Bright Spots Newsletter

Bright Spots is a weekly newsletter from Katie Martin featuring learner-centered inspiration and examples from the field. Each week, subscribers can expect to receive:

A bright spot. Change can be challenging, but it gets easier when we look to one another to see what’s working and what’s possible. Each week, Katie shares a proven practice or example from the field in an effort to make learner-centered practices both visible and actionable.
A resource roundup. Katie features a small selection of articles, blog posts, and other resources that have inspired her and pushed her thinking about learner-centered education, in the hopes that they do the same for you!

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BlogWebinars

Webinar Recording: Bridging Systems to Transform Student Learning: Lessons From SoCal LiNK

In this webinar, five education leaders share lessons from their experience with SoCal LiNK, a Southern California regional network focused on advancing learner-centered education through collaboration, research, and community building. The webinar panel includes representatives from K–12 schools, higher education, and learner-centered organizations, specifically: Devin Vodicka (LCC Co-CEO), Dr. Alan J. Daly and David…

Blog

Building Bridges Through Change: Leadership Lessons for Summer and Beyond

In education, the rhythm of the year is deeply cyclical. Each year forms a distinct cohort experience for learners, educators, and families alike. When the cohort concludes, there is a natural transition into the unknown. Students move to new grade levels, teachers adapt to new assignments or even new campuses, and leadership teams lay…

BlogWebinars

Webinar Recording: Learner-Centered Bright Spots: Making Learning Public and Closing the Year Strong

In this webinar, three members of the Learner-Centered Collaborative team—Katie Martin, Kate Weisberg, and Danny Scuderi—highlight practical strategies for closing the school year by celebrating learning and cultivating learner-centered mindsets. Drawing from their work in classrooms and systems nationwide, they offer tangible examples of how schools and educators can use reflection, celebration, and community-building…

Big Moves

Redesign Educator Growth Plans & Evaluations

Once a system has clarity and coherence on leader and educator roles in service of their learner-centered vision, other structures require rethinking. Evaluation models in a school-centered paradigm focus on compliance and accountability. As we shift our focus to empowering learners, we must also empower educators and leaders by focusing on feedback and development. …

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BlogWebinars

Webinar Recording: Bridging Systems to Transform Student Learning: Lessons From SoCal LiNK

Blog

Lake Living and Life Lessons: A 12th Grader’s Reflection on Learner-Centered Education in the Upper Peninsula

By Everest Orlikowski, Student at Clark Street Community School If you had the chance to learn about anything you wanted, what would you explore and how would you do it? My high school, Clark Street Community School (CSCS) in Middleton, Wisconsin, presents students with this choice many times throughout our secondary education which allows…

Blog

Can Regional Innovation Hubs Create a More Promising Future for K-12 Education?

Written in collaboration with leaders from AERDF, ALI, InnovateEDU, Leanlab Education, and Learner-Centered Collaborative Throughout history, moments have invited us to rethink how learning happens, who it serves, and what it could become. And yet, many of these opportunities have come and gone without the lasting change they promised. The COVID-19 pandemic is one…