Author name: Ian

by Melanie Shivraj I was teaching 11th-grade biology when COVID-19 hit. The world paused, then pivoted to react to our new reality. Remote and hybrid learning forced us to review and revise many of our school policies—attendance, grading, family communication, and more. For the first time in my teaching career, I was part of conversations with […]

by David Ruff Since the start of the pandemic, across the U.S. we have seen an increase in the percentage of students who are chronically absent (usually defined as students who are absent from school for 10% or more of scheduled school days). A recent report unpacking data from the 2021-22 school year notes that 14.7

by Great Schools Partnership The Great Schools Partnership (GSP) announced earlier today that founder and executive director, David Ruff, will be retiring from his position after 17 years—each one spent endeavoring to improve outcomes for all students. David’s retirement is effective June 30, 2024.“A visionary leader and passionate advocate, David has dedicated his professional life to

By Carrie Young-Mcwilliams The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn affirmative action represents a watershed moment in the fight for equal opportunities for Black and Brown students in higher education. Affirmative action has long been a contentious issue, with supporters arguing that it is necessary for addressing historical disadvantages and promoting diversity, while opponents argue that it

by Emily Gilmore When I was a high school social studies teacher, we used to talk about pivotal versus important events. We’d start the year developing what we called our “personal pivotal events timelines” as a tool for applying vocabulary and skills as well as a tool for community-building. Last September, I added another pivotal event

by Great Schools PartnershipEvery year, the Great Schools Partnership hosts a wide variety of virtual learning opportunities in addition to an in-person conference for educators and other members of the school community. Session titles and descriptions for our 2023-2024 calendar are available below. Please note that registration is currently open for fall discovery sessions and

by Kate Gardoqui The 2023 School Redesign In Action Conference was not just for educators. 54 student leaders from Rhode Island, Vermont, and Massachusetts also attended our conference, discussing possibilities for re-imagined schools and classrooms along with the adults. Many of these students participated in the restorative circles pre-conference workshop, learning to use circles as vehicles

Glennys Sánchez and Leah Tuckman were lucky enough to join Mike McRaith, of the Vermont Principals Association, on his podcast last month. The podcast highlights promising practices when it comes to diversifying the educator workforce and spotlights the community of practice workshops that Great Schools Partnership is hosting throughout New England. This podcast refers to

by Ben Chase Ben Chase is a guest blogger and educator from Noble High School.Using ChatGPT is not unlike buying food at the grocery store. Take the fruit and veggies section, as an illustration. When we shop, we simply grab a bell pepper, apple, asparagus, or onion with (usually) little thought about where our produce comes

by Jeanie Phillips Like many educators, I came to this work to help young people reach their full potential. Some teachers do that through science or physical education, others through mathematics or art. For me, it was about stories: specifically providing young people with books and resources that help them see themselves in the world and