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Two sports commentators wearing headsets in a broadcast booth overlook a nighttime football game on a lit field.
EdTechHot Topics - controversialStudents

How Student Media Teams Are Transforming High School Sports

by EdCircuit Staff
written by EdCircuit Staff 5 minutes read

Student sports media teams are quickly becoming one of the most exciting and impactful parts of high school athletics, changing how games are covered, how athletes are seen, and how schools connect with their communities.

On a Friday night, the lights come on, the crowd builds, and the game begins.

But something else is happening beyond the field.

High above the stands, a student adjusts a camera on a tripod, tracking every play. In the press box, another student prepares to call the game, headset on, notes ready. On the sideline, a third student films highlights, already thinking about how the clips will look on social media. Nearby, a laptop is open, streaming the game live to families who could not make it.

This is not a professional broadcast team.

It is a group of high school students.

A New Game-Day Experience

High school sports used to be experienced in one place: the field, the gym, the track.

If you were not there, you missed it.

Today, that has changed.

Games are livestreamed. Highlights are posted within minutes. Recap videos are shared the next day. Social media updates keep fans engaged in real time. Parents, alumni, and community members can follow along from anywhere.

A major part of this shift has been the growth of streaming platforms like NFHS Network, which allow schools to broadcast games to audiences far beyond their local community.

In many schools, student media teams are the ones operating the cameras, managing the streams, and ensuring these broadcasts run smoothly.

For families, this has been a game changer.

Grandparents who live across the country can now watch their grandchildren compete. Relatives who cannot attend games due to distance or schedules can stay connected. Traveling parents can tune in from hotel rooms, airports, or wherever they may be. Alumni can follow their former teams and remain part of the school community long after graduation.

What was once a local event is now a shared experience that connects families, communities, and generations.

More Than Just Filming Games

At first glance, it might seem like these students are simply recording games.

In reality, they are doing much more.

They are producing content.

That includes:

  • Livestreaming full games
  • Creating highlight reels for teams and athletes
  • Producing post-game recap videos
  • Conducting interviews with players and coaches
  • Managing social media accounts
  • Designing graphics and game-day posts

Each piece of content serves a purpose.

Some are designed to inform.
Some to promote.
Some to celebrate.

All of them help tell the story of a team, a season, and a school.

Real Impact on Student-Athletes

For athletes, the rise of student media teams has been a game changer.

Highlight reels are now a key part of the recruiting process. College coaches often rely on video to evaluate players, especially when they cannot attend games in person. A well-produced highlight can open doors that might not have been available before.

Student media teams are often the ones creating that content.

They capture the plays, edit the footage, and package it in a way that showcases an athlete’s strengths. In some cases, they are helping teammates gain visibility and opportunities at the next level.

This creates a powerful connection.

Students are not just covering sports.

They are contributing to each other’s futures.

Learning Under Pressure

Sports media also introduces a unique challenge: there are no second chances.

You cannot replay a game-winning goal. You cannot redo a live broadcast. You cannot go back and capture a moment that already happened.

Students learn quickly that preparation matters.

They must:

  • Set up equipment ahead of time
  • Test audio and video
  • Communicate with their team
  • Anticipate key moments

During the game, they must stay focused, react quickly, and adapt when things do not go as planned.

That pressure builds real-world skills.

Time management.
Communication.
Problem-solving.
Composure.

These are lessons that extend far beyond the field.

The Role of Social Media

Social media has become a central part of student sports media.

Fans no longer wait for a newspaper recap the next day. They expect updates in real time.

Student teams are posting:

  • Final scores
  • Big plays
  • Player spotlights
  • Behind-the-scenes moments
  • Game-day hype content

This content builds excitement and keeps the community connected.

In many schools, the student-run account is now the primary way people follow athletics.

That is a significant shift.

Building Skills That Last

For the students behind the cameras and screens, the experience is invaluable.

They are learning:

  • Video production
  • Photography
  • Editing
  • Broadcasting
  • Graphic design
  • Social media strategy

They are also building portfolios.

By the time they graduate, many students have real work they can show—game footage, highlight reels, interviews, and full productions. Some go on to pursue careers in sports media, broadcasting, or digital content. Others apply these skills in marketing, communications, or business.

Even those who do not pursue media careers leave with something important:

They know how to tell a story.

A Team Behind the Team

Student sports media teams are becoming an extension of the athletic program.

Just as teams rely on coaches, trainers, and support staff, they are now supported by content creators who help tell their story.

These students are often just as dedicated.

They stay late.
They travel to away games.
They work weekends.
They meet deadlines.

They are part of the team, even if they are not on the field.

The Future of High School Athletics Coverage

The growth of student sports media is not slowing down.

As technology continues to improve, students will have access to even more tools—better cameras, faster editing software, improved livestreaming platforms, and AI-powered production tools.

The coverage will become more advanced.

But the heart of it will stay the same.

Students telling the stories of students.

More Than the Game

At its core, student sports media is about more than highlights and scores.

It is about capturing moments.

The celebration after a big win.
The emotion of a tough loss.
The senior night recognition.
The energy of a student section.

These are the moments that define high school athletics.

And now, they are being documented, shared, and remembered in ways that were not possible before.

High school sports will always be about competition.

But thanks to student media teams—and the platforms that extend their reach—they are also about connection.

And that connection is now reaching farther—and lasting longer—than ever before.

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School cybersecurity: a teacher takes attendance in a calm classroom while a glowing firewall outside the windows deflects red cyber attacks
Hot Topics - controversialCybersecurityK-12

School Cybersecurity Protects the School Day

by EdCircuit Staff
written by EdCircuit Staff 7 minutes read

School cybersecurity helps keep classrooms running and protects the information families trust schools to hold. Schools rely on connected systems to record attendance, access emergency contacts, deliver lessons, and communicate with caregivers. When access disappears, employees still have to carry out those responsibilities.

A data breach creates a different problem. Restoring a service does not resolve questions about information that may have been exposed or stolen. Families need answers, and districts need a process for providing them.

October’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an opportunity to examine how well schools are prepared for both situations. The National Cybersecurity Alliance’s 2026 campaign promotes familiar practices: strong passwords and password managers, multifactor authentication, recognizing and reporting scams, and software updates.

District leaders determine how those practices work in schools. They approve services, establish access rules, and provide the support employees need to use technology securely. October’s reminders become more useful when they lead to improvements in that everyday work.

How districts are strengthening security

Schools are investing in protection. CoSN’s U.S. State of EdTech 2026 report, based on 607 district survey responses, found that 72 percent reported investing in cybersecurity monitoring, detection, and response. Resources remain a concern: 65 percent reported insufficient cybersecurity staffing, and the same share identified the lack of a dedicated cybersecurity budget as a barrier.

District examples show what those investments can involve. Pennsylvania’s School District of Springfield Township describes device protection, multifactor authentication, and phishing awareness training that includes practice exercises and simulated tests. California’s Lynwood Unified School District reports multifactor authentication for all staff, network monitoring, and tools for detecting and responding to threats on devices.

Each measure addresses a different need. Multifactor authentication, or MFA, requires an additional step beyond a password to sign in. Device protection helps defend laptops and other equipment. Monitoring helps technology teams identify activity that needs investigation.

Maintaining those protections takes people and time. Someone must review alerts, help employees establish secure access, and close accounts when staff leave. District leaders need to understand how that work is assigned and covered when an employee is unavailable.

A useful security review connects the technology to its operation: what is protected, who maintains the protection, and how the district knows it is working.

Review the services that hold school information

A district may rely on separate providers for student records, classroom assignments, transportation, and family communication. Security planning needs to account for how each provider handles information and grants access.

The PowerSchool breach illustrates that responsibility. PowerSchool became aware of the incident on December 28, 2024, and notified affected school customers in January 2025. In its January 10 notice, Tipp City Schools explained that a compromised credential in PowerSchool’s PowerSource support portal allowed unauthorized access to certain student and staff data. The district stated that the incident occurred at the vendor level and that its own systems were not compromised.

The example raises a question every district should investigate: how does a provider protect the accounts and systems through which it can reach school information?

Before approving a service, determine what information it needs and why. A classroom practice tool may have little reason to collect details required for a student information system. Limiting unnecessary collection reduces the information a district must account for if something goes wrong.

Vendors should explain who can access records, how remote support access is authorized, and how that access ends when the work is complete. Districts should request evidence of safeguards and establish a contact who can respond during an incident.

Free tools deserve the same attention when they handle student information. Teachers need a straightforward review process and access to approved options. Evaluating a service’s security should not become an additional responsibility an individual teacher must manage alone.

Test recovery against the needs of a school day

Recovery planning should begin with the work a school must continue.

A discussion-based exercise can make that work specific. Suppose the student information system becomes unavailable shortly before students arrive. Principals and office staff would explain how attendance will be recorded and how authorized employees will reach emergency contacts. Technology staff would identify which recovery steps they control and which depend on a provider.

The exercise should also examine communication. If the usual messaging platform is unavailable, families still need reliable updates. Staff need to know which alternate channel to use and who will prepare and approve the message.

Working through the scenario can reveal problems while there is time to correct them. An alternate contact list may be outdated. A communication plan may depend on the same service involved in the disruption. Finding either problem during practice gives the district a chance to resolve it before an emergency.

Backups require verification, too. Technology teams should test whether essential information can be restored and document how long restoration takes. Leaders can then plan around a demonstrated recovery process rather than an assumption about how quickly services will return.

CISA introduced a K–12 Cybersecurity Foundations Resource Package in August 2026. Its school safety bulletin describes guides, videos, and supporting materials for school leaders and technology professionals working to prevent, mitigate, and respond to cyber threats. The collection offers resources for districts reviewing their own programs.

Help employees make secure decisions

Security decisions arrive in the middle of other responsibilities. A teacher receives a shared document while preparing a lesson. An office employee sees an urgent request to change payment information. A principal receives a message that appears to come from a colleague.

Training should give employees a way to evaluate those requests. Short exercises can ask staff to identify what a message wants them to do, explain how they would verify it, and demonstrate where they would report a concern.

Employees also need clear instructions for what to do after clicking a suspicious link or entering information. The reporting route should be easy to find, and the first response should encourage prompt communication. Thank the employee, gather the details, and follow district procedures. Public embarrassment can make the next person hesitate.

Secure access needs practical support as well. MFA instructions should be understandable, with an approved option for employees who cannot use a personal phone. Substitute teachers need access appropriate to their duties. Staff should know how to resolve a sign-in problem without borrowing a colleague’s account.

These details make district expectations workable. Leaders can review them with the people who use the systems and correct obstacles that encourage unsafe workarounds.

Give families clear information

Families trust schools with information about their children. Communication during an incident should reflect that responsibility.

Explain what is known, which categories of information are involved, and what families should do next. Identify the actual information affected instead of relying on the broad phrase “student data.” State what remains under investigation and update families as facts are confirmed.

Keep notices in a consistent location accessible through the district’s known website. Explain how caregivers can verify an unexpected request, particularly one asking for credentials or payment.

That guidance is useful before an incident, too. Families should know the district’s usual communication channels and where to ask questions about school accounts. Clear school procedures support the verification habits children are learning at home and in class.

Keep the work moving after October

Districts can finish Cybersecurity Awareness Month with specific improvements underway. A leadership team might correct an access problem, act on findings from a recovery exercise, or establish a regular review of vendor safeguards.

Each task needs an owner and a date for checking progress. At the next leadership or board meeting, the discussion can focus on what was completed, what was tested, and what still needs attention.

This gives leaders concrete evidence to review and employees clearer procedures to follow. It also keeps cybersecurity connected to the work of operating schools throughout the year.

Students need instruction of their own, supported by those adult responsibilities. The next article in this series examines middle school cybersecurity and how schools can help students verify requests, protect accounts, and seek help when something goes wrong.

Part 1 of edCircuit’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month series

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A woman in a green cardigan sits at a desk with a laptop while a team collaborates; a large monitor shows charts and dashboards in the background at a meeting room.
EducatorsProfessional DevelopmentHot Topics - controversialArticle SeriesK-12

Teacher In-Service Is Becoming Data-Driven

by EdCircuit Staff
written by EdCircuit Staff 5 minutes read

Teacher in-service once ended when educators signed the attendance sheet.

Teachers attended a workshop, stayed for the required number of hours, received a certificate of completion, and returned to their classrooms. For decades, that process was considered evidence of successful professional learning.

It was simple.

Easy to organize.

Easy to document.

But it left one important question unanswered.

Did the learning actually make a difference?

That question is changing how schools think about teacher in-service.

Professional learning is no longer measured simply by who attended a session.

Increasingly, districts want to understand what educators learned, how they applied it, and whether it ultimately improved teaching and learning.

That represents one of the most significant shifts in professional development over the past decade.

Attendance Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story

Imagine two teachers attending the same literacy workshop.

Both arrive on time.

Both stay until the final presentation.

Both receive certificates documenting six hours of professional learning.

The following week, one teacher redesigns guided reading lessons using strategies introduced during the workshop.

The other files away the handouts and returns to familiar routines.

Both attended.

Only one changed classroom practice.

Attendance records cannot capture that difference.

Modern teacher in-service is beginning to focus less on participation and more on implementation.

The goal is no longer simply getting educators into professional learning.

It is helping them use that learning to improve instruction.

The Question That Matters Most

District leaders are beginning to ask different questions.

Not…

“Did everyone complete the training?”

Instead…

“What changed because of the training?”

Did teachers feel more confident?

Did instructional practices improve?

Did collaboration increase?

Were new strategies implemented?

Did students benefit?

Those questions shift professional learning from an administrative requirement to an opportunity for continuous improvement.

The conversation moves from checking boxes to creating meaningful change.

Data Tells the Story Behind the Numbers

Professional learning data is often misunderstood.

Many people imagine spreadsheets, dashboards, charts, and completion reports.

Those tools certainly matter.

But the most valuable data tells a story.

It reveals where educators are thriving.

It identifies where additional coaching may be helpful.

It highlights professional learning that is making a measurable difference.

It helps districts recognize emerging needs before they become larger challenges.

The purpose of collecting data is not simply to measure activity.

It is to better support educators.

Personalizing Professional Learning

One of the greatest advantages of modern professional learning platforms is their ability to recognize that every educator follows a different path.

Learning management systems organize certification records, completed coursework, required training, leadership pathways, coaching experiences, and professional goals in one place.

Instead of assigning identical learning experiences to everyone, districts can provide support that reflects individual needs.

A first-year teacher may receive additional classroom management resources.

A veteran science teacher might explore advanced STEM instruction and updated laboratory safety practices.

An aspiring principal may begin leadership development.

Professional learning becomes personalized rather than standardized.

Coaching Creates Lasting Growth

Professional learning rarely ends when a workshop concludes.

In many districts, the most meaningful growth happens afterward.

Teachers apply new strategies.

Instructional coaches observe implementation.

Educators reflect on what worked.

Adjustments are made.

New goals are established.

This continuous coaching cycle transforms professional development from isolated events into ongoing professional growth.

Data helps make those coaching conversations more meaningful because educators and instructional leaders can build upon previous learning rather than starting over each time they meet.

Artificial Intelligence Adds New Insights

Artificial intelligence is beginning to strengthen this process even further.

Rather than simply recording completed training, AI can identify learning patterns, recommend future professional development, suggest coaching opportunities, and highlight areas where additional support may be beneficial.

Instead of asking educators to search for their next learning opportunity, intelligent systems increasingly recommend learning based on district priorities, professional goals, certifications, and previous experiences.

Professional learning becomes adaptive.

It evolves as educators evolve.

Building Trust Through Transparency

As districts use more professional learning data, maintaining educator trust becomes essential.

Teachers want data to support their growth—not create unnecessary pressure.

Successful school systems clearly communicate what information is being collected, why it matters, and how it will be used.

When educators understand that data exists to strengthen professional learning rather than evaluate performance in isolation, trust grows.

Professional learning becomes a partnership.

Not a compliance exercise.

Better Questions Create Better Professional Learning

Perhaps the greatest transformation has nothing to do with technology.

It has everything to do with asking better questions.

Old questions focused on attendance.

Did teachers complete the workshop?

Did they earn the required hours?

Today’s questions are much more meaningful.

Did educators apply what they learned?

Did classroom instruction improve?

Did students experience better learning?

Those are the questions that truly define a successful teacher in-service.

Looking Ahead

The future of teacher in-service will continue moving beyond attendance sheets and completion certificates.

Artificial intelligence will help personalize learning.

Learning platforms will recommend future pathways.

Coaching cycles will become more intentional.

Competency and classroom implementation will become increasingly important.

Yet the most meaningful change is remarkably simple.

Professional learning is no longer measured by the number of workshops districts offer.

It is measured by the number of classrooms those learning experiences help improve.

The future of teacher in-service will not be defined by how many educators attend professional development.

It will be defined by how many educators leave prepared to make an even greater difference for their students.

That is the data that matters most.

The Future of Professional Learning Series

Part 1: Teacher In-Service Has Changed

Part 2: Teacher In-Service Beyond the Auditorium

Part 3: Teacher In-Service Is No Longer One Size Fits All

Part 4: Teacher In-Service Meets Microlearning

Part 5: Teacher In-Service and Artificial Intelligence

Part 6: Teacher In-Service Focuses on New Priorities

Part 7: Teacher In-Service Is Becoming Data-Driven (Current Article)

Coming Next: Teacher In-Service Beyond Seat Time — exploring why districts are replacing hours-based professional development with competency-based learning that focuses on implementation, growth, and classroom impact.

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Four students sit around a library table in discussion, with a laptop, notebooks and a water bottle on the table.
Hot Topics - controversialSchool SafetyK-12Bullying

Bullying Prevention: Building Safer Schools Together

by EdCircuit Staff
written by EdCircuit Staff 9 minutes read

Bullying prevention depends on what adults do with the small moments they notice: a classmate repeatedly laughed at during group work, a student dreading the bus ride, or a child who suddenly wants to stay home.

Each situation deserves a closer look. The challenge is that the adults around a student may see only part of the story. A teacher hears a comment. A coach notices withdrawal. A parent sees an upsetting message. Unless someone asks questions and connects those observations, the student may continue facing the problem alone.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, an opportunity to focus on kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. Those priorities belong at the center of school safety efforts because students need learning environments that support their physical and emotional well-being.

For schools, the opportunity is to examine what students experience every day. A campaign can introduce expectations. Daily routines reveal whether those expectations hold.

That includes the way adults respond to early concerns, how students report a problem, and what happens after a report reaches the school. Edtech has a useful role in each of those areas when it supports the people responsible for helping students.

Understand the Behavior Before Choosing the Response

Bullying has features that distinguish it from an ordinary disagreement. StopBullying.gov’s definition of bullying identifies unwanted, aggressive behavior involving a real or perceived imbalance of power, with repetition or the potential for repetition. Social standing, physical strength, or access to embarrassing information can create that imbalance.

Consider two students arguing over how to complete a project. They may need help listening, compromising, and resolving the disagreement. Now consider a group that repeatedly ridicules one student’s contributions and pressures classmates to exclude that student. Asking everyone to “work it out” overlooks the power involved.

Bullying can take the form of threats, rumors, deliberate exclusion, physical aggression, or public humiliation. Recognizing those forms helps adults look beyond the most visible incidents.

The definition should guide an appropriate response without becoming a barrier to help. A threatening message or degrading comment deserves attention even when adults have not yet established a pattern. Students need to know they can raise a concern while the school works to understand it.

Act While There Is Still Room to Interrupt the Pattern

Early prevention gives students expectations, practical skills, and a route to help before they need it. Early intervention puts those preparations into use when concerns emerge.

A useful place to begin is the response to everyday behavior. A coach who hears degrading comments can stop the exchange, address the conduct privately, and document a recurring concern. A teacher who notices repeated ridicule can check in with the student being targeted and examine what is happening during group work.

Students also need ways to help safely. Reporting an incident, checking privately on a classmate, or declining to join in can all be part of a response. StopBullying.gov emphasizes that support from peers can make a meaningful difference for students being bullied.

Teaching those actions gives students something more useful than a general instruction to be kind. They have a next step they can recognize and practice.

Notice What Changes in a Student’s Day

A student experiencing bullying may never use the word. They might ask to change classes, stop attending a club, or complain of feeling sick before school. Some hesitate to tell adults because they fear retaliation, embarrassment, or rejection.

StopBullying.gov identifies possible warning signs that include damaged belongings, unexplained injuries, withdrawal from friendships, declining interest in schoolwork, and frequent headaches or stomachaches. These changes can have other causes, and some students show no obvious signs. They warrant a conversation without proving what is happening.

A private check-in leaves room for the student to explain: “You’ve seemed uncomfortable during group work lately. Tell me how it’s going.”

The adult’s response matters. Listening calmly and taking the concern seriously gives the student a reason to continue talking. An immediate dismissal—“They’re probably just joking”—can end the conversation before the adult understands it.

The school then needs a reliable way to bring relevant observations together. A nurse may see repeated visits before lunch. A bus driver may notice intimidation on the ride home. A counselor may hear that the student is avoiding an activity.

All of those adults need to know where to bring a concern. StopBullying.gov recommends training all school staff on bullying, school policies, and how to enforce expectations.

Make Inclusion Visible in Ordinary Routines

A student’s sense of safety develops through repeated experiences. Adults pronounce their name correctly. Classmates include them in shared work. A teacher responds when they are mocked. Someone notices when they stop participating.

The CDC’s guidance on school connectedness describes students feeling that adults and peers care about them and their learning. Connectedness is associated with better attendance and academic outcomes, along with lower likelihood of poor mental health and violence.

Those findings give school leaders a reason to examine relationships alongside other safety measures. Can students identify an adult they trust? Do they have a private opportunity to speak with that person? Are new students helped to form connections?

Attention to the setting matters, too. StopBullying.gov recommends monitoring potential bullying hot spots and involving staff throughout the school, including bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and office personnel.

Students can help explain where supervision or support falls short. A hallway that appears orderly during class may feel very different during a crowded transition. Listening to those experiences gives administrators a clearer basis for deciding where to make changes.

Bring Digital Citizenship Into the Prevention Work

Students’ relationships extend into group chats, gaming communities, shared documents, and online discussions. Bullying prevention instruction needs to address the choices students make in those spaces.

A classroom discussion can begin with a fictional example: An embarrassing image of a student appears in a group chat. Several classmates add laughing reactions. Someone forwards it to another group.

Where could a student interrupt the harm? What would support for the targeted classmate look like? Which adult could help?

These questions connect digital citizenship with decisions students may face. They also allow a teacher to discuss harmful behavior without identifying a child involved in an actual incident.

AI belongs in the discussion. A fabricated image or message portraying a classmate doing something they never did can become a useful scenario for examining consent, accuracy, humiliation, and responsibility for sharing content.

StopBullying.gov encourages adults to stay informed about social media, gaming, and AI tools, establish expectations for online behavior, and maintain open communication.

The same care belongs in school-managed platforms. Before using discussion boards or collaborative documents, teachers can explain what respectful feedback looks like, how to flag misuse, and whom to contact.

The practical goal is for students to leave the lesson knowing what to do when a digital interaction becomes harmful.

Build a Reporting Process Students Can Actually Use

A digital reporting form can offer a quieter route to help for a student who finds it difficult to speak in front of others. Its usefulness depends on the response behind it.

Before introducing a tool, administrators need to decide who reviews submissions, how urgent concerns reach the right staff, and how follow-up is documented. Students and families need to know when reports are reviewed and how to seek immediate help when the system is unattended.

The distinction between anonymous and confidential reporting also needs a plain explanation. A school should accurately describe what information the tool collects and who can access it.

Access deserves equal attention. A student without a personal phone, one who needs communication support, or a family unfamiliar with the platform still needs a workable way to report a concern.

Climate surveys serve a different purpose. They can help identify where students feel unsafe, whether they trust adult responses, and how bullying experiences change over time. StopBullying.gov recommends assessments to guide prevention and evaluate results while protecting student privacy.

An anonymous survey should therefore include information about how to request individual help. Students should understand whether their answers can prompt a personal response.

For schools considering automated monitoring or AI-assisted alerts, evaluation should include what the tool may miss, how alerts are reviewed, and how sensitive information is handled. An alert should prompt assessment of the context before decisions are made about a student.

These tools become useful through clear responsibilities and follow-through. The school still needs to find out whether the student feels safer afterward.

Protect the Student and Address the Behavior

When adults witness bullying, the immediate priorities are stopping the behavior, separating the students involved, and addressing safety needs. StopBullying.gov advises private fact-finding and cautions against questioning students together or forcing an apology on the spot.

Once the immediate situation is stable, the response needs to protect the student being targeted and address the conduct that caused harm. Peer mediation is inappropriate for bullying, StopBullying.gov cautions, because the students do not have equal power or necessarily share responsibility.

Accountability can include appropriate consequences under school policy, instruction about the behavior, and counseling or other support where needed. The student who caused harm needs clear expectations for what must change.

The targeted student needs a voice in the safety plan. Automatically moving that student out of a class, activity, or bus route can leave them carrying the disruption. Adults should consider options that preserve participation and minimize unnecessary changes.

Follow-up needs to examine whether the behavior has stopped, moved to another setting, or led to retaliation. A completed meeting or closed report does not answer those questions. Continued support and checking back are part of the response.

Families can contribute observations from home and help the school understand online interactions. Clear communication about whom to contact and how follow-up works makes that partnership easier. Teachers can also watch for changes in digital and social behavior and speak privately with students when concerns arise.

Give October’s Efforts a Life Beyond October

National Bullying Prevention Month offers a useful time to examine how school safety works in practice. Leaders can test the reporting process, refresh staff training, gather student feedback, and revisit digital citizenship lessons.

Each activity needs a connection to a decision. If students identify a place where bullying occurs, review supervision there. If they cannot explain how to report a concern, improve the instructions. If families are unsure what happens after contacting the school, clarify the process.

Set a time to return to those questions. Ask whether the changes helped and whether students trust the response.

The measure of a strong bullying prevention effort is what a student experiences when something goes wrong: an adult who listens, a process that leads to help, and someone who checks back.

That experience gives October’s message substance throughout the school year.

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CTE access: teacher talking to diverse group of students including one in a wheelchair outside a workshop classroom
Hot Topics - controversialCareer and Technical Education (CTE)K-12

CTE Access: Who Gets In and Who Gets Left Out?

by EdCircuit Staff
written by EdCircuit Staff 6 minutes read

CTE access can disappear somewhere between the course catalog and the first day of class.

The program is listed, and the lab exists. Yet one student cannot fit the required three-period block alongside advanced math. Another has no ride to the career center. A third cannot leave a paying job for an unpaid internship. Someone else never applies because no adult suggested the pathway was meant for them.

Each student could technically enroll. None could participate without giving up something important or receiving additional support.

As districts invest in career and technical education, enrollment tells only part of the story. The harder question is who reaches the experiences carrying the most value after high school.

The Barriers Hidden Inside an Ordinary School Day

Some of the biggest obstacles to CTE do not look like barriers. They look like schedules, bus routes, eligibility rules, and long-standing school procedures.

Many pathways require extended periods for equipment, projects, or travel. That makes instructional sense, but it can collide with Advanced Placement courses, band, athletics, or graduation requirements. Students may be free to enroll only if they surrender something else they value.

Transportation creates another dividing line. A career center six miles away may be reachable by district bus during school but inaccessible for an evening certification course or internship. Students with cars gain flexibility; those relying on others have fewer choices.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Regional Educational Laboratory Northwest identifies transportation, financial constraints, scheduling, staffing, and employer capacity as conditions shaping access. They determine whether a pathway functions as a system or only for students whose lives already fit it.

When “Real-World Experience” Comes With a Price

Internships, apprenticeships, clinical placements, and job-shadowing experiences are often the most valuable parts of CTE. They are also where inequities can become most visible.

An unpaid internship may be manageable when a family can cover transportation, meals, and lost work hours. It may be impossible for a teenager contributing to household expenses. Paid opportunities can also be out of reach when shifts conflict with caregiving or require upfront purchases.

Research involving Indianapolis Public Schools found that jobs, family responsibilities, transportation, scheduling, and limited awareness could interfere with work-based learning. The district and Regional Educational Laboratory Midwest used surveys and process mapping to find where students were losing access instead of assuming low participation meant low interest.

Jenny Berry, CTE pathway director at IPS, said “getting the input from stakeholder groups was valuable through the surveys, particularly from the student perspective”. Low participation did not automatically mean low interest; sometimes students were reacting to how the opportunity had been structured.

Gatekeeping Can Begin Before a Student Applies

Written policies are only one source of gatekeeping. Guidance from adults can have just as much influence.

A counselor may steer a high-achieving student away from CTE to protect college-preparatory courses. Another student may be directed toward a trade based on test scores rather than interest. Prerequisites can screen out students who might thrive with support, while competitive applications favor those with stronger attendance, transportation, or family knowledge.

Some students are pushed toward CTE while others are guided away from it. Neither approach treats career education as a genuine choice.

Federal CTE researchers have cautioned that selectivity can restrict equitable access. Programs need reasonable safety and readiness expectations, but districts should ask whether each requirement is essential. If a rule repeatedly excludes one group, leaders should know why.

Student Choices Do Not Develop in a Vacuum

The latest detailed national transcript table released by NCES—published in 2024 and based on 2019 graduates—shows how strongly CTE participation remains divided by gender.

Among 2019 public high school graduates, 25.9 percent of male graduates earned computer and information sciences CTE credit, compared with 13.5 percent of female graduates. The gaps were wider in construction, at 15.6 percent versus 3 percent, and in engineering, design, and production, at 33.9 percent versus 11.5 percent. Healthcare moved in the opposite direction: 18.9 percent of female graduates earned credit in the field, compared with 8.4 percent of male graduates.

Those patterns are not explained by preference alone. Interests are shaped by what students see, how adults describe careers, and whether young people can picture themselves belonging in the room.

Recruitment requires more than a diverse photograph. Students need early exposure, honest information, visible role models, and chances to try unfamiliar work without being defined by one exploratory course.

Equal Access Requires More Than an Open Door

Students with disabilities encounter barriers in lab layouts, equipment, transportation, communication, and assumptions about what they can do. English learners and their families may receive information without adequate translation or explanation of credentials, fees, and deadlines.

Federal civil rights oversight requires equal CTE access regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability. Meeting that requirement does not automatically mean that labs, equipment, or placements were designed well.

Accessibility belongs in the design of facilities, equipment, and placements—not in a retrofit after a request. Multilingual communication must explain where a pathway leads, what it costs, which credits transfer, and whether transportation and paid experiences exist.

Watch: CTE Prep for Students with Disabilities (Play video) (Education Associates, Inc.)

Play video: CTE Prep for Students with Disabilities (41 minutes 33 seconds)
CTE Prep for Students with Disabilities41 min 33 sEducation Associates, Inc. on YouTube


Dr. Theresa Cortney discusses how collaboration, advance preparation, appropriate accommodations, and inclusive instruction can help students with disabilities succeed in CTE classrooms.

Geography Changes the Options

CTE access looks different in a large urban district, a suburban high school, and a small rural community.

Urban students may live near employers but struggle to reach placements across a city. Rural students often participate in CTE at high rates, yet small districts may lack specialized programs or nearby placements. Suburban districts can still face competitive admissions and scheduling conflicts.

Regional career centers, mobile labs, shared instructors, college partnerships, and school-based enterprises can expand reach. In southern Indiana, three rural districts share work-based-learning opportunities across district lines rather than expecting each school to build everything alone.

Designing CTE Access Instead of Hoping for It

Districts serious about access should be able to answer practical questions:

  • Can a student participate without owning a car, and are high-value work experiences paid whenever possible?
  • Do pathway schedules conflict with advanced academics or other major programs?
  • Are application requirements necessary, transparent, and reviewed for unequal effects?
  • Can students with disabilities use the facilities and placements, and do families receive clear information in languages they understand?
  • Who receives dual credit, valuable credentials, and advanced work-based learning—not simply an introductory course?

Districts should examine applications, acceptances, completion, credentials, paid placements, and post-secondary outcomes by student group. A pathway may appear diverse in introductory courses while its highest-value opportunities remain concentrated among fewer students.

Students often recognize barriers adults overlook: a bus leaving too early, an unexplained application, a fee mentioned too late, or a placement that does not feel welcoming.

Opportunity Has to Be Reachable

Expanding CTE is not only a matter of adding programs, renovating labs, or signing employer agreements. It means examining the distance between an opportunity being announced and a student being able to use it.

Some students need transportation. Some need financial support, translated information, an accommodation, a different schedule, or one adult who recognizes an interest that does not match an old stereotype. Those supports are not extras added after the “real” program is built. They are part of the program.

Districts need to look beyond whether students were invited and examine whether they were actually able to participate. That is the standard the next stage of CTE expansion should meet.

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GARDENING LEADERSHIP – THE FOURTEEN PRINCIPLES
edLeadersHot Topics - controversialK-12

Gardening Leadership – The Fourteen Principles

by Chaz Austin & James Andrews
written by Chaz Austin & James Andrews 8 minutes read

Effective leaders are Gardeners. They create a safe environment for their people, and protect and nurture that environment so their team can grow and flourish. Leadership (vision) and management (execution, or identifying and solving problems) are about how to relate to and empower your most important asset – your people.  Here’s how to do that . . .

One – Who Do You Want to Hire?

Obviously, you’re looking for people who possess the hard skills required for the job. You also want people who also have essential soft skills: intelligence, good critical thinking, a willingness to learn and be coached (smart folks stay smart because they know there is always room for improvement), affability – and the ability to get along with others. These essential character qualities – combined with their knowledge and experience – will produce a winning team. 

Two – The Secret to Writing Job Descriptions

Don’t bury the lede. When you create the description, put the most important qualities at the top. The core tasks that you will actually need them to perform. 

You will not get everything you want. Get most of it, and then train your people in what’s missing. You want the gap between what they already know and what the job requires. This will keep them stimulated and engaged. And  prevent them from getting bored and leaving.

Three – Everything in Writing, Including Deliverables

When you hire someone, list their responsibilities and goals in writing, and when you expect them to be delivered. Avoid interpretation  – about what you or they think they were supposed to accomplish.

Meet to discuss all of this. You – and they – need to know exactly what the organization’s performance standards are, and the quantifiable results you’re aiming for. Confusion breeds insecurity and negatively impacts productivity.

Four – Your Team Signs off on All New Hires

If a new hire doesn’t fit with the team, they will be rejected – like a virus. Old fashion leadership/management was about “the boss” forcing their choices on their workers.

Your employees will have to live with the new person. Be forward-thinking and sensible and let them greenlight new hires. After all, they’re the folks who will be living with them in the trenches.

Five – Training Your Peope,  Both their Job  – And the Culture of the Organization

Sadly, S.O.P. is that organizations just throw new hires into the work without guidance, without warning them where the land mines are buried. And then if they make a mistake, it’s the employee’s fault.

Instead of setting people up to fail, like a real life version of The Hunger Games, how about guiding them to win?

You hired great, competent people. Is your goal as a leader/manager to dominate, or to have them succeed?

Assume that they want to do well, to be proud of their work. Guide them in understanding how to navigate the culture of your organization. Who actually knows what’s going on? Who has influence and power to accomplish things? The most important thing a new employee can learn is not what’s in the employee manual or the org chart, but “how things actually work around here.” 

Six – These Are Individuals You Are Dealing With

Get to know them and learn what really drives them. Is it more money? A prestigious title? Greater flex time? Attending conferences? If you want to get the most out of your employees, focus on the meaningful rewards that will drive them to do their best for you. What motivates one person may not necessarily motivate another. 

Seven – Verbal Acknowledgements

We are a culture that focuses on the negative, often focusing on telling employees what’s missing. Performance reviews need to focus on what’s been accomplished and how to get  to the next level. Your people are presumably trying their best to please you. A kind word makes a big difference. Let your people know when they’ve done a good job. Make a concerted effort to give them positive feedback about specific tasks they’ve completed.

CAUTION: Be authentic about what you say – people can smell it when you’re being disingenuous. 

Eight – Tangible Appreciation

Reward your team in tangible ways, as well: lunches, drinks after work, birthday and work anniversary celebrations, raises, bonuses, days off, etc. Trips to conferences and conventions are a great perk – everyone needs to get out of the office occasionally, no matter how good a work environment you’ve created. 

Nine – LIghten up

Don’t take yourself (or the job) too seriously. Unless you work in an E.R., no one is going to die. Have some perspective – and a sense of humor – about your work environment. Send everyone home (including yourself) at the end of the day to have a life. The problems will still be there in the morning. We promise. 

As much as their jobs define them, always remember that family comes first. No one has ever lain on their death bed and said, “Gee, I wish I’d spent more time at the office.”

Ten – Be a Giant Ear

Your job is to handle problems, to be the calm center of the storm when they arise – which is constantly. That actually may be the definition of management.

A leader/manager needs to be a combination amateur therapist/priest/parent. The members of your team may come to you to fix a problem. They need to feel heard. Discern what each of them needs in order to feel heard. Is it guidance? An opportunity to present their suggestions or solutions?

Maybe there is nothing you’ll have to do. Just listen. People need to vent. Very often, the members of your team can discover the solutions themselves. Encourage them to do so.

Eleven – Be An Advocate For Everyone’s Well-Being

Part of your job is to monitor your team’s well-being, so they’re operating at peak efficiency.  Notice how they are feeling, how they’re interacting with others, including you.  Are they behaving professionally, or are they irritable and short?  You might inquire (if you don’t know) whether it’s because of a work or a personal issue (without prying into their personal lives.) They’ll often be harder on themselves than you could ever be. Notice when they’re out of sorts, no matter if they say they’re “fine.”

Ever notice how there are 12-Step Programs for alcoholism, drug dependency, gambling addiction, etc. – but none for Workaholism? Companies often encourage overwork. Some people tend to work too hard and too much. Their bodies rebel and then they get sick, which negatively impacts productivity. Encourage them to maintain balance in their lives. Be kind to them – and train them how to be kind to themselves. 

And always be aware of your own facial expressions, tone of voice, and gestures. What you say to your employees is important, and your non-verbal communication will be more impactful than your words.  It’s the most accurate form of communication, because it never lies (ever hear someone say ‘I’m not angry’ in an angry tone of voice?  Which do you believe?). Critical feedback will be much better received if it’s given with a caring tone.

Twelve – Leave Your People Alone

to do their jobs. You hired great people; encourage their ideas. They’re on the ground, while you’re somewhat removed from the day-to-day. They see things you don’t (and vice versa). Be humble: they’ll have ideas for improving process and workflow that would never have occurred to you. Embrace their ideas. You can tweak them. Make it okay for them to suggest the outrageous. 

Don’t be one of those bosses who says “my door is always open,” and then shut down an employee when they walk in to pitch an idea. They won’t want to try doing that again, because you’ve created an environment in which it isn’t safe for them to express themselves. And you’ve shut down a source of ideas that you could have used.

Thirteen – Close the Loop

Make it a standard practice that when you give an assignment to a member of your team, you receive regular feedback from them as to their progress (and if they may be running into any roadblocks) – and when the task has been completed.

This will mean less follow-up work for you, and your team will get used to communicating with you on an ongoing basis. This presupposes that if they do run into roadblocks during the process of completing an assignment, you offer suggestions, advice and/or encouragement, not judgment.

Fourteen – Process VS. Results

Instead of how hard are you working or how many hours have you put in, the team’s mantra needs to be: “How efficiently can we use our time?” The old fashioned approach is for goals to be handed down from above. These can be unreasonable, undermine morale, and are a setup for failure.

Instead, work with your team to set the goals they can accomplish. Then let your team be responsible for the process (how things are done), and have your focus be on quantifiable results. It’s shared responsibility, appropriate division of labor, and a win for everyone. 

Summary

If you follow the steps above, what you will harvest is greater productivity, and a more cohesive and loyal team that will want to stay. You will have built a reputation as a leader worth “killing for,” and will continue to attract talented people in the future. These principles represent a paradigm shift, a new way to think – and act.

The authors met through Imerman Angels https://imermanangels.org, a one-on-one cancer support community. Dr. Austin is continuing treatment for salivary gland cancer, and  Mr. Andrews is continuing recovery from oral cancer.

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