Ed-Tech Innovation Exchange is Ready for YOU!
Sponsorship Packages September 10-11, 2025 Hyatt Regency Downtown Houston, Texas TALAS’s Education Innovation Exchange (EIE) allows executive leaders to influence the development, refinement, and delivery of the products and […]
3-2-1: On becoming hard to copy, the power of fundamentals, and three qualities that matter
I.
“The fundamentals: Something many people know, but few people practice.”
II.
“When I notice myself worrying about ‘what other people will think,’ I find I’m usually not worried about any single person’s opinion.
If I pick a specific person, I’m rarely concerned about what they will think. What I fear is the collective opinion in my head. It’s imaginary.”
A Researcher Studied a High School’s Cellphone Ban. Here’s What She Found
The number of states restricting students’ cellphone use in schools over the past year has surged from just a few to more than half with laws on the books.
But as policymakers from both sides of the aisle have embraced the idea, there is little research on how effective cellphone bans are at achieving their stated goals: improving student learning and behavior.
Do cellphone bans improve students’ focus? How do policies affect classroom culture? And will teachers sour on cellphone bans over time when faced with the reality of having to enforce them?
Stress Management is a Scam
tress management is a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. You’re still bleeding out. Deep breathing doesn’t correct unrealistic expectations. Taking a walk doesn’t resolve people-pleasing. Squeezing a stress ball doesn’t help you establish boundaries. Stress management doesn’t work when we ignore root causes. Symptoms of stress: Chamomile tea won’t fix a broken team.
Big Improvements Require Big Changes: Close Bad Schools and Expand Good Ones
Close low-performing, underenrolled schools. Expand high-performing, in-demand schools.
This formula has tremendous upside. It’s what cities like New Orleans, Denver and Indianapolis have done to great success. It’s also been a key ingredient behind Florida’s climb up the state achievement rankings.
Over the past two decades, Florida has added about 230,000 students, closed 214 schools and added 1,011 new ones. This churn has undoubtedly forced some hard decisions at the local level, but it has also improved the overall quality of schools statewide.
Trump Tells States He’s Holding Back $6.8 Billion for Schools
The Trump administration is holding back nearly $6.8 billion in federal funding for K-12 schools it was scheduled to dole out July 1, Education Department staff told state education agencies on Monday afternoon—the day before the funding, by law, was required to start flowing.
Thousands of school districts and dozens of states that had banked on those funds to cover staff salaries, vendor contracts, curriculum materials, technology tools, and other priorities will now have to consider slashing student services—including some mandated by federal law—or tapping other funding sources if the federal money doesn’t show up on time or at all.