Over the past month, I’ve spoken at a variety of state conferences. Walk by any session, and I mean ANY session, with “AI” in the title, and you’ll see that it’s PACKED! From superintendents and principals to technology directors and classroom teachers, educators are seeking to understand, while asking so many good questions… - Should we provide access or lock and block? - What boundaries should we set for student and staff use? - What policies should we put in place? - How can AI help me be more efficient in my work? - What does cheating look like in the age of AI? - How can we help students ..read more

Your bag is packed and your new clothes are laid out. Your Chromebook is charging and your 6:00 AM alarm is set. Tonight, your smile shined bright and your excitement radiated. For tomorrow is a big day - another milestone - and for you, another big step forward. It’s your first day of middle school and the next step on life’s journey is about to begin. It was six years ago when I wrote, “Written with Love on Your 1st Day of Kindergarten,” and with tears in my eyes, tonight I write, reflecting on the past six years of life where you’ve grown so much, learned so much, and have gone from a spun ..read more

This blog first appeared on the Future Ready Schools blog, here. Ready or not, here they come. It’s that time again. It’s time for the students to return, and with that, it’s time for the infamous back-to-school district kickoff meeting. It’s no secret that this year is so, so different than the kickoffs of years prior. Most years, administrators, teachers, and support staff return rested, having just come off a needed break and some well-deserved downtime. This year, anxiety is high, questions remain, fear surrounds us, and adversity can be seen in every direction. Doing a number of openings ..read more

Good Morning My Friends! I'll be honest. As I wake up this morning preparing to open for a district in Minnesota, I'm super fired up. I've been working on something to support educators in whatever type of environment they will be in this fall... and I'm finally releasing it - TODAY! Many of you may know that prior to leading Future Ready Schools, I spent my last three years in a public school district in Pennsylvania as the Director of Technology and Cyber Education. During that time, I led a team that created our own full-time virtual program in our K-12 public sch ..read more

Education can be a really lonely place for teachers. The work is emotional and difficult. Yet connecting with other educators can offer hope, encouragement, and inspiration. Tisha Richmond (@tishrich) shares the importance of connecting with other educators in this #LeadershipMinute ..read more

If you can learn to code, you can code to learn. Educator and author Brian Aspinall (@MrAspinall) joins Tom for this #LeadershipMinute on the role coding can play in learning. #CodeBreaker  ..read more

The best school and district leaders don’t “lead from behind the office desk.” Jacie Maslyk (@DrJacieMaslyk), co-author of #AllInEDU, shares the importance of breaking down barriers between teachers and administrators. #LeadershipMinute ..read more

Educators must evaluate the types and quality of literature that we get in the hands of kids. Josh Stumpenhorst (@stumpteacher) joins Tom for this #LeadershipMinute to share how literature can provide a bridge to help kids see themselves in the work ..read more

Angela Watson (@Angela_Watson) helps teachers focus on what matters most and overcome the “I haven’t done enough,” guilt they often feel. Refocusing on the best use of our time is key. Check out her 40 Hour Teacher Work Week ..read more

In this #LeadershipMinute, Derek McCoy (@mccoyderek) shares the importance of creating a culture of empowerment and risk-taking. How do you impact the culture where you work each day ..read more