AI for schools: How human-centered tools increase instructional impact
AI for schools: How human-centered tools increase instructional impact
July 8, 2026
When I meet with school and district leaders, I receive a lot of questions about AI tools and the best use of AI in education. While many K–12 leaders are justifiably reluctant to allow AI chatbots to interact [...]
Federal education funding explained: What K–12 leaders need to know
Federal education funding explained: What K–12 leaders need to know
June 25, 2026
Federal education funding accounts for roughly 13% of K–12 school budgets—but those dollars are among the most critical for supporting students who need it most. For the 2026–27 school year, funding levels have largely held steady, and new statutory language now [...]
AI tools for teachers: How learning science powers Renaissance Intelligence
AI tools for teachers: How learning science powers Renaissance Intelligence
June 8, 2026
The best AI tools for teachers aren’t built on general-purpose language models—they’re built on decades of education-specific research. Renaissance Intelligence combines adaptive AI with more than 20 years of learning science to give teachers real-time, actionable [...]
In response to: Misunderstanding student reading levels
In response to: Misunderstanding student reading levels
April 27, 2026
Let me begin with a straightforward statement: Students’ independent reading is quite different from their instructional reading. One is undertaken alone while the other occurs under the guidance, scaffolding, and support of a teacher. I begin with this [...]
Solving education’s coherence problem: Insights for school and district leaders
Solving education’s coherence problem: Insights for school and district leaders
March 24, 2026
Instructional coherence in education has a lot in common with the concept of harmony. Even without formal musical training, we all perceive harmony. Similarly, we also perceive its opposite, dissonance— when musical notes seem [...]
Motivating student reading practice: AR quiz writers’ favorite childhood books
Motivating student reading practice: AR quiz writers’ favorite childhood books
February 9, 2026
Since its launch in 1986, Accelerated Reader has helped millions of students to fall in love with books and reading. AR has also changed how technology is used in classrooms around the world, showing that personalized book [...]
In education, what’s the real difference between one AI-based tool and another?
In education, what’s the real difference between one AI-based tool and another?
December 3, 2025
It’s notable when a company is so pioneering or dominant within a market that the name of the company or its product becomes synonymous with an entire category. For some people, all photocopiers are “Xerox machines.” Similarly, if [...]
Seeing the whole child: Strengthening MTSS for multilingual learners
Seeing the whole child: Strengthening MTSS for multilingual learners
November 19, 2025
As educators, we want to create environments where every student is seen, supported, and given the opportunity to thrive. But when we rely solely on numbers, charts, and test scores, we risk overlooking the full story, especially for multilingual [...]
AI and the best use of technology in K–12 education
AI and the best use of technology in K–12 education
September 22, 2025
The pace of technological change continues to accelerate. Believe it or not, the first computer I used loaded programs through a cassette drive. Then came the days when computing power was tied to your device’s processor (286, Pentium, etc.).
