Features

Providing instructional vision and support for school leaders and teachers is a core responsibility of the central district office, yet district leaders themselves often have limited professional learning opportunities to engage in that work.

As educators across Washington state continue to implement an ambitious new teacher and principal and evaluation system, a new study from the University of Washington outlines practical examples for how school leaders can productively support the professional growth of teachers.

At Seattle’s Meany Middle School, Yani Robinson sees hope and an idealistic outlook among students that he recognizes from his own experiences at that age. He recalls an eighth-grade teacher who allowed him and his classmates to protest the Iraq War or call the White House during class.

“He just gave us the tools to think beyond what we saw, and he gave us tools to process the unhappiness you sometimes feel when you start realizing things in the real world,” Robinson said. “I think that really changed something for me.”

As many European countries were establishing national education systems in the late 19th century, legislators in the United States failed to pass at least 20 different bills that would have done the same.

In a new podcast, Nancy Beadie, a professor of education history at the University of Washington College of Education, discussed the divergent paths taken by the U.S. and most European nations, the lingering repercussions for the U.S. educational system and more.