Amber Haynes, Ed.S’ Post

I always look forward to the new #PDKPoll results, particularly for an update on how the public is feeling about their child/ren entering the teaching profession. In looking at this year's topline data, I find it very interesting (and amusing) to see how much more opinionated on this question the public has become since 1969, when 10% of respondents didn't have an opinion either way. This grew to 22% of respondents in 1983 before a sharp decline to get to single digits in 1993 - today, 1% of respondents replied "no opinion" I have to imagine that the impacts of the release of A Nation at Risk in April of 1983 and the subsequent shift in how we talk about K-12 education and its "failures" (including who to blame for them) is being shown here. In working with state leaders to address teacher recruitment and retention issues over the past several years, the need for a marketing campaign around the positives of being a teacher has been raised every time. This data is a stark reminder that the way we as a field talk about what it means to be an educator matters - not that we shouldn't advocate for higher pay and better working conditions and publicly share student achievement data, but that we probably need to be more considerate of how we do so and aware of the unintended consequences of our attempts to hold people accountable within the unwieldy system(s) of K-12 education in our country.

More families are going to be able to choose their child's school and it's important to learn more about the schools they may be choosing. This point was made by director of national research at EdChoice, Mike McShane. In his new Forbes article, he briefly highlights two studies conducted, one about microschooling and the other about private schooling and civic education; both contradict stereotypes and assumptions. https://lnkd.in/dJD4PREk

Navigating school choices in Metro Atlanta? We've got you covered! Check out our latest blog post where we delve into the top-rated schools in the area, as recognized by GreatSchools.org. Discover schools that excel academically and provide enriching environments for students to thrive. Whether you're moving to the area or considering a switch, this guide is a must-read for families prioritizing high educational standards. Click here to learn more and find the perfect school for your family! https://lnkd.in/eaqDU-r9

And come attend my session Marketable Skills: Helping Students Connect Your Class to Their Resume while you are at the conference. #highereducation #studentsuccess #professionaldevelopment

Our most recent edition of the Weekly Connect is live. One of the stories we featured this week comes from EdWeek and is titled, "When Interventions Aim at Relationships, Academics and Attendance Improve." The article discusses a study that highlights the effectiveness of relationship-centered approaches in schools for supporting at-risk students. Forty-nine middle and high schools piloted these methods, which resulted in reduced rates of course failure and of chronic absenteeism. The new approach, termed “student success systems,” integrates data on academics, attendance, school climate, and social-emotional learning, focusing on students’ sense of connectedness. To read more, click here: https://buff.ly/4aTOsGh

City Connects addresses the comprehensive strengths and needs of each and every student in order to help promote healthy child development and learning. It is an evidence-based approach to integrated student support that empowers schools to intentionally and systematically leverage and coordinate the resources and relationships available in the school and in the surrounding community. In our newest research brief, we summarize City Connects’ evidence of impacts on student outcomes. Some of those outcomes include: Higher academic achievement, Improved attendance, effort, and engagement, and long-term outcomes, like reduced dropout rates and higher postsecondary enrollment. Learn more about City Connects' impacts here: https://buff.ly/3KdPcL6

City Connects addresses the comprehensive strengths and needs of each and every student in order to help promote healthy child development and learning. It is an evidence-based approach to integrated student support that empowers schools to intentionally and systematically leverage and coordinate the resources and relationships available in the school and in the surrounding community. In our newest research brief, we summarize City Connects’ evidence of impacts on student outcomes. Some of those outcomes include: Higher academic achievement, Improved attendance, effort, and engagement, and long-term outcomes, like reduced dropout rates and higher postsecondary enrollment. Learn more about City Connects' impacts here: https://buff.ly/3KdPcL6

🏛 Much is happening on the state and local level as communities come together to focus on student learning recovery. The Federal government is weighing in as well. ⚖ Last month the current administration laid out an agenda for US academic achievement, committing to using accountability, reporting, grants, and technical assistance to drive adoption of three evidence-based strategies that improve student learning: 1️⃣ increasing student attendance 2️⃣ providing high-dosage tutoring 3️⃣ increasing summer learning and extended or after-school learning time

Middle School, Middle Level- these are the people who guide the boys who have to jump as high as they can on every doorway. The girls who are figuring out what to carry in their purse. The ones who call eveyone “bruh” and “bro” every day and as generically as possible. The ones who will -probably- work for a single Starburst, or any type of food… The ones who still need recess every day even if the school doesn’t schedule it, because kinetic energy is still all over the place… when they act awake after 9am. The ones who can change the smell of a room in 3.5 seconds. The ones who are too cool and are too silly- within five minutes and back again. The ones who sometimes have the self-control of a gnat, and then have startlingly profound awareness. The ones who are both mean and kind on the same day. The ones whose brains are neuro-organizing all the files in new places and they forget everything and all their stuff. The ones whose energy could power the world, just like Monsters Inc. The ones who take a special kind of teacher to *get* them. They’re not just smaller high schoolers. Hats 🎩 Off to the Middle Level Educators.

The AICCU College Guide has gone digital dashboard! This tool embeds key data and information for counselors, families, and students to help them easily navigate their options at California's private nonprofit colleges. Want to search by major? You can do that! Want to see colleges by region? You can do that! Want centralized information on student demographics, test optional status, links to financial aid info, etc etc? You can do that! Kudos to Pamela Ong for pulling all the data to power this tool and building the Tableau dashboard, and to Sharlene Phou and Danyelle Okamoto for helping to put it together for a clean, user friendly look and feel. Please share widely.