The public school system serves a large proportion of our nation’s students, representing a wide and diverse range of abilities, challenges, and needs. To successfully prepare students for 21st century jobs, public schools will need systems and tools that help all students succeed. Therefore, it is absolutely crucial that public school teachers and administrators have access to executive function strategies.
During our recent Learning Differences Conference, Karla Estrada, Ed.D., deputy superintendent of Boston Public Schools (BPS), spoke about the need to train students to be able to think differently about the problems they will face as professional adults. Dr. Estrada is leading BPS’s Excellence for All Initiative, a district-wide program designed to push “every student to engage in deep learning and develop key understanding and skills to become critical thinkers.”
The SMARTS program has teamed up with BPS teachers to ensure that students are developing the executive function strategies they will need to become flexible and strategic learners. Please take a moment to watch Dr. Estrada’s inspiring talk.
- Michael Greschler, M.Ed., SMARTS Director