Blog Archive

In my faith tradition, asking questions is not only acceptable – it is highly encouraged. This is modeled in sacred texts and even at holiday celebrations.

There is a lot going well in our communities, but today, on the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, I want to take a moment to recognize that this time feels deeply unsettling for many of us.

Welcome back!  I hope you had a summer filled with rest and renewal, and that you are returning refreshed and ready for another year of learning, growth, and making a difference in the lives of your students. 

Today I am writing to ask for your help in creating a series of learning experiences to address the youth mental health crisis we are feeling here in Essex County, and around the country.

The Peabody Essex Museum's expansive atrium was brimming with energy and laughter last week as K-12 educators shared what they learned over the past school year through their participation in the Essex County Learning Community, the flagship of Power of Place.

It’s hard to believe, but the ECLC Spring Showcase of Learning is less than a week away! I want to take a moment to appreciate the richness of our community. As with everything we do, the Showcase of Learning is a collective endeavor.

It is often said that children are our future, but recently I have been reminded of how very much children are also our present. On Wednesday, I traveled to Buffalo for a Big Picture Learning Network convening of New York-based high school teachers and leaders.

Students everywhere are struggling with stress, anxiety, and exhaustion.

Every March, in honor of National Women’s History Month, the National Women’s Hall of Fame honors 10 women who have effected positive change in the world. This year’s winners include physicians, civil rights activists, scholars, and a tennis champion.

As the daffodils in backyards begin to sprout and the warm weather returns, I am reminded that spring is just around the corner. It’s time to celebrate growth and renewal, to look back at what we’ve accomplished, and begin to look ahead to what we do next.

Perhaps the most important a-ha to come out of the ECLC day with Michael McDowell, co-author of The Project Habit: Making Rigorous PBL Doable, is that you can do fantastic project-based learning, and not have the kids produce any PRODUCT.

Whether you are reading this while on vacation or soon after, I hope that you have gotten some much-deserved rest during this vacation week.

Tracy Chapman entered my life on a cool spring day in 1988 when, ironically enough, I was behind the wheel of my grey Toyota, sitting in rush hour traffic.

Beyond our intuitive understanding of the importance of teams, there is plenty of evidence across the physical and social sciences pointing to what we gain from working together.

Remodeling often requires breaking something. Remodeling also - usually - requires reflection. Here’s my point: We are all in the midst of remodeling our education system to accommodate an ever-changing world.

Our commitment to adult learning drives our annual ECLC Learning Agenda, and this year has inspired us to pursue more in-district, customized engagement with our communities. The most recent examples started in Lynnfield and Andover.

Hidden potential exists at all levels of the education workforce. Like students, educators need opportunities for growth and development in order to engage in ongoing learning and reflection. Educators also need space to stretch beyond your comfort zone.

Reimagining Middle School: Collins Middle School Pilot Site Visit (Salem)

ECLC Fall Gathering: Windows and Mirrors: Teaching, Learning, and Leading Across Difference. Last year ECLC Superintendents asked us to host a day of learning on Election Day for all district staff.

Social connection is good medicine. That was the conclusion of Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General, who spoke recently at “Building Connected Communities,” a national conference at Harvard University.

What’s your story, and how does it define you? This was the question Gloucester Spanish teacher Heidi Wakeman posed to her peers at a recent training she led during a professional development day.

For me and my extended family, the past several days have been gut-wrenching. We could only watch in disbelief as Hamas terrorists violently attacked Israel. I lived in Israel briefly and have dozens of friends and relatives who have made Israel their home.

The media and trade press is filled lately with stories about today’s realities of adolescence—from the Learning Policy Institute’s “What Adolescents Are Teaching Us Post-Pandemic and Why We Should Listen” to The 74’s “How Are Kids Really Doing after COVID-19?”

What metaphor would you use to describe middle school? Is it a roller coaster ride, with a lot of ups and downs, and plenty of screaming! A foundation upon which the house (high school and beyond) can be built?