Starting Point
A Mix of Practical and Research

School Administrator, September 2018


AN EDUCATOR WOULD have had to spend the past few years in a cave to not recognize the major attention being given to the social and emotional needs of school-age students as factors affecting learning. In this issue, we try to make sense of the burgeoning movement.

In the pages that follow, we offer a rich mix that combines research-related content from the likes of two prominent national figures, Linda Darling-Hammond and Stephanie Jones, along with the practical considerations of two school districts. The contributors from the latter vantage point are Traci Davis and Shelley Berman, superintendents in Washoe County, Nev., and Andover, Mass., respectively.

Finally, this month’s issue also looks at a few school districts that are tackling reform of student discipline in hopes of significantly cutting into the suspensions of students of color. An accompanying article by Bryan Joffe discusses the role of AASA in promoting different thinking about discipline.

As always, we welcome hearing from our readers about these articles. Because it won’t be the last time we deal with social and emotional learning, we’re especially eager to receive suggestions for our next round of coverage.


Jay P. Goldman
Editor, School Administrator
Voice: 703-875-0745
E-mail: jgoldman@aasa.org
Twitter: @JPGoldman