Customer service tips for school administrators Alison DeNisco Customer service is not traditionally thought of as part of a district administrator’s job—but learning effective communication skills can sometimes mean the difference between retaining or losing students to charter schools, according to a new report from K12 Insight. Read more>> Message from How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare author Ken Ludwig Sponsored by Penguin Random House “Ken Ludwig's enthusiasm for Shakespeare and his lucid, accessible and inspiring book...is a rare treat. You and your children will be transformed into the magic and mystery of Shakespeare and his stories in an instant. I highly recommend the book to all who have a love of language and history.” ~ Sir Derek Jacobi, CBE Read more>> Survival of N.J.’s middle class hinges on school funding Brick Shorebeat Equalizing state aid to each student in each school is essential to breaking the cycle of decline among the middle class in New Jersey. The proposed Fair School Funding would reduce property taxes in suburban communities, but it would also spur economic growth, keep families in their homes and open up new opportunities for our young people. Read more>> Refocusing assessment on teaching and learning Sponsored by Curriculum Associates Although some might consider assessment a “bad" word, measuring growth and gaining insight to improve instruction is critical. Learn how new technology can turn assessment into a “good" word by meeting multiple needs and minimizing the time students spend taking tests. Read more>> How high school educators should address traumatic events in class U.S. News & World Report Teachers can talk about a current traumatic event with high schoolers, but educators need to first understand the situation themselves. Then, they can model calm and appropriate coping skills because no matter how old students are, they will take a cue on how to act based on how the adults are reacting. And teachers should stick to discussing the facts. Read more>> Can ‘early warning systems’ keep children from dropping out of school? The Washington Post The research is clear: If you want to know whether a child is on a path toward graduating or dropping out, standardized test scores are not very useful. Far more telling is whether that child comes to school regularly, behaves in class and earns passing grades. Read more>> How theater can offer students new perspectives on history KQED For the sake of time and convenience, history textbooks often flatten the narratives, excluding events and upholding a Euro-centric narrative of history. Teachers are coming up with ways around this problem from integrating video games as social studies texts, to creating their own open educational resources. Some teachers are even using theater to help kids access the untold histories of minority groups. Read more>> Don’t try to block social media at schools Ventura County Star We support current digital content filters in place that block online violence, pornography, hate sites and gambling. But extending that block to social media sites such as Twitter or Instagram or Facebook creates a false protection of children and stimulates children to hunt out the worst content on those applications because we will have made it off limits Read more>> | 