Articles from 05/2018

I have visited roughly 50 school districts in each of my three years as director of the Iowa Department of Education. These visits are the best part of my job. They allow me to connect the dots between policy and practice and to identify ways in which the Department can better support schools in providing exce…

So there Shelly Vroegh was, standing with the country’s other state Teachers of the Year, being honored for their work at the College Football Playoff National Championship in Atlanta. And that’s when it hit her. “In that moment, I realized I was representing all teachers from Iowa, all the students and all th…

For the Hampton-Dumont Community School District’s Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) program, the role of TLC coordinator has been critical in achieving a systemic approach to school improvement. “We’re blessed to have a TLC coordinator,” said Todd Lettow, superintendent. “Having one person oversee…

Teacher leaders, to what extent have you had the opportunity to work effectively within your system and been able to understand your school improvement process and the changes leveraged by teacher leadership? As a teacher leader, looking at your roles and responsibilities, to what extent have you been able to align …

Two Iowa districts, Bettendorf Community School District and Davenport Community Schools, are taking steps to improve their science education programs. Partnering with Achieve, the education nonprofit that coordinated the development of the Next Generation Science Standards, and with funding from Arconic Foundation,…

DES MOINES – The U.S. Department of Education today approved Iowa’s plan for school accountability and support under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Iowa’s plan reflects a commitment to ensuring every student graduates ready for success in college and in the workplace. Iowa’s plan builds on bo…

A Dubuque elementary school has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Green Ribbon School. St. Columbkille Elementary School was recognized for its efforts in reducing environmental impact and costs, improving the health and wellness of all at the school, and providing effective environmental and …

As a thank you to all of the teachers who put in the time and effort to bring learning to life for their students, Living History Farms is offering free admission to all teachers who present a school ID on Friday, June 22. If you’ve never been to Living History Farms with your students, come out to preview what th…

Principal Candace Lynch CEDAR RAPIDS – Principal Candace Lynch likens her school’s previous literacy efforts to teaching students how to ride a bike. “Over here, the students were learning about the pedal, and over there they were learning about the brakes, and over there they were learning abou…

Three high schools are being honored by the College Board for their efforts to increase access to Advanced Placement (AP) coursework while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students scoring three or higher on AP Exams. The schools being selected for the AP Honor Roll are Cedar Falls High Sch…