This episode of Field Trip looks at highlights from the inaugural edition of “K-12 Lens,” an annual survey report from the Frontline Research & Learning Institute. Rebecca Strott, Vice President of Market Intelligence for research firm C+C, loo

AI in Education: Current Outlook? What’s Coming Next? How Should Schools Respond?

Apr 3rd, 2024 28m 33s

Diving into the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) in K-12 education, with a focus on its implications for educators, administrators, and students! Dr. Ellen Agnello, a former classroom teacher turned consultant and researcher,

Empowering Parents in Special Education

Mar 11th, 2024 11m 4s

In this episode of Field Trip, we dive into the crucial role of parent involvement in special education. Dr. Kristen Williams, Executive Director for Disability Services in the San Antonio Independent School District, shares her extensive exper

Unveiling the Mysteries of Employee Data

Feb 26th, 2024 12m 29s

In this 4th and final episode of our series on workforce oversight, Frontline Education’s Mitch Welch and Dr. Sundie Dahlkamp, Executive Director of Business Services at Pearland Independent School District, explore the intricacies of employee

Position Management: How to Empower Your Principals

Feb 19th, 2024 12m 12s

Welcome to the third episode in a short series on workforce oversight in school districts! Once again, we welcome Frontline Education’s Mitch Welch and Dr. Sundie Dahlkamp, Executive Director of Business Services at Pearland Independent School

Mastering the Art of Managing Positions

Feb 12th, 2024 11m 27s

“Position management” may not win the award for Most Exciting Phrase anytime soon, but it’s a vital concept in education — and has a real impact on employees. In this episode of Field Trip, we delve into the importance and mechanisms of positio

K-12's Balancing Act of Workforce Oversight

Feb 5th, 2024 11m 46s

This episode of Field Trip is the first in a four-episode series about workforce oversight in K-12, with Mitch Welch from Frontline Education and Dr. Sundie Dahlkamp, Executive Director of Human Resource Services at Pearland Independent School

Enrollment, Part 2: Attracting Families, Maintaining Growth, and Dealing with Staffing Challenges

Jan 20th, 2024 14m 11s

In this conversation with Dr. Maria Vasquez, the Superintendent of Orange County Public Schools in Orlando, Florida, we discuss the enrollment trends across the country. Dr. Vasquez delves into how these changing demographics affect schools, pa

Cash for Chromebooks: Budgeting Tips for the Technology Department

Nov 20th, 2023 26m 25s

‘Tis the season: as we approach the end of the year, families are preparing to gather over festive meals, students will head home for winter break... and department heads in schools everywhere will joyfully begin to put together their budgets f

One School District’s Response to Declining Enrollment

Nov 13th, 2023 12m 3s

Sam Kirk is the Director of Finance and Operations at Armstrong School District in western Pennsylvania. As industry has dwindled, student enrollment in the district has taken a hit as well. In this episode of Field Trip, Sam shares his experie

From Required to Inspired: Inside Culture Change in Professional Learning

Oct 30th, 2023 13m 38s

In Hanover County Public Schools, there's a shift happening... something bubbling up from deep within the Curriculum & Instruction Department. Something exciting. In the past, teachers would complete their professional learning requirements in

Flexible Pay Can Help Solve the Substitute Shortage

Oct 4th, 2023 14m 40s

Portman Wills believes money is key to solving the substitute shortage — even if districts can’t raise substitute teacher wages. Substitute teachers want to be in the classroom, teaching and impacting lives. But finances — and more specifically

The State of Hiring in Education: A Conversation with AASPA Executive Director Kelly Coash-Johnson

Sep 28th, 2023 13m 56s

In 2022, Kelly Coash-Johnson joined a webinar with Frontline Education and EdWeek, and shared five “shifts” or practices that the American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA) believes are necessary to address the educator sho

The 20 Mile Radius: Why Distance Matters to K-12 Hiring and Retention

Aug 22nd, 2023 10m 51s

When trying to fill teaching positions, what can school districts do that goes beyond simply posting jobs in more locations? Dr. Jon Isaacson, Superintendent of Hillsboro R-III School District in Missouri, shares some insightful strategies for

Is There a Teacher Shortage in the Northeast?

Jul 23rd, 2023 10m 40s

The teacher shortage has been in the news for years — but especially since 2020, nationwide concern has reached new levels. But... Pennsylvania is not Florida. New York is not Texas. Every part of the country experiences the teacher shortage a

Eight KPIs Every School Business Official Should Track

Jan 4th, 2023 40m 44s

“If you don’t know where you’ve been, you don’t know where you’re going.”That’s what Derick Sibley, MBA, RTSBA, SFO, Director of Finance and Accounting at Pleasant Grove ISD in Texarkana, Texas, has to say about data. Establishing trends and ex

Deep in Data, Short on Time: Let Analytics Do Your Legwork

Aug 8th, 2022 45m 8s

School districts collect a wealth of data — data that often lives in various disconnected systems or spreadsheets that make it difficult to understand and work with. While many K-12 leaders recognize that data can be useful, the in-depth analys

School Business Officials and the Power of Analytics

Jul 15th, 2022 13m 59s

School business officials have a crucial role to play for school districts. Not only are they in charge of balancing the budget for the school year, but they’re also tasked with anticipating future financial plans, sometimes half a decade down

Analytics in Collective Bargaining

Jan 12th, 2022 31m 11s

School district negotiations with teachers unions can be challenging. School business officials not only have multiple stakeholders to work with and keep informed — including the school board, administration and staff, and the surrounding commu

How to Use Analytics in Schools

Nov 3rd, 2021 25m 32s

Schools are swimming in data — but there’s a difference between having data and using it to make better decisions. Since early 2020, most people have seen more charts and graphs than perhaps ever before, but using analytics in schools correctly

Making School Happen

Sep 1st, 2021 37m 8s

While most people might picture buses, crowded hallways, and teachers working in bustling classrooms, the behind-the-scenes work is just as vital. All the work that goes into making school happen: recruiting and hiring teachers, custodians, coa

Evaluating Teachers Virtually

Apr 21st, 2021 39m 6s

The concern about student learning loss is real. Reduced classroom time, learning over Zoom, technology challenges, difficult home situations, mental health concerns, and heightened inequities have all contributed in one way or another to a dif

School Workforce Diversity

Mar 24th, 2021 41m 39s

It’s no secret that when students have teachers of the same race or ethnicity, they tend to do better academically. Yet people of color make up a relatively small percentage of the teaching workforce.Today we’re joined by Dr. Searetha Smith-Col

Caring for Students’ Mental Health During Virtual Learning

Mar 3rd, 2021 36m 29s

After nearly a year of remote learning, hand washing, and six-feet-apart staying, who’s doing not doing okay? The answer is… quite a few of us, kids and adults alike.This week, Dr. Rosanne Capanna-Hodge, a psychologist and author of The Telethe

Kids With Speech and Language Service Needs

Nov 24th, 2020 18m 24s

Leanne Sherred is co-founder of Expressable, a company that provides online speech language therapy services. In this conversation, Leanne shares what she observes and insights about:Why services for kids with speech and communication challenge