Back in April 2020, Dr. Marla Sheppard, Deputy Superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools, wrote an article entitled Is it Time for a Pivot in Education? In the article, Dr. Sheppard spoke about the pivot in education initiated by school closures due to COVID-19- and the impact on schools going forward. How do we shift education to virtual learning, but also- how do we support the increased independence of our student learners? How do we shift our instruction to teach students to seek information they need, rather than simply giving it to them? In order to remain relevant, do we need to reimagine schooling– and the role of teachers?
I had the honor of speaking with Dr. Sheppard in the latest Fresh Ideas for Teaching Podcast. Listen here:
Read Dr. Sheppard’s full article here.
Dr. Marla Sheppard has been in education for 25 years, starting as a teacher in the Houston Independent School District. She later became an Assistant Principal then a principal of a middle school and a high school in some of Houston’s most challenging neighborhoods. Dr. Sheppard later became an Assistant Superintendent of School Leadership in a suburban Houston school district. She has worked in a variety of settings, urban and suburban, large and small. She is currently the Deputy Superintendent in the Kansas City (MO) Public Schools.
