District Management Journal
In this issue, our Spotlight discusses best practices for teaching reading but concentrates on taking a systems-thinking approach. Reading results cannot improve simply because a few best practices have been introduced. Instead, improving reading must become the objective for the district, and the entire system of doing things must bend in order to allow the full array of best practices to be implemented with fidelity.
Also in this issue:
Interview: Joel Rose, with School of One and now Teach to One, is challenging the very model of education introduced to the United States by Horace Mann in the mid-19th century; Rose is introducing dramatic new methods of teaching and learning that leverage technology. In this interview, Rose discusses innovation, the effective use of technology in the classroom, and the potential for scaling this innovative model.
Case Study: Learn how Dr. Linda Clark, superintendent of Joint School District #2 (ID), working within an environment of drastic state budget cuts, seized the opportunity to galvanize support and undertook an initiative to examine special education practices. By sensitively and strategically managing the process, she is successfully embedding changes that will have lasting impact for students.
Commentary: Dr. Frank Alvarez, reflects on his tenure as superintendent of Montclair Public Schools (NJ) and shares his perspective on how the district has examined and transformed special education practices. Through effective leadership and management, he created an environment to embrace change, and the district is getting results.
