Posts by Kym Reinstadler, SCN Feature Writer
No quick fix . . . but there is a fix
[This value-packed gem was originally posted in 2012.] Schools and businesses share the goal of developing human potential, but educators are often exasperated by “business thinking.” The way to produce more high school graduates who are college-ready is to hold teachers’ feet to the fire and run schools more like a business, business leaders say.…
Read MoreTough questions. Painful answers.
[Good info to know originally posted in 2012.] When I read that 30 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds have sent or received nude or nearly nude pictures over the Internet, I was shocked and suspicious. More than 70 percent of teens are smarter than that – aren’t they? So, I asked my 19-year-old daughter Sierra,…
Read MoreOur kids need the Gift of Failure
Resiliency building tips for parents and teachers Jessica Lahey became a mother and a middle school teacher the same year. She’s used common strategies to grow in both roles. Maybe it’s no surprise, then, that publishing houses competing for rights to Lahey’s best-selling book – The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to…
Read MoreAre we giving our children too many “soft landings?”
The nitty-gritty on why kids need GRIT Google “famous failures” and you’ll get an avalanche of never-give-up stories. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. Oprah Winfrey was fired by a Baltimore broadcaster, which considered her a poor fit for TV. Steve Jobs got ousted by Apple, a company he co-founded. Henry Ford’s…
Read MoreHow would you like a 500% increase the positive perception of your district?
It’s an investment you may want to consider making Positive news associated with Arlington (VA) Public Schools has soared 500 percent in the two years since Jen Harris became communications director, but she says lots of people have contributed to the transformation. Architect of the successful communications program is Assistant Superintendent for School and Community Relations…
Read MoreChalk one up for Snowmageddon!
Snowmageddon was a whirlwind of winter storms that buried the Mid-Atlantic states under record snowfalls in February 2010. Arlington (VA) Public Schools Director of Communications Jen Harris says Snowmageddon was also the event that showed her community building powers of social media hash tags. When Snowmageddon struck, Jen was doing communications for the city of…
Read More