Blog
PLCs: The Path to Educational Equity
At Alisal, we know that being a Professional Learning Community means focusing on efforts on the four crticial questions. We know that we use data, not feelings, to drive what takes place in our . . . Read more
Our Mission Remains Clear: Focusing on Student Results
In this world of uncertainty, where everything is changing by the hour—wait, by the minute!—there are crucial questions that need to be answered. How do we continue to ensure that . . . Read more
An Elementary School Schedule that Promotes Student Learning
[Editor's note: Refer to Table I and Table II above for a visual representation of the author's scheduling practices.] Spring is a great time to consider some high-leverage work that . . . Read more
Does 'All' Mean 'All?' Labels, Be Gone!
[Photo courtesy of Kenneth Williams’ Defenders and Disruptors of the Status Quo: Who Will Educators Choose To Be? (2017)] Great teachers who truly want what is best for their students . . . Read more
The Answer is in the Room—But Who is in the Room?
In a professional learning community, working collaboratively is a way of life. This component of the work is fairly well-known and understood by many. And you may have even heard one of these phrases, “The answer is in the room,” or “None of us is as smart as all of us.” But who is included on your collaborative team? Who are we referring to when we say “us”? Read more
Gaining Ground for Students with Special Needs: Honor their Abilities and Strengths
Tailoring instruction for students with special needs is often the most challenging instructional demand for collaborative teams to navigate. Teachers want their students to feel successful, yet . . . Read more
Achieving Unprecedented Learning Results for Students With Disabilities in a PLC
I was recently asked how our school had such great success in helping students with special needs learn at high levels and how, as a PLC school, we work collaboratively to achieve unprecedented . . . Read more
Q&A on Incorporating Specialists Into PLCs
We received this question from a reader of AllThingsPLC and wanted to share the response with all of our readers. Please share your responses in the comments below or by mentioning @SolutionTree or #atplc on Twitter. Read more
Riverside County Office of Education Uses PLCs to Support Special Education
The Riverside County Office of Education was awarded the 2010 Golden Bell Award for the implementation of professional learning communities to support students with severe disabilities. The . . . Read more
Professional Learning Communities That Work in the Classroom
While reading Professional Learning Communities at Work™, I considerably marked up the margins with check marks and the letter U; the check marks meant “this is so important” and the Us symbolized that the ideas, as I saw them, were important because… Read more
Special Education Used as Intervention
Isn’t the system of interventions what special education is designed to do? Some people think the PLC concept is just another version of special education. They suggest, “If the kids can’t cut it, why not just put them in special education? That’s why we have it… Read more