Working with a K–12 comprehensive academic program for more than 14 years has given me the opportunity to interact with a variety of grade-level teachers who each year brainstormed, had meetings, and researched new and exciting ways to encourage summer reading.

Growing up in a household where academic success is not encouraged or financial challenges outweigh other priorities can cause many students to struggle. Imagine how the challenges are magnified when those students attend a majority low-income school.

In the early days of research as a co-author of Voyager Sopris Learning’s TransMath, I spent a lot of time observing struggling math students in the classroom. I soon discovered these students had much more than a deficit in math content knowledge. They also had lost all confidence in their ability to learn math.

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.