General

When a child enrolls in a U.S. public school, their family gains the right to information in a language they understand. In other words, translation services for school districts aren’t just a courtesy; they’re a legal necessity. Federal law recognizes that meaningful family participation in K–12 education requires understanding. That’s why school districts must provide

Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), stakeholder engagement is not just encouraged—it’s required. From developing continuous improvement plans to allocating Title funds, school districts must demonstrate how they meaningfully involve parents, educators, students, and community members in decision-making processes. However, beyond the mandate is what you really desire- authentic stakeholder engagement that leads to

I recently viewed the trailer for the upcoming release of Wicked: For Good. It brought back memories of my childhood and I was reminded of how much my siblings and I enjoyed the movie The Wizard of Oz. Over the next few days, I found myself humming, “Lions, and tigers, and bears. Oh, my!” While

District and school improvement planning may seem like a daunting task. The process can be  overwhelming, and deadlines can sneak up. Especially when everyone is already buried under 100 other priorities. So – plans get rushed, data analysis feels reactive, and meaningful strategies sometimes fall through the cracks. A clear, organized, yearly, continuous improvement planning

Have you ever seen the famous black and white photograph of Albert Einstein with his tongue sticking out? If not, a quick internet search of this photo would provide a meaningful visual as you read this blog. The described picture of Albert Einstein was on display in my science classroom for my entire teaching career.

“Monitoring progress is critical in the continuous improvement process.”– Lesli Laughter, Continuous Improvement Without Continuous Stress Monitoring the progress of the actions and goals in your district or school improvement plan isn’t just a checklist item or an administrative task—it’s a powerful tool for reflection, action, and growth. Progress monitoring is a systematic and ongoing

A few weeks ago, at a national grants management conference, a panel of representatives from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) spoke on the topic of federal grant accountability. Among other things, they emphasized the critical nature of maintaining complete and accurate evidence of adherence to federal statute. Essentially, the message was, “Now is NOT