EdCircuit

0 Schools have always been at the heart of their communities: places where people connect, celebrate, find support and come together around a shared goal of helping children succeed. But somewhere along the way, many schools began equating communication with connection. We became very good at sending information. Today, we can see who received a message, who opened it and when they read it, and while those capabilities are useful, they represent only the first step.

0 When districts implement science interventions for students, we talk a lot about meeting students where they are. The challenge is figuring out how to do that in a classroom where one student may need significant support, while another is ready to expand their learning well beyond the lesson in front of them. That’s why I have come to think about effective science interventions as having a “low floor, high ceiling.” A low floor doesn’t mean lowering expectations or watering down the content.

0 Student agency does not begin with a new program, platform, or committee. It begins in the classroom when a student is trusted to make a decision that affects the learning—and is expected to take responsibility for the result. That decision may be small: which strategy to try, what feedback is needed, or how to present an idea. Over time, those moments help students become more confident in managing their work and responding when a plan falls short.

0 E-Rate comments do not need to sound like legal briefs to be useful. A superintendent, technology leader, librarian, educator, parent, or community member can make a meaningful contribution by explaining what reliable connectivity costs locally, what E-Rate helps cover, and what would happen if that support changed. Those details matter because the Federal Communications Commission is reviewing whether E-Rate should continue in its current form, be narrowed or restructured, or potentially end.

0 How AI is transforming student media programs is one of the most important shifts happening in education today, as students learn to create content faster while also learning when and how to use these tools responsibly. Walk into a high school media classroom today, and you will still see cameras, microphones, editing stations, and students working in teams. But look a little closer, and something new is happening. Artificial intelligence is quietly becoming part of the workflow.

0 FAFSA 2027–28 is open, and completing it is an important step toward finding out how much financial help is available for college or career training. The U.S. Department of Education released the application September 23, 2026, ahead of the usual October 1 opening. For families weighing tuition, housing, and other expenses, the application can help turn a college wish list into a realistic plan.

0 As Chief of Research at Concentric Educational Solutions, I spend most of my time evaluating data, analyzing systemic trends, and building frameworks to dismantle what I call “Bad Stats.” But data without proximity is merely observation. It is rare for C-suite executives to walk door-to-door, but I firmly believe that to fully understand an experience, you have to live it.

0 Teacher in-service has always prepared educators for the year ahead. But what teachers need to be prepared for today looks very different from what it did just a decade ago. Imagine the opening morning of teacher in-service. Ten years ago, the agenda likely included curriculum updates, classroom management strategies, instructional practices, assessment, and district initiatives. Those sessions helped educators prepare for the students who would soon walk through their classroom doors.

0 The hierarchy of controls in schools helps educators reduce hazards at the source before relying on personal protective equipment as the final layer of protection. A science teacher has spent days preparing a laboratory activity. The materials are labeled. Students have goggles, gloves, and aprons. Procedures have been reviewed, and waste containers are ready. Then the ventilation monitor signals a problem.

0 School cell phone bans become real the first time a student refuses to put a device away. Writing the policy and choosing a storage system are important, but neither answers the question facing a teacher in that moment: What happens next? The response can determine whether the rule becomes a normal part of the school day or another recurring confrontation between students and adults. Strong enforcement is not necessarily severe. It is predictable.