The arrival of ESSER funding to American schools districts came with great opportunity, great responsibility, and difficult questions about where the money goes. Superintendents Dr. Steve Joel of Lincoln Public Schools and Dr. Quintin Shepherd of Victoria ISD share insights.

Two leaders of MindUP, the social and emotional learning (SEL) program from the Goldie Hawn Foundation, take on difficult SEL-related questions submitted in advance by K-12 educators, administrators and critics.

Superintendents Dr. Andraé Townsel of Benton Harbor Area Schools; Dr. Kevin McGowan of Brighton Central School District; and Dr. Sheldon Berman, AASA Lead Superintendent for Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), discuss SEL, the growing acceptance and adoption of data use, the role of superintendents in maintaining a healthy information ecology, and the risks associated with imparting change at scale.

Superintendents Dr. Susan Enfield of Highline Public Schools, Dr. Steve Joel of Lincoln Public Schools, and Dr. Michael Duncan of Pike County Schools talk about trust and its importance as a precursor to effective communication.

Superintendents Dr. Quinton Shepard of the Victoria Independent School District, Dr. Betsy Hargrove of the Avondale Elementary School District; Dr. Zandra Jo Galvan, superintendent of Greenfield Union School District in Northern California. And Mark Finstrom, CTO of Highline Public Schools in Washington State discuss the importance of community engagement in driving educational change… and edtech’s role.

The start to the 2021 school year has been like no other, six education leaders said. The number of students in need of counselling and assistance is “off the charts.” And the number of students vocalizing their need for assistance is “also higher than it’s ever been.”