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Following up on my earlier post about the duty we should feel toward educating the next generation, New York Times columnist, Tom Friedman, had an interesting op-ed last month about his travels through China to better understand how that country’s education system has developed over the last decade to become a true powerhouse. 

How exactly do we “cherish” schools? For me, the answer is simple: we must continually push ourselves to make sure that those schools are not just solid institutions, but that every adult in the building is committed to providing the highest quality education imaginable. Of course, educators must be provided the tools and resources to make it possible to reach this lofty objective, and having ample time for teaching and learning is high among those.

Join NCTL and Americans for the Arts on Friday, October 18, 2013 from 3 to 4 p.m. ET for a webinar on key findings from Advancing Arts Education through an Expanded School Day. The report presents case studies of five schools utilizing the longer student and teacher days to prioritize time for arts education as they work to improve overall academic instruction and focus on individual student achievement. 

Are you finding that you have adequate time to develop your students’ knowledge and skills as much as you need to with higher expectations? What are the time use implications of encouraging more collaboration and problem-solving among students?  Do you have enough time to collaborate with colleagues so that you feel prepared to implement the expected instructional shifts?