Does your school have a special project or need that just isn’t in the budget right now? Consider exploring the world of education grants. This month’s post includes resources for finding appropriate grants and writing excellent grant applications!
In March, administrators often begin to take notice of the hiring needs for the next school year. The process of finding new quality teachers can prove to be quite a trying journey. This begs the question, what can school leaders do to both find new quality teachers, and keep the excellent educators already working in their schools? This month’s resources are devoted to both pieces of this challenging question.
Keeping Excellent Teachers:
Teacher retention is often one of the biggest hurdles facing administrators. Aside from higher salaries (often something budget restrictions won’t allow), here are the four research based areas that influence teacher retention.
Build a Positive School Culture- Live your school’s vision & mission. Encourage learning and growth for both students and teachers. Make communication a priority. Be present. Celebrate the successes of your staff!
Create a Supportive Community Environment- Focus on creating a community of continual learning and quality instruction. Involve families and the community. Provide opportunities for collaboration & create a structure of support and open dialogue.
Provide Opportunities for Learning & Development- According to a recent studyabout Millennials in the workforce, a large number Millennial workers said that learning and development was the most important benefit when choosing a job (second only to healthcare). Continued learning is important to today’s teachers!
Establish a Mentoring Program- Mentoring builds community and benefits not only new teachers, but veteran teachers as well. Encourage mentor partners to meet regularly and share ideas & feedback.
For more information and research on keeping quality teachers, check out these articles:
Consider membership in a Florida Association of Academic Non-public Schools: faans.org. Many of them allow you to list your job openings on their website!
As administrators and teachers, we are all too familiar with the restless anxiety surrounding student achievement. As educators we wake up worrying about our students, our efforts, and our impact. The question we must begin to ask ourselves is, academically, behaviorally, socially, do we really know where our students are? Data tracking can be a great way to begin to answer that question openly and honestly with our school community. Collecting data is a game changer for schools that want to make informed decisions around student progress and instruction. This month’s resources are devoted to tackling the terrifying but transformative use of data in your decision making.
Assessment Data:
Check out this article from The 74 Million describing how private schools in Florida just like you are using assessment and data to make major academic gains for low income students!
Emotional & Social Data:
Read this article from Edutopia to see how one Nevada school is using data to ensure every child is being seen.
It’s time to ask ourselves as educators the hard question. Are we communicating clear, coherent, actionable, timely, and honest information about student progress?
Are you feeling concerned about having the clear, honest, and difficult conversation with some of your students’ parents? It’s important to remember (and to remind your teachers) that in order to build a positive growth mindset in our students, we must first be honest about the real progress or lack of progress our students are making!
Remember good feedback includes clear, coherent, actionable, timely, and honest information about student progress. One assessment or assignment should not tell the whole story of a student’s academic status. Consider the option of creating a student portfolio of work. This way, students and parents can see a more complete picture of performance and growth in the classroom. This may even be a great way of initiating student-led conferences in your classroom!
Check Out these Resources for Students with Unique Abilities!
Shriners Hospitals for Children is teaming up with the legendary rock band Foreigner to remake a classic and sell the group’s CD’s as a fundraiser. The band is donating a version of their chart-topping song, “I Want to Know What Love Is,” which was recently recorded and sung by band members and children who are Shriners patients in Tampa. Watch this inspirational video and see how you can help support the Shriners Hospital right here in Florida! Click here to learn more!
For schools serving students with unique abilities, theFlorida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System (FDLRS) is a wonderful resource. FDLRS Centers across the state provide an array of instructional and technical support services to school district Exceptional Student Education programs statewide. The four central functions of each FDLRS Associate Center are Child Find, Parent Services, Human Resource Development, and Technology. Find your local FDLRS center for free professional development related to serving exceptional student education, parent information and training, adaptive technology resources and much, much more!
Rest & Recharge With These Resources Over The Winter Break!
Are the mid-year blues making you feel a bit overwhelmed and drained? The holiday break can be a great time to relax and recharge your educational batteries. We’ve compiled some resources below to reignite your passion for education, and to provide you with some inspiration over the break!
Read: Thought-provoking articles to encourage your mid-year reflection and resolutions for the New Year.
We are thrilled to announce that Step Up For Students will be hosting a state-of-the-art Professional Learning Conference June 20 & 21, 2019. This two-day conference will feature a dynamic, national keynote speaker, content-rich breakout sessions, an exhibit hall and opportunities for networking with schools including an evening reception with showcase schools. Please watch your emails and the Bulletin Board for a Call for Presenters and Early Registration information!
Technology & STEM Grants:
Read: Thought-provoking articles to encourage your mid-year reflection and resolutions for the New Year.
