The Huffington Post – Carrie Brennan
“School-wide activities like this are key to fostering a happy, healthy, cohesive learning environment–what we in the field of education call “positive school culture.”…Under No Child Left Behind, schools were pressured to maximize ‘seat time’ and ‘time on task.’ Anything that took students away from the specific business of rote learning could be viewed as a distraction. Fortunately, it appears we are at a turning point with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) signed into law by President Obama in December, which mandates states to include at least one non-academic measure of school quality in their accountability system. This new requirement promises to shine a much-needed spotlight on school culture. This is good news for teachers, principals, parents, and most importantly, for students…While some might dismiss school culture as being on the periphery compared with other educational priorities, it is actually of central importance. In environments where safety, trust, and relationships are valued, students are more likely to be focused on their learning, to take risks, and to challenge themselves.”(more)