Teacher turnover rates have increased sharply in recent years, creating instability in classrooms and concern for parents who want consistent learning environments for their children. This surge affects student achievement, school culture, and family trust in education systems. While turnover is not new, the pace has accelerated, demanding a closer look at the causes and…
For many families, traditional four-year college programs can be financially out of reach or simply not the right fit for their child’s learning style. Trade schools present an alternative that not only equips students with in-demand skills but also addresses inequities in access to education and career opportunities. These institutions focus on practical training, allowing…
Speech disorders often affect more than just verbal communication. For many students, these challenges can quietly influence how they learn, interact, and progress in school. While some difficulties are visible, such as unclear pronunciation, others are less obvious, including delays in processing information, limited vocabulary growth, and struggles with reading comprehension. These factors can build…
When I attended Parent Night for my third grade son, I was surprised when the teacher said that she would not be emphasizing math facts during third grade. She said it was not a priority of the math program they use. Why would this not be considered important? Some math programs place a heavier emphasis…
Can you explain what “PBL” means? My daughter’s new teacher has this term listed on her classroom webpage but I’m not sure what it refers to. “PBL” is an acronym for Problem Based Learning. It is an approach to education that is hands-on and student-centered. Typically, students work in groups to solve real world problems….
My daughter is so disorganized. When she heads to middle school next year and has a locker, I don’t know how she will manage. What can I do to help her? One of the keys to organization is planning, and that requires a routine. Developing a routine is very tough for many kids. Without planning…
I hear comments all the time about restricting screen time for my young kids. They love playing video games so much that I just don’t understand what the big deal is. How can playing video games have such a negative impact on their academics? Playing video games is not in and of itself problematic. It…
There is so much debate in the news about testing in schools – the “need” for testing, the perspective that there is too much testing, and that all teachers can do now is to “teach to the test.” What, exactly, does all of this testing mean to my fourth grader? Our educational world is driven…
When my husband and I went to our son’s spring conference, his teacher said that she thought my son had ADD. I just do not see the busyness in him that I associate with that. Should I have my son tested? We tend to use the acronym ADD to refer to all attention problems. However,…
My first grader brought home a slip of paper with his lexile number on it following a recent standardized test. He said that he should be reading books at that number. Can you explain what “lexile” means? Why shouldn’t he just read whatever he wants to read? Lexile is a number developed by The Lexile…
