Archive for 2025
NCEED Director’s Desk: Year One Review
It is indeed the most wonderful time of the year and not just because it’s the holiday season! I’ll also be celebrating the joy of our research center’s first successful year in publishing our newsletter. Looking back over our inaugural editions of the Equity Express, NCEED’s newsletter, I see growth in reach and depth with…
Read MoreNCEED Director’s Desk: Thanksgiving, Food Insecurity, and Politics
November marks the beginning of the holiday season – holiday parties, breaks from school, and family gatherings. For many, it is also a time of gastronomic indulgences – turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, ham, crab cakes (if you are in Maryland), or perhaps baked macaroni and cheese – depending on your family traditions. As…
Read MoreNCEED Director’s Desk: Principal Leadership and Effective Change
October is National Principals Month, and we at NCEED celebrate their excellent work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), principals manage budgets, building maintenance, safety and security, school activities and staff members, establish and oversee class schedules, implement and maintain curriculum standards, counsel and discipline students, observe teachers and evaluate their performance, meet…
Read MoreNCEED Director’s Desk: Implementation of the Maryland Comprehensive PreK-3 Literacy Policy
On August 26th, the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) released the results of the 2024-25 Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP). According to the state’s release, “English Language Arts proficiency has now reached 50.8%, up from 48.4% the previous year and 45.3% percent in the 2021-22 school year. Black/African American student performance in ELA increased…
Read MoreNCEED Directors Desk: Back-to-School: Culture and Climate
As school summer breaks come to a close, in this month’s Equity Express, we’re turning our attention to the interconnected challenges of school climate, especially chronic absenteeism, culture, and equity. Setting expectations at the start of a school year – which for many districts across the country is as early as next week – is…
Read MoreNCEED Directors Desk: Getting Ready for “Day One”
The July Equity Exchange newsletter focuses on summer learning and the work that takes place during summer months to prepare for successful “Day One” school openings. This month, we also examine the 2025 Kids Count report and what the newest data tells us about the priorities for the upcoming school year. Most people think of…
Read MoreNCEED Directors Desk: Juneteenth And Looking Back To Move Forward
Each month, in the Equity Exchange newsletter, I reflect on the historical context, my experiences as an educator and large urban district superintendent, and their relationship to educational practice, reforms, opportunities, and equity. May, of course, was a time for our MSU graduates to move forward, building on the great opportunities and successes they have…
Read MoreNCEED Director’s Desk: Teachers Change Lives!
During my tenures as the leader of the public school districts in St. Paul, Austin, and Atlanta, National Teacher Appreciation Week was always one of my favorite weeks of the year! It was a time for our school community and for me, personally, to celebrate the selfless and tireless work of our amazing, dynamic teachers. It was…
Read MoreCelebrating Civil Rights Milestones and Charting a New Educational Pathway: Insights from the NCEED Director’s Desk
Welcome to the inaugural issue of the National Center for the Elimination of Educational Disparities (NCEED) newsletter! As the first director for the Center, I’m thrilled to embark on this new journey with you, sharing experiences and delving into the pressing questions our research community is addressing. Our mission is clear: NCEED conducts research that…
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