Teaching is a difficult and time-consuming job, but the rewards teachers receive from their students are unquestionably worth it. The good news is that in every school, there are people that they work with who can help to make their daily life much easier--but they are not always the people that they would think to ask for help. New teachers often…

Rather than banking enormous gifts, Harvard University built its wealth by adhering to a coherent strategy that gradually became the common sense--the prevailing ideology--of how to build and maintain the wealth of private universities. President Charles W. Eliot formulated this "free money" strategy over the course of his administration from 1869…

Educating for a sustainable future is the imperative of our time. Creative and individual artistic expression helps us all to inform and share with one another. If we hope to fulfill the vision of sustainability as it pertains to environmental, social and economic realities, we must give our students the fluency and the tools to grow into green…

Recent research reveals that janitorial services account for nearly 30 percent of facility budgets, which translates into billions of dollars annually. With janitorial services consuming such a large share of budgets, other industry findings are alarming. Most cleaning systems: 1) have no quantifiable standards; 2) are based solely on appearance;…

Today's education institution kitchens are colorful and inviting, designed with curvature and stainless steel to compete with local restaurants, offering more variety and efficiency to the demanding health-conscious "Generation Me" consumer who is short on time and big on selection. In short, campus eateries are less "cafeteria" and more "cafe."…

This article presents an interview with Wendy Rogers, a design principal at the architectural firm LPA in Irvine, California, as well as a LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional). Throughout her 24-year career she has advocated for sustainable design in schools. Rogers works closely with the US Green…

Education officials used to debate whether they could afford to pursue green design and construction. Now the green movement has gained a foothold not just in education, but in society at large, and the prevailing attitude seems to have shifted. Can schools afford "not" to go green? As budgets are slashed repeatedly, education administrators must…

In this annual Architectural Portfolio issue, the author presents the main winners that impressed the jury as facilities that will excite and challenge students in dramatic ways. The Children's School, Stamford, Connecticut, the Caudill winner, is "reminiscent of the Crow Island School," according to this year's jury. The Kahn winner,…

This article explores the architecture of the Red de Innovacion y Aprendizaje (RIA), or Learning and Innovation Network, which is a group of education centres that provide access to computers, the Internet and quality education to low-income communities in Mexico. The RIA began in May 2009 when ten pilot centres were opened in four municipalities…

This research examines the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) to integrating e-learning perceived by academic staff at a university in Uganda and a university in Tanzania. Mixed-methods research was used in which a main qualitative study was complemented by a quantitative method. The sample participants were academic staff…

This article investigates international students' challenges, such as financial, English proficiency, loneliness/homesickness in the United States. In addition, it assesses how these students coped with such difficulties by making use of resources on campus, such as an international center, writing center, counseling center, and the student…

This paper reports part of a study that documents the factors affecting the efficacy of teaching and learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Vietnamese higher education from the teachers' perspectives. Individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve EFL teachers at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology…

The purpose of this guide is to provide states, districts, and schools with information and support to prepare applications for 2015-2016 School Improvement Grants (SIGs). The guide includes tools, checklists, and questions for SEAs and LEAs aligned with the revised SIG requirements, primarily focused on how to leverage the "planning…

In 2013, The National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth administered a survey to school district liaisons, homeless housing providers, and early care/education providers (including Early Head Start/Head Start (EHS/HS), child care, preschool, Early Intervention (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part C), and…

This article presents a case study examining the demise of a high school Mandarin language program in a school district that appeared to offer an exceptionally friendly habitat for its survival. Though members of the school board majority who voted against funding the program offered rational explanations for their decision (e.g., insufficient…