September

How Can We Increase Teacher Quality?

Lawrence Hardy

Improving teaching is one of President Obama's top goals, but navigating a tricky (and political) minefield will be tough

Naomi Dillon

Why building a quality faculty is as much about keeping good teachers as finding them

The Importance of Professional Development
Shannon Sommella
Building a master plan for professional development
Making Minority Staff Feel Welcome
Linda Noel-Batiste and Tiffany Toledo
How schools treat minority teachers can be a barrier -- or a pathway -- to success
Are You Open to Alternative Certification Teachers?
Samuel J. Spitalli
Schools need to think outside the box when recruiting staff for the classroom
Growing Your Own Teachers
Roberta F. Smith
A small rural district finds the key to a successful teacher recruitment program: Grow your own

RTI Could Save Money and Raise Achievement
Joetta Sack-Min
Schools that intervene early to help students see dramatic drops in special education referrals
Bullying: From Words to Action
Kathleen Vail
A decade after Columbine, schools have made numerous changes to confront bullying, but has it worked?
National Standards Now?
Jack Jennings
Calls for common education standards have failed in the past. Is the time right to consider them again?

School Board News
September 2009 Up Front
Editorial Staff
News, views, and trends you should watch.
Your Turn
September 2009 Your Turn
Editorial Staff
Your chance to tell us what you think
Research
When Teachers Take Too Many Days Off
Susan Black
When a school has to use a large number of substitutes, student achievement suffers
School Law
How to Handle School Tragedy
Edwin C. Darden
When a student commits suicide, what should school officials do beyond providing compassion, condolences, and support?

Communications
Tips on Finding and Keeping Good Teachers
Nora Carr
Understanding why teachers join and stay in the profession is critical as you work to shape an effective recruitment and retention strategy
Governance
Becoming an Effective School Budget Steward
Doug Eadie
Board members can take an active role in budgeting, but it requires planning, organization, and cooperation
Money
Liability for Bad Teachers
Charles K. Trainor
Protecting your teachers from unfair work practices is essential, but districts also should have the ability to terminate bad apples who are convicted of crimes
Marketplace
September 2009 Readings and Reports
Editorial Staff
From administrators to technology plans