & Strategy, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Presented by Hilderbrand Pelzer III, Educator and Author; Carissa Berliner, Teacher and Universal Literacy Reading Coach, New York City Department of Education; and Resha Conroy, Founder, Dyslexia Alliance for Black Children
Moderated by Debbie Meyer, A’Lelia Bundles Community Scholar
Leaders in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools have been working on their equity agenda since 2015. But while their first two iterations focused more on achievement gaps and access to rigorous classes for all students, the plans didn’t address systemic inequities or really move the needle forward. During a recent edWebinar, hosted by AASA, The School Superintendents Association and AASA’s Leadership Network, Dr. Aaron Spence, Superintendent, and Dr. LaQuiche R. Parrott, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, explained why their Compass 2025 plan emphasizes equity throughout and how they keep equity front and center in their work.
For students in Jacksonville, FL and surrounding Duval County, where non-academic barriers often interfered with success in school, the implementation of mental health programs and other wellness initiatives has been accompanied by significant improvements in graduation rates and other important metrics.
The combined impact of demographic changes, accountability measures, and special education requirements have created numerous challenges for educators and administrators in recent years, which were further complicated by the pandemic and societal issues during 2020.
Even before COVID-19 created online, remote, and hybrid learning environments in school districts across the country, most district and school leaders struggled with chronic absenteeism in their schools. Researchers like Dr. Todd Rogers, Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University and Chief Scientist at EveryDay Labs, have tirelessly worked with school districts to identify, develop and implement strategies to reduce absenteeism at scale.
It’s a common story: the energetic principal who comes into a school, revamps the curriculum, creates innovative learning practices, and then leaves with no sustainability plan. Or, while the kids in that one school thrive, others across the district are left behind. Unfortunately, many schools and districts are still relying on individuals or looking for that magic program rather than developing educational systems that provide a high-quality, modern education for all students.
As school districts have become more diverse and focused on the importance of providing an equitable education for students from different cultures, the need has grown for a consistent and effective approach to improving the achievement of all learners and engaging their families in the process.
Students with learning differences (LD) often struggle in school. Not because they aren’t capable intellectually, but because learning disabilities like dyslexia, ADHD, and dysgraphia make it difficult to navigate tasks. Peggy Stern, Founder and CEO of the research-based company, SuperDville, said in a recent edWebinar, sponsored by Learning Ally, that LD students can make academic strides with a strong sense of self. It’s why she believes that social-emotional learning (SEL) is the most necessary support for children who learn differently.
Presented by Jaime Perris, Curriculum Project Manager and Education Consultant, Encyclopædia Britannica; Dr. Ahmet Bayazitoglu, English Teacher, Hun School of Princeton (NJ); and Dara Martin, English Teacher, Co-Director of NextTerm, Dorm Parent, Hun School of Princeton (NJ)
Moderated by Darcy Carlson, Director of Education Consultants, Encyclopædia Britannica