Stephen Bigelow, PhD - Education Leadership

  Introduction A few weeks ago, I had a conversation that made me think about the role of the classical foundations of education—or, should I say, what used to be a basis for many of us. As education evolves along with the science of how we learn, are we losing out on the benefits of classical philosophy? I had not considered it before the conversation and decided to do some work. Truth be told, I do believe a classical foundation has value, while it is also obviously essential to embrace an increasingly complex modern world. What does this look like in K-12 education? Reflecting on my education, I had bits and pieces of the classics throughout my K-12 experience, a much deeper dive into undergraduate education, and obviously, some intense work while I worked on my PhD. I wonder if there was room and benefit for me to have been exposed at a greater depth from a younger age. The Foundations of Classical Education Classical education has historically been structured around the Triviu...

  I understand the value of assessments. Testing can be a powerful tool for measuring student growth, diagnosing learning gaps, and informing instructional strategies. Yet, over the years, I’ve grown increasingly frustrated by how mandated assessments encroach upon valuable instructional time. As an administrator, I ensured compliance with state and district testing mandates, often prioritizing accountability metrics over meaningful classroom activities. I struggled with the volume of assessments and their impact on students and teachers. Too often, I found myself questioning the purpose of specific tests. Did every assessment genuinely provide value to students and teachers, or were some simply fulfilling bureaucratic requirements? All too frequently, it felt like the latter. The problem isn’t that testing exists — it’s how it dominates the school calendar: preparation, administration, and make-up testing swallow weeks of instructional time. Teachers, already stretched thin, are o...

Student voice is often discussed in education but can look very different depending on your leadership role. Whether in the classroom, leading a building, or overseeing a district, you listen to and act on student perspectives. I’ve seen how powerful student voice can be and faced moments where I didn’t do this as well as I should have. These experiences remind me why it’s so critical, especially as we strive to improve educational systems for all students. Student voice should be far more than token representation — a single student sitting at the board table or a select group involved in decision-making. While those roles have their place, empowering student voices requires going deeper and creating spaces where students feel their perspectives matter. Providing open information forums — where students of all backgrounds could freely share — has consistently been one of the most effective strategies. Student Voice in the Classroom As a teacher, I found that moving beyond lectures to ...

  Happy 2025, everyone! As I contemplate the gravity of this new year—significant to me as a product of 1975—I reflect on the milestones that shape us. Approaching my 50th year, I realize that life is marked by continuous change, punctuated by bursts of exponential growth. For me, this feels like one of those moments. Learning has taken on a renewed excitement, and I’m deeply thankful for the opportunities ahead—and the lessons of the past. I keep thinking back to an undergraduate psychology class I took about 30 years ago (yikes)—I think it was called “Lifespan Development”—and the work of Erik Erikson. Admittedly, I had to look him up for a refresher on the details, but his insights remain timeless. Erikson described midlife as the seventh stage of psychosocial development: “Generativity vs. Stagnation.” This stage involves nurturing the next generation, contributing to society, and creating something lasting. Whether through raising children, mentoring younger colleagues, or pur...

  As we transition into 2025, I grapple with a surreal realization: we’re officially a quarter of the way through the 21st century. The number 2025 once felt like a far-off and ridiculous concept. Time has passed, time that has changed education, and time that reminds me — as much as I hate to admit it — that I’m officially old. I vividly remember closing my classroom for the holiday break while the world shared concerns about Y2K — the impending doom that would accompany the turn of the millennium. For those of you who weren’t around then (or were too young to remember), Y2K was when we were led to believe that the world might come to a screeching halt because computers couldn’t handle the date rolling over to the new century. It was a time of chaos, confusion, and unnecessary stockpiling. Can we finally agree to stop the persistent use of the phrase “21st-century learners”? It felt innovative and forward-thinking when mission statements and educational goals adopted this language...

  I am writing this while most students are on holiday break, which means a new semester will begin soon for most. For many, ending the semester brings on the stress of exams, which can make or break the student's GPA depending on the weighting. I've witnessed countless debates about midterm exams and their place in high school grading systems. While I don't remember how midterms were weighted in high school, the topic has followed me throughout my career. As a middle school teacher and administrator, the focus was on more formative assessments. Still, when I became a high school principal, midterms were a perennial hot topic, which continued during my decade as superintendent. I saw the full spectrum of opinions. Some believed midterms were essential to assess cumulative knowledge, while others felt they unfairly skewed final grades. As a superintendent during the COVID era, I had to navigate district-wide conversations about the evolving role of exams. During that time, a...