Sounding Board
#WhatMatters to You?

By Grace Shelton @GraceCShelton Currently, 31 states use surveys in evaluations of teachers and principals. Previous research has shown that student, teacher, parent, and community feedback yields gains both in and out of the classroom. Teachers wanting to improve need to listen to their students, and principals should actively seek out staff feedback if they […]

By Grace Shelton @GraceCShelton   The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) recently released the first report in a series of three on tracking states’ teacher policies. This particular report focused on evaluation policies for teachers and principals. This report is particularly important in that it places all 50 states and the District of Columbia […]

By Grace Shelton @GraceCShelton Teachers Want More Collaborative Working Time, and Survey Insights are the Key to Giving Them What They Need It’s no secret that teaching is not an easy profession. In today’s particular climate, teachers are faced with increasingly difficult tasks and confronted with burdens that restrict their autonomy and willingness to continue […]

By Grace Shelton @GraceCShelton   Why Surveys Matter Surveys are an important tool in determining what education stakeholders need. Policymakers and practitioners can gain a lot of knowledge and insight into the needs of their students, parents, teachers, and administrative staff through the use of well-designed surveys. That is why more and more evaluative processes […]

As the push for parental engagement in schools increases across the country, districts are struggling to find ways to measure involvement in order to find gaps in the data and address parent needs that might be otherwise unknown to them. Surveys and tools exist, but it has been difficult to find one universal enough to […]

By @GraceCShelton In their efforts to increase parent engagement, some districts struggle to bring parents to the school building, even after removing various barriers and seeking numerous communication pathways. The Washington Post reports that this has been the case for many DC schools. However, with the help of external partners, the District has found a […]

By @GraceCShelton As the new school year began in Los Angeles, the LA Unified School District (LAUSD) was seeking new ways to improve conditions for its many students. According to a recent article by the LA Times, many LAUSD students come from difficult backgrounds. As a result, the district has struggled in the past with […]

By @GraceCShelton In order for teachers to build and maintain positive relationships with their students and their classrooms, they must first seek to engage parents. This means that teachers need to foster collaboration with families in order to create a united front in a child’s education. All too often, parents feel left out of their […]

By @GraceCShelton Parent engagement is important. When all the adults in a student’s life are on the same page and united in their commitment to education, a teacher’s job becomes much easier. Parents want to engage in their child’s learning, but specific barriers can sometimes exist that hinder their ability to connect with their child’s […]

By Grace Shelton @GraceCShelton   We spend a lot of time talking about the importance of social-emotional learning (SEL) in improving outcomes for students. However, there are some places that need this skill development more than others. Communities with higher rates of violent crimes have a more difficult time implementing SEL instruction and curriculum when […]