National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)’s Post

We’re absolutely sure that Baron R. Davis, Ph.D.’s keynotes at ASU+GSV Summit this week will get people thinking. And we say that because his recent op-ed for EdPost—co-authored with Institute for Education Innovation CEO and Founder Doug Roberts—got *us* thinking about what’s behind the exodus of #superintendents and what education leaders can do about it. https://lnkd.in/eEZqHqTH   It’s an honor to work with Dr. Davis, an award-winning #education #leader, former superintendent and high school principal, and CEO and founder of The Noegenesis Group.   In the piece titled “Support Superintendents: Build a Culture of Trust and Stop Turnover, they write, “As devastating as the past four years have been for superintendents, hope is on the horizon. To create meaningful, long-lasting change, it will require a collective effort from communities, educators, and board members.”   They include three key steps for ending the discord and upheaval: 1. Revisit the power of diversity, equity, and inclusion #DEI 2. Bring back bipartisanship to school boards 3. Support and uplift women and leaders of color   Their conclusion: “We’re at a critical crossroads. Political discourse must take a backseat to communication, empathy, and trust to create a culture of respect that flows throughout the district.”   #Education #K12 #ThoughtLeadership #Leaders  

🌟 New Article Alert! 🌟 I recently had the opportunity to interview Jennifer Lee, a Texas public school teacher and single mom, who's running for #HouseDistrict55. Jennifer has been a strong advocate for public education, even participating in school board meetings from her hospital bed during the pandemic. 💪📚 In our discussion, Jennifer shared her insights on the challenges facing Texas schools and her vision for improving education, including increased funding and support for teachers. She believes that, “If you want something different, you gotta do something different.” Check out the full article to learn more about Jennifer's journey and her plans for Texas education. #Education #PublicSchools #TexasPolitics #Leadership #EducationReform

🚍 Transform the Student Experience on the School Bus! 🚍 Join me, Will McDermott and Susan King on Thursday, September 19th, for an exciting webinar introducing our groundbreaking approach to improving the student experience while reducing behavior incidents during the ride to and from school. We’ll dive into how positive interventions and support strategies—used in schools—can create consistency and bridge the gap between the classroom and the ride to school. 🚸 Don't miss this chance to learn actionable solutions that can make a real impact! 🌟 First Student STN CASE, Special Education Leadership

I'm so appalled by the recent reporting going on about Hymba Yumba, an independent Indigenous school in Qld. I'm not saying that our Indigenous institutions shouldn't be held accountable to community, however, I don't believe that the statements or the perspectives of the school or school leadership have been fairly shared or given voice. I also don't believe that the reporting is representative of every families experience at the school. I know this, because my own niece and nephew attend the school. There are issues in education that disproportionately impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people - deep, systemic and historical. Where was the coverage of these issues by Living Black when we released NIYEC's School Exclusion Project report? Instead they choose to launch a series of articles about an Indigenous-led school with actual Indigenous school leadership, that has been achieving really incredible outcomes for their students. This has been recognised by a recent Queensland Education Award. In the couple of articles I have seen there is repeated mention to the level of funding the school receives. $9million to service 296 children from prep-12 - that's just over $30,000 per student. For my friends in school leadership, isn't this pretty standard when you consider that the school has an ICSEA value of 750, and close to 90% Indigenous student population? At the end of the day, I believe in Indigenous-led schooling and I hope and encourage everyone to think critically about how the narrative of these articles have been shaped. I have linked the statement from the school below. https://lnkd.in/ehrHT4Hf

Celebrating a 7-Year Partnership of Impact!    We’re proud to highlight the incredible work and continued partnership between the Center for Educational Partnerships (CEP) and Colonial Life. Through collaboration, we’ve reached over 200 participants from the US, Ireland, and the UK at the recent Unum Community Circle event.    Cindy Van Buren, Ph.D., Director of CEP, shared insights into how we catalyze innovation, elevate best practices, and position educators to drive meaningful change in South Carolina’s K-12 schools. Here are some highlights from our ongoing initiatives:    📈 CarolinaTIP: Thanks to this innovative support program, over 90% of participating teachers have remained in the classroom.  💡 Classroom Catalyst Grants: In partnership with Colonial Life, we empower educators with $1,000 to enhance inquiry-based learning.  🎓 Apple Core Initiative: Opening doors for historically underrepresented high school students to join the teaching profession.  🌟 Education Leaders Experience (ELE): A ten-month program growing leadership in South Carolina’s educators.    Together, we’re making a difference in the lives of teachers, students, and communities! 🙌 #CEPPartnership #EducationalImpact #CommunityCircle #PartneringWithPurpose

Raising the next generation of civic leaders! Are you funder or a school board member or a a middle or high school principal or teacher in California, Kentucky, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, or Massachusetts? We have seen exceptional work from Generation Citizen, which is working in all these states. This piece says it all: https://lnkd.in/e5pyV6aF

One of the cool things about living in the same city you grew up in, is moments like this! A couple weeks ago, I was out with my favorite jogging group, running in front of this school. Many don't know that this school represented a mix bag of emotions for me for many years. Long story short, I attended this school and was celebrated with a reading award. My teacher determined that my kindergarten year, as she was so close to retirement, she would no longer teach but simply entertain students. However, I was her favorite student, so she nominated me for a city-wide reading award. She and I knew no one in my class was taught to read... As the granddaughter of a reading specialist for RPS, this was a blow to me and my parents. My parents declined for us to attend the award ceremony and soon I was taken to private school for remediation. Unfortunately, this happened to me twice in my elementary years, in two different schools. As you can imagine, this impacted me as a kid. But running past it as an adult felt like a moment of victory. I could have continued to tell myself that I had trouble learning or was always trying to play catch up with others. Or I could acknowledge that the thing that came to set me back, actually set me up for a passion for youth advocacy, a love of learning and reading, and a compassion for those who feel left out or behind. Lesson: Let your places of previous defeat mark places of victory! You might not feel victorious, but the very fact that you can go back to those places and smile maybe all the victory you need! #leadershiplessons

“Certainly, wellness is our birthright, and certainly, we can seek healing and wellness in school systems that admonish anything but the acceptance of White violence.” 🎯💭 Shouting out Dr. Asia Lyons a Black Educator Wellness Coach and Education Consultant, for giving me tangible tools to care for myself, especially as a Palestinian educator facing racial battle fatigue. Here are a few key takeaways from our conversation 🌱 1. Make your home a place of refuge. 2. Be in spaces that uplift your values. 3. Ground yourself in nature. 4. Reconnect with your roots. 5. Pick your battles wisely. Let’s prioritize wellness as we continue our work!

During my first semester at Rice University, I actively participated in RISE, a program that aims to equip future leaders with the skills of Responsibility, Inclusion, and Student Empowerment. While taking part in the program, I was interviewed by the Texas Tribune about my perspective on the Black Rice Experience. This was my first news feature, and I would appreciate it if you could take the time to read the article, which is linked below!

We have something special going on at the "U" aka USC Upstate 🙌 watch how we work our magic around this great strategic plan to impact the community, the Upstate, and change lives as we REACH Greater Heights. Greater 2030 #highereducationleadership #greater #studentsuccess #workforcedevelopment #leadershipdevelopment #changemakers https://lnkd.in/eTR2SMnf