School Climate

Get insights into improving school culture and the experiences of students and staff
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Empty blue school bathroom showing the bathroom sinks without mirrors.
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School Climate & Safety A School Removed Bathroom Mirrors to Keep Students From Making TikToks. Will It Work?
The desperate strategy for keeping students in class illuminates the challenge schools face in competing with social media.
Elizabeth Heubeck, February 1, 2024
5 min read
Special Olympics Chairman Timothy Shriver greets a child at one of the organization’s events.
Special Olympics Chairman Timothy Shriver greets a child at one of the organization’s events.
Courtesy of Special Olympics
Special Education Q&A Schools Should Boost Inclusion of Students With Disabilities, Special Olympics Leader Says
Schools have work to do to ensure students with intellectual and developmental disabilities feel a sense of belonging, Tim Shriver said.
Evie Blad, January 24, 2024
6 min read
Illustration of students in a vibrant happy welcoming library
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
Reading & Literacy Opinion 6 Best Practices to Make Your School Library a Place of Joy
There are many challenges school librarians can’t control—book bans, for instance—but here are some productive areas we can focus on.
Donna Gray, January 18, 2024
5 min read
3d rendering Low key image of menorah Jewish holiday Hanukkah background with candle lights
iStock/Getty + Education Week
Student Well-Being Opinion How Teachers Can Do Better by Jewish Students This Chanukah
An instructional specialist shares three pervasive mistakes that educators should avoid.
Miriam Plotinsky, December 8, 2023
4 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
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School Climate & Safety Opinion Restorative Justice Is Not Just an Alternative to Discipline
But done correctly, the practice can create a culture of connection, belonging, mutual respect, safety, and trust.
Larry Ferlazzo, December 7, 2023
14 min read
People gather in Pliny Park in Brattleboro, Vt., for a vigil, Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, for the three Palestinian-American students who were shot while walking near the University of Vermont campus in Burlington, Vt., Saturday, Nov. 25. The three students were being treated at the University of Vermont Medical Center, and one faces a long recovery because of a spinal injury, a family member said.
People gather in Pliny Park in Brattleboro, Vt., for a vigil, Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, for the three Palestinian-American students who were shot while walking near the University of Vermont campus in Burlington, Vt., Saturday, Nov. 25. Tensions over the Israel-Hamas war are playing out in schools and colleges across the country, including some K-12 schools.
Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP
School & District Management Rising Tensions From Israel-Hamas War Are Seeping Into Schools
As effects of the war reverberate in school communities, schools have federal responsibilities to create discrimination-free environments.
Elizabeth Heubeck, November 29, 2023
5 min read
 Back view of a male teacher in classroom lecturing to elementary school students.
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Teaching Profession Substitute Teachers Would Like You to Stop Treating Them Like Babysitters
A research review found that substitute teachers get little respect and professional training.
Madeline Will, November 17, 2023
6 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession Opinion Teachers of Color Face Unique Challenges. Here Are Some of Them
Teaching is hard enough, but educators of color face additional—often invisible—tasks.
Larry Ferlazzo, November 14, 2023
16 min read
An empty classroom of desks with plants along the window sills.
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Student Well-Being Plants in the Classroom: Why You Should Consider It
Plants boost well-being. Education Week asked teachers for recommendations on what varieties of plants can thrive in a K-12 classroom.
Arianna Prothero, October 27, 2023
3 min read
Illustration of a silhouetted figure standing in isolation on a labyrinth swirl.
Lorenzo Donati/iStock/Getty<br/>
Equity & Diversity Opinion An Urgent Message to School Leaders: Your Arab and Muslim Students Need You
In the past, Middle East conflicts prompted spikes of anti-Muslim collective blame. It’s happening again today.
Amaarah DeCuir , October 27, 2023
5 min read
Closeup of child's hands painting pumpkin with spooky face.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
School Climate & Safety How to Stop Students From Ghosting (and More Halloween Advice for Educators)
Our guide will help you keep attendance, student engagement, and classroom routines from getting thrown out of whack (o' lantern).
Evie Blad, October 25, 2023
5 min read
Image of educators walking down a hallway.
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School Climate & Safety What Teachers Say It Takes to Build a Positive School Culture
Educators told us on social media what they think goes into a healthy school culture where teachers feel valued and don't want to leave.
Caitlynn Peetz, October 24, 2023
3 min read
Student Well-Being In Their Own Words LGBTQ+ Student Perspective: At School, ‘My Safety Didn’t Feel Like the Priority’
For Landon Callahan, mental health challenges and substance use became easier to manage once he came out as a transgender man.
Lauraine Langreo, October 16, 2023
5 min read