Academics
If it could happen in 2020- 2021, it has. Never in our lifetimes have we experienced so many culminating challenges at the same time. And while we have been pushed to innovate at a pace previously considered impossible, we as a society have risen to the occasion and see brighter days in our near future.…
While the 2020-21 school year is wrapping up in May, the Arlington ISD still wants to take students new places this summer. That’s why the summer learning schedule for students in pre-K through 12th grade has been expanded to give every student a chance to explore what they want, whether they’re trying to get ahead…
While transitioning to a virtual learning environment was unexpected and the timing of it a bit accelerated, the reality is that so many teachers and students around the world have long begun leveraging the benefits of technology to enhance the learning process. This modern integration of technological tools has created a whole new learning experience…
We live in a unique time. Never before has the world been so small and accessible. People from distant lands can board a plane and within hours travel to the other side of the planet populated with individuals who share a different culture and value system. With the click of a few buttons, we can…
Recently, I read a quote that stopped me in my tracks. The quote was posted on a small road sign in a highly populated metropolitan city. It read, “Just because someone carries it well, doesn’t mean it isn’t heavy.” This message resonated with me deeply and is a powerful reminder of the invisibility that often…
Grades. Where do they come from? Why have they played such a prominent role in the American education system? All of us know students who have received an assignment and immediately asked, “Is this for a grade?” Why would that question be so common? Isn’t school about learning? The use of standardized grading systems that…
Never could we have imagined that the 2020-2021 school year would start the way it has. If you had asked me about the start of school this time last year, I would have described the great anticipation of students’ return, jumping back into learning, providing new and innovative programs for students, collaborating with colleagues and…
This year, my son decided to try something new and enrolled in a theater arts class at his high school. I was proud of him for taking a risk and engaging his curiosity. While he isn’t a stage actor, he was interested in working on the team that managed sound during the productions. The students…
It’s a new year. Usually, that turns into a nation of people reflecting on the past several months and projecting into the future by setting New Year’s resolutions. I have never been a great New Year’s resolution guy. I have the best of intentions, like most people. I start off with so much energy and…
When I was a kid, I didn’t like to read. It wasn’t that I couldn’t read, I just didn’t enjoy it. I distinctly remember being assigned a book to read and feeling the tedious and emotional angst as I slowly went page by page just trying to finish the task. I was a deliberate and…