How can you use digital tools to enhance teaching and learning at your school? Recently I partnered with the folks at Voyager Sopris Learning for a webinar titled "8 Ways Teachers Can Incorporate Technology in the Classroom."

Last week, I was happy to be part of an Education Week webinar with Dr. Louisa Moats. With my assistant superintendent, Kim Bennett, we shared the story of how we achieved significant K–3 literacy results in the Rapides Parish School District.

The week before I began my first year as a teacher, I walked into my first classroom and noticed there were no student desks in the room. There were no books, supplies, shelves, people, or anything other than a large, wood-fading teacher’s desk. Upon that mammoth teacher’s desk sat a concrete sculpture of a very realistic turtle with two glass eyes, about the size of your standard pet turtle.

Adolescents who struggle to read do so for a variety of reasons. They may have learning challenges, may be new to this country and the English language, or may have experienced setbacks in early grades. Regardless of why they are struggling, they need more than a basic reading program to get them on track.

LETRS has been reborn with new content, organization, and online elements. Dr. Louisa Moats shares where LETRS came from, what makes it a unique professional development experience, and why it endures as a widely used and respected approach to teaching teachers.

After the high expectations tied to graduation subsided, many former students are finding it increasingly difficult to gain employment in their chosen field. As a teacher, I constantly extol the value of education. I tell my students college often is the key to equality in our prosperous nation. These days, however, I am feeling less confident. The “rules” have changed for our Millennials.